College for anxious, smart, somewhat socially awkward kid
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Anonymous
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Rising Junior. Smart, friendly, kind, socially awkward. Just starting to look at schools. I think small or mid-size school would best. Where have you seen your kid (if similar) thrive? Excellent grades. AP/Honors classes. Not all all sure of major or focus of study.
Any advice please. |
Anonymous
| I really think the answer is anywhere that appeals to them. My DS could be described as socially awkward and really only ever had one "best" friend, not the type to hang out with a big "posse" or get invited to parties. Smart, hard working, sweet boy. He's thriving UVA. You find your place whether it's a small, medium or large school as long as you put yourself out there and join clubs, intramural etc. |
Anonymous
| PP - good advice. |
Anonymous
| My similar student is only a rising sophomore, but we plan on looking at schools where everyone lives on campus for at least freshman and sophomore year and that has a culture that encourages relationships with professors. Not having an active Greek life is a plus. I went to Brown and think that checks all the boxes, but of course it's much harder to get into now. |
Anonymous
| I went to swarthmore - he would be very supported socially there! |
Anonymous
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Read Colleges That Change Lives.
I think a kid like this should check out Juniata (it is a sweet, non-judgemental community where students develop close relationships with faculty). The school akso tries to impart sound values, along with education. |
Anonymous
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PS-Juniata would likely be a safety for OP’s child, but they are strong in the sciences and offer generous aid.
I would avoid very competitive places like Swarthmore), or prep school feeders. |
Anonymous
| Rice |
Anonymous
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My rising jr sounds similar. Schools on the list to look at:
W&M Mary Washington Dickinson Swarthmore Haverford College of Wooster Kenyon Case Western Rochester Carleton Macalester Carnegie Mellon Clark |
Anonymous
I would add Brandeis |
Anonymous
| Definitely Carnegie Mellon. There is a significant percentage of students on the autism spectrum (yes, I know your child is not on the spectrum), and CMU does a great job of accommodating them. There is a great deal of tolerance for social awkwardness, and students tend to be accepting of other people's differences. Definitely challenging academically. |
Anonymous
| Great list above. |
Anonymous
The kid smart |
Anonymous
Juniata is second rate for a really smart and high stats kid. Be serious. Stop being a CTCL marketer. |
Anonymous
This is a solid list, but it's criminal not to include Grinnell on it. Grinnell is as good as all and better than most of the schools on the list, is full of students who are exactly as OP described, and is one of the few highly selective colleges that actually is generous with merit aid. |