I
was thinking he'd start out with a couple of years of community college first, but dang, these universities are being persistent! The top photo is Oregon Institute of Technology. They have a solid engineering program, the city of Klamath Falls is a bit bigger than where we are now, and Trevor's cousin Jon got his Engineering degree there. According to Lee's sister, Myrna, there are lots of kids with Trevor's learning style (Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD) and the teachers work well with that.
Downside, it's a pain in the butt to commute from K. Falls. Especially during winter, since it's on the other side of the Cascades in the high desert. Also, K. Falls is known as the "Armpit of Oregon." Still, Trevor would spend most of his time on campus anyway...
The next photo is Portland State University. They are just starting their Engineering program. It's a Catholic University, which would be kind of cool, and the scholarship they offered is $10,000.00. They have also invited him to stay a weekend in the dorms to check it out.Downside, I have no idea how well the administration would work with Trevor. It's in a real CITY, albeit a beautiful one, and cost of living would be a lot higher. This school also costs more than OIT.
I'm still going to have Trevor apply for the scholarships at community college.
So, what do you think? Where should he go?
:)
5 comments:
It seems to me that the one near Klamath falls has more of what you are looking for. What about dorms there? What does Jon say? I mean if he went there, maybe he has ideas where to go and where to stay away from! It definitely has the up side of working well with Trev's learning style! But hey I am not his mom!
Ok big question remember when YOU were going to college....did you want to go home alot?
I used college as my chance to escape home, but then again I didn't have a cool place like trevor does. Seriously, however, OIT sounds like the better option from an educational experience.
I lived at home when I was in college. Never did the dorm thing at all. Home was free :) Plus Cal State Fullerton was only a 30-minute drive if you didn't hit rush hour. As long as I was on the freeway by 7:05, I could make it there with plenty of time to park, get coffee, etc. If I got on the freeway at 7:15, I was going to be late.
How far will the $10,000 go in Portland? Is the school significantly more expensive than OIT? A cost breakdown of expected real costs (i.e., costs - 10,000 at Portland vs. all costs at OIT) would be helpful to think about.
As for the drive to / from Klamath Falls, is housing an opportunity at all there? Do you have any contacts there that Trevor can stay with if the weather is too bad for the drive?
As for Klamath Falls being an "armpit" I don't think that will be a big factor unless he lives there. Schools tend to be very self-contained. Look at USC in Los Angeles. It is practically in the ghetto, and look at the kids that go to school there! I guess it depends on how good of a neighbor they are. For USC, here is a quote from Wikipedia:
USC's role in making visible and sustained improvements in the neighborhoods surrounding both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses earned it the distinction of College of the Year 2000 by the TIME/Princeton Review College Guide. Roughly half of the university's students volunteer in community-service programs in neighborhoods around campus and throughout Los Angeles. These outreach programs, as well as previous administrations' commitment to remaining in South Los Angeles amid widespread calls to move the campus following the 1965 Watts Riots, are credited for the safety of the university during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. (That the university emerged from the riots completely unscathed is all the more remarkable in light of the complete destruction of several strip malls in the area, including one just across Vermont Avenue from the campus' western entrance).
He'd be at the dorms at K. Falls. We don't know anyone there.
University of Portland is still more expensive - and he'd be staying at some campus housing there too most likely (altho there is mass transit, I just don't see Trevor doing that...).
I'm going to call the admissions office for OIT and find out if the scholarships can be held or something if we choose to have him attend community college first.
College is already going to be a huge transition - I just think he'll be more successful & comfortable if he still has his room , family, home-cooked meals, etc. Then only one big thing is changing vs. his entire life....
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