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How's the skiing at these universities?

post #1 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
I've done some searching on this board for colleges with good skiing nearby, but most of the threads seem to be "skiing first, academics second." I'm a high school senior and I already know where I want to apply (I've already applied to about half of them), and I'm interested in continuing to ski, preferably with a team/club in college. But, a lot of college websites don't have much information. Most just say, "we have a ski club" or "skiing nearby", but none of them are very clear on how close or how good the mountains are. So, if you've skied in any of these areas or have any info whatsoever, I would really appreciate it. These are the schools I'm applying to:

UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
San Francisco State
University of Washingon -- Seattle
Reed College
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Smith College

(I'm also applying to SDSU and UCSD, but I live in San Diego and normally go up to Bear Mtn).

Thanks!
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post #2 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:12pm

UCLA
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
San Francisco State
University of Washingon -- Seattle
Reed College
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Smith College

(I'm also applying to SDSU and UCSD, but I live in San Diego and normally go up to Bear Mtn).

Thanks!
 

UCLA   :  close to LA MAN MADE!

UC Santa B arbara ;   closest GOOD is actually mammoth, 6 -8 hrs away. DEL PLAYA IS FUN AS HELL, ASK HAYDEN DOZIER!!

UC Irvine: same as ucla

***********************************************

sf state: sub par to UC's, 5-6 hours to tahoe, UCLA a gazillion times better(as a school),
Oregon and washinton schools not as good as ucla/ucb/Stanford but close to GOOD SKI!!

[Edited to delete explicit sexual comment Cirquerider]
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post #3 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:18pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, I'm going to ignore the Wellesley comment. I'm not a lesbian, I just thought I would apply because it's a good school and I have a better chance of getting in because guys can't apply.

Other than that, thanks. My GPA is about 4.1 for the record so I'm not getting in to Stanford.
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post #4 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

I've done some searching on this board for colleges with good skiing nearby, but most of the threads seem to be "skiing first, academics second." I'm a high school senior and I already know where I want to apply (I've already applied to about half of them), and I'm interested in continuing to ski, preferably with a team/club in college. But, a lot of college websites don't have much information. Most just say, "we have a ski club" or "skiing nearby", but none of them are very clear on how close or how good the mountains are. So, if you've skied in any of these areas or have any info whatsoever, I would really appreciate it. These are the schools I'm applying to:

UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
San Francisco State
University of Washingon -- Seattle
Reed College
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Smith College

(I'm also applying to SDSU and UCSD, but I live in San Diego and normally go up to Bear Mtn).

Thanks!

I can't really vouch for the west coast colleges. However, I did grow up a few miles away from Wellesley. I usually skied in NH, usually Waterville Valley, Loon, etc. It's about a 2- 2 1/2 hour ride up there, but it's a pretty easy ride, just taking 128 North to I-93, and shoot straight up. Wachusett is somewhat closer, but it's a smaller mountain that can get rather crowded. Nashoba Valley is about a half hour away, but it's a little local hill.

I went to school up at UMass, which is right down the road from Smith. From Northampton, you can get to Berkshire East in less than an hour. That's another smaller local hill. You can hit Mount Snow, Stratton, etc. in an hour to an hour and a half.

I know Vassar is in upstate NY, not too far from the Catskills. I'm not sure exactly what's in the vicinity, but it's not too far off.
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post #5 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

I've done some searching on this board for colleges with good skiing nearby, but most of the threads seem to be "skiing first, academics second." I'm a high school senior and I already know where I want to apply (I've already applied to about half of them), and I'm interested in continuing to ski, preferably with a team/club in college. But, a lot of college websites don't have much information. Most just say, "we have a ski club" or "skiing nearby", but none of them are very clear on how close or how good the mountains are. So, if you've skied in any of these areas or have any info whatsoever, I would really appreciate it. These are the schools I'm applying to:

UC Berkeley
UCLA
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
San Francisco State
University of Washingon -- Seattle
Reed College
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Smith College

(I'm also applying to SDSU and UCSD, but I live in San Diego and normally go up to Bear Mtn).

Thanks!

http://www.rpi.edu/




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post #6 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:28pm
Smith even more so, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Vassar is near Hunter,  What about Colby and Bates.

and 4.1 ??

I went to UVM and it has improved since I was there - not because I am not there though.  Still a big party school what I have been hearing.
 
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post #7 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:34pm
Westminster is a pretty good liberal arts school in Salt Lake City- 20 min. from Alta.

And Montana State (Bozeman) has a good engineering program if you're into that.
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post #8 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:35pm
www.dartmouth.edu/~dartski/
Ski Team
www.dartmouth.edu/home/academics/

Ivy League
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post #9 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:40pm
Colorado College is a good school in Colorado Springs.  2 hours from Breck maybe a bit more to Keystone.
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post #10 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:45pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for the suggestions, but I'm really not looking for any other schools to apply to, particularly not ones that I will never, ever be admitted to. My real question was, how is the skiing for these specific schools, not schools in general.
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post #11 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:52pm
At a senior with 4.1 GPA, I would think you can read a map... and see all the California schools are on the coast not in the mountain! At that, you're not going to be any closer to the skiing if you stay in California.

From Berkeley, you're about 3 1/2 hr from Tahoe, which is the ONLY skiing available north of LA.

Instead of just browsing the schools' web site home page, why not click through to the ski club and find out what kind of trips they're doing this winter? That should give you a good indication of how active they are. And you can probably even contact some real person (via e-mail) and ask more specific questions.

All 3 of the east coast collages have skiing within an hr of the campus. But the weather of the east coast are less kind to skiers. And since all 3 of them are in relatively mild part of the northeast, the season is typically shorter and condition much more iffy unless you go further away up north...

On the plus side, your ability to ski icy to super icy condition will be greatly improved if you do choose to study in the east. ;-)
Edited by at_nyc - 12/3/09 at 6:15pm
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post #12 of 67
12/3/09 at 5:59pm
I went to Reed College. They have a ski cabin at Government Camp, but directions to get there are held close to the vest for security reasons. It's a pretty sweet benefit of attending the college. As an alumni, I can use it.

I got a lot from my experience at Reed and recommend it to strong students who are okay with learning for its own sake (you don't get your grades until six weeks after graduation) and who want to be part of a diverse student population.
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post #13 of 67
12/3/09 at 6:12pm
UW is one hour from Alpental/Snoqualamie; 1 1/2 from Stevens, 2 from Crystal, 3 from Baker, Mission, Grouse and Cypress and 5 from Whistler, Timberline,Mt hood meadows and ski bowl. They have a ski team that bases out of snoqualamie.

The Husky ski club focuses on Snoqualamie and runs a concession ski school of its own there. You can train to be a ski instructor in exchange for 6 weeks of lessons.

There are also a mutlitude of ski clubs, beer league, backcountry nuts, etc. Seattle is a very outdoor oriented city.

The skiing here blows away anything you will have encountered in SoCal. For a good idea of what it's like go here:

http://www.grantgunderson.com

edit: I really don't have anything to say about the other schools, except that none of them will have skiing as good as UW.
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post #14 of 67
12/3/09 at 6:31pm
I actually did an article on this topic a few months ago http://tinyurl.com/y86dvzl However, none of the colleges discussed are also on your list.

However, I also did a story recently http://tinyurl.com/nfwkzv on a second-semester "study abroad" ski program they have at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. So you could also do that at some point in your college career. It's a pretty cool program tailored to specifically to skiers and boarders.
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post #15 of 67
12/3/09 at 6:55pm
Hi, I have graduated with a bachelors from a UC and attended all the classes necessary for a Master at a CSU.  I have also taken classes at Community colleges.  Why dont you find a ski hill you really like, for instance Mammoth, and go to the community college within half an hour.  Get all your lower division out of the way in 2-3 years, at a savings to you or your parent, then go to a top notch university?
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post #16 of 67
12/3/09 at 6:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by steveys View Post

Hi, I have graduated with a bachelors from a UC and attended all the classes necessary for a Master at a CSU.  I have also taken classes at Community colleges.  Why dont you find a ski hill you really like, for instance Mammoth, and go to the community college within half an hour.  Get all your lower division out of the way in 2-3 years, at a savings to you or your parent, then go to a top notch university?

PS: if you go to LA or OR or WA and are within 45 minutes of the ski resort, you should really think about trying to get a job as a ski instructor. 

PPS: have you thought about trying to go to school in salt lake city?
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post #17 of 67
12/3/09 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by at_nyc View Post

At a senior with 4.1 GPA, I would think you can read a map... and see all the California schools are on the coast not in the mountain! At that, you're not going to be any closer to the skiing if you stay in California.

From Berkeley, you're about 3 1/2 hr from Tahoe, which is the ONLY skiing available north of LA.

Instead of just browsing the schools' web site home page, why not click through to the ski club and find out what kind of trips they're doing this winter? That should give you a good indication of how active they are. And you can probably even contact some real person (via e-mail) and ask more specific questions.

All 3 of the east coast collages have skiing within an hr of the campus. But the weather of the east coast are less kind to skiers. And since all 3 of them are in relatively mild part of the northeast, the season is typically shorter and condition much more iffy unless you go further away up north...

On the plus side, your ability to ski icy to super icy condition will be greatly improved if you do choose to study in the east. ;-)
 

As a sh*t talking map expert you should realize that Mammoth is north of LA
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post #18 of 67
12/3/09 at 7:57pm
For the UC system - UC Davis is the closest to good skiing.

If I was going to pick a good University close to great skiing - I would pick the University of Utah.
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post #19 of 67
12/3/09 at 8:00pm
Thread Starter 
I don't really want to go to a community college because I want the regular college experience. I'd rather pay more money for that, and besides skiing isn't my first priority, school is. But thanks (apart from your rude Wellesley comments, that is).

It sounds like UW is my best bet... we'll see once I get accepted/rejected.
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post #20 of 67
12/3/09 at 8:01pm
Interesting selection of schools. Everything from small liberal arts schools to massive universities. What are your academic/programatic criteria? As noted by someone else, it is a bit odd that CC is not in that mix (in addition the stuff to the north, it is a couple hours to Monarch - which is a super neat retro hill).

Regarding the community college suggestion...it is simply not realistic to assume that a) it'll be all that simple/cheap in the current economy; b) it'll be that easy to get into the 4 year school of your choice after a couple years of community college; c) that credits will transfer all that readily. The community college route makes sense only if it makes sense in terms of your academic & career plans.

Regarding skiing: what iWill said...
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post #21 of 67
12/3/09 at 8:15pm
Thread Starter 
I'm planning on majoring in history and/or French and will probably become a teacher. I'm hoping to study abroad in France with skiing nearby, too. BTW, I'm only going to consider the private schools if I get significant financial aid. Otherwise, it's one of the UCs or UW (still out of state but cheaper than a liberal arts college).

Spindrift, the reason my schools are all over the place is because I don't think I can afford a small private school, even though I'd rather go to one. Even though UC fees are going up like crazy, they're still much less expensive (for in state). But if I don't end up at my top choice, skiing or no skiing, I'll be fine. I've gone to 7 different schools so far... I'll be happy wherever I am.
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post #22 of 67
12/3/09 at 9:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

But if I don't end up at my top choice, skiing or no skiing, I'll be fine. I've gone to 7 different schools so far... I'll be happy wherever I am.

That's a great attitude - one that is often lost in today's college applicants. Make the most of it.
Good luck.
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post #23 of 67
12/3/09 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

I'm planning on majoring in history and/or French and will probably become a teacher. I'm hoping to study abroad in France with skiing nearby, too. BTW, I'm only going to consider the private schools if I get significant financial aid. Otherwise, it's one of the UCs or UW (still out of state but cheaper than a liberal arts college).

Spindrift, the reason my schools are all over the place is because I don't think I can afford a small private school, even though I'd rather go to one. Even though UC fees are going up like crazy, they're still much less expensive (for in state). But if I don't end up at my top choice, skiing or no skiing, I'll be fine. I've gone to 7 different schools so far... I'll be happy wherever I am.

Go to the UC system if you live in state. My wife did (UCLA) and the fact that you come out with no student loans and a great degree is huge. If not there UW is an excellent school, Seattle rocks, and the skiing up there is superb. Don't bother coming East.

UCLA is not real convenient for skiing as I'm sure you know. I'd say Berkeley probably fits you to a "T" but Davis is a little closer to the mountains.

How about UNR? Has really improved in the rankings and while Reno is kind of a funky town the college scene there is good and obviously 30 minutes from Squaw Valley can't hurt. 
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post #24 of 67
12/3/09 at 9:40pm
If you want to be close to the best skiing in the west, go to University of Reno in Nevada or Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village. You'll get more days on the slopes than any of these schools.

EPIC!
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post #25 of 67
12/4/09 at 4:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

I'm planning on majoring in history and/or French and will probably become a teacher. I'm hoping to study abroad in France with skiing nearby, too. BTW, I'm only going to consider the private schools if I get significant financial aid. Otherwise, it's one of the UCs or UW (still out of state but cheaper than a liberal arts college).

Spindrift, the reason my schools are all over the place is because I don't think I can afford a small private school, even though I'd rather go to one. Even though UC fees are going up like crazy, they're still much less expensive (for in state). But if I don't end up at my top choice, skiing or no skiing, I'll be fine. I've gone to 7 different schools so far... I'll be happy wherever I am.
Halie, you could check out Middlebury College , www.middlebury.edu they are a small liberal arts college and they give out a lot of scholarship money, there is a pretty high % of people getting a full ride on tuition. As for skiing they have their own area Middlebury College Snowbowl 15 minutes from campus and most of the other big  places in Vt, Killington, Sugarbush, Stowe all with in 1.5  hours away. Quite a few of the students do a year of study abroad.
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post #26 of 67
12/4/09 at 4:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halie View Post

I don't really want to go to a community college because I want the regular college experience. I'd rather pay more money for that, and besides skiing isn't my first priority, school is. But thanks (apart from your rude Wellesley comments, that is).

It sounds like UW is my best bet... we'll see once I get accepted/rejected.
 

Actually going to a CC can lead to a BETTER EDUCATION!!  For instance you can go to a CC that has a transfer agreement to several schools, work hard and get yourself into UCLA, UCB, or stanford.  While straight out of highschool you may only get into a 2nd or third tier school
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post #27 of 67
12/4/09 at 4:43am
Eastern Guy.  Lots of options within about 3 hours.  Southern VT (Okemo, Killington, Mt Snow are good eastern Mts not too far away.)  In NH are Loon and all things North Conway.

To take care of your mid-week jones, yep little Nashoba (good adult league) is there and Wachusett (also small but much bigger than Nashoba) is about an hour. Night skiing too at both.  Wach also has a good race league. 

PS.  I am a teacher.  May I suggest you double major in French and EDUCATION (not history).  IMO, language is easier to teach than history and the Ed Major will make your certification easier.  You can always study history for fun or in grad school.   I currently teach English and have also taught Latin.  Latin is better.  I have a masters in Eng Lit from Middlebury (which yes - is cool as hell) but since I do not have many Ed courses, my recertification is a pain in the butt.  Good luck and have fun.  College is pretty awesome.
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post #28 of 67
12/4/09 at 5:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowbowler View Post



Halie, you could check out Middlebury College , www.middlebury.edu they are a small liberal arts college and they give out a lot of scholarship money, there is a pretty high % of people getting a fu1ll ride on tuition. As for skiing they have their own area Middlebury College Snowbowl 15 minutes from campus and most of the other big  places in Vt, Killington, Sugarbush, Stowe all with in 1.5  hours away. Quite a few of the students do a year of study abroad.

 

Yeah, this would be an awesome choice.  It's right in the "middle" of it all.  Next to impossible to get into - expensive as hell without the scholarship.

French... Magill in Montreal... the Harvard of Canada... affordable.  It's a great place to study language and a top notch U.  It's in Canada though.
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post #29 of 67
12/4/09 at 5:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Racer256 View Post

PS.  I am a teacher.  May I suggest you double major in French and EDUCATION (not history).  IMO, language is easier to teach than history and the Ed Major will make your certification easier.  You can always study history for fun or in grad school.   I currently teach English and have also taught Latin.  Latin is better.  I have a masters in Eng Lit from Middlebury (which yes - is cool as hell) but since I do not have many Ed courses, my recertification is a pain in the butt.  Good luck and have fun.  College is pretty awesome.

You must teach at a private school.

And, lucky you.  Middlebury is one of the finest.
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post #30 of 67
12/4/09 at 6:42am
Sorry to hijack, but does anyone know a lot about Westminster?  Not the Winter program, but the full-school.
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