Less stressful SLAC

[Anonymous]

Carleton College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following this thread... will someone advise for a high rigor DC private, with a B average and a few C+s in the mix (Covid hangover.)

Wooster
Washington & Jefferson
Chatham
Muhlenberg
Goucher
Marymount Manhattan
Duquesne

[Anonymous]

The top 15-20 SLACs are a lot of work. The classes are small and participation/attendance counts. You can’t skip classes and do well. You can’t sit in the back and not do the reading and be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carleton College

Not exactly less stressful. St. Olaf, perhaps.

[Anonymous]

Rigor and fun can go together. Check out Holy Cross, for a supportive environment that also gets kids into top PhD and med school programs…

https://www.today.com/video/meet-the-teacher-fusing-science-with-dance-in-the-classroom-193543749810

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carleton College

I have a DC at Carleton. It’s a lovely and supportive community and my DC loves it, but it’s very academically challenging and the students work hard. And it’s on a trimester system so the pace is unrelenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carleton College

Not sure which school that begins with C is so hated by OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:West Coast! So much more chill. Puget Sound, Santa Clara, Lewis & Clark, Loyola Marymount, Seattle U, or even Mountain West:
Colorado College, U of Denver…

None of these are what OP seems to be looking for.
Claremont colleges
Occidental

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I frankly tend to think all the SLACs outside of the ones known to be intensely academic (like Swat) are pretty relaxed, especially for students coming from high intensity high schools. Beyond the top 10 there should really be no issue and even within the top 10, some are probably relatively chill, like Bowdoin.

What others in top 10 do you think are relatively chill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I frankly tend to think all the SLACs outside of the ones known to be intensely academic (like Swat) are pretty relaxed, especially for students coming from high intensity high schools. Beyond the top 10 there should really be no issue and even within the top 10, some are probably relatively chill, like Bowdoin.

What others in top 10 do you think are relatively chill?

None of you pick a challenging major. That goes for almost any school.

[Anonymous]

I find it odd people don’t consider the impact major plays. If you major in sociology or gender studies the school will seem very chill compared to those majoring in physics or engineering, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it odd people don’t consider the impact major plays. If you major in sociology or gender studies the school will seem very chill compared to those majoring in physics or engineering, for example.

Not necessarily--some of those top SLACs have really intense reading/writing loads for "soft" majors--and the standards are very high. I went to a SLAC and found physics and organic chemistry easier than the upper level sociology course I took. The grading curve on tests etc. were harder in physics/chem, but the final grades were equivalent. But I always felt like I never fully quite "got" how to apply theoretical models and use sociological data to make arguments as well as others in the class did. I was a perennial B+ student in my sociology course even though I worked very hard.

[Anonymous]

Any SLAC in Ohio (Kenyon, Denison, Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan), with the exception of Oberlin which is too woke-intense.

Lower NESCAC like Conn and Trinity.

Any SLAC not ranked in the Top 30 (Union, Skidmore).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenyon. Occidental. Reed.

Reed has an insane workload and no grade inflation. It may not be cutthroat, but it's hardly unstressful.

Agree. Everything I’ve read about Reed makes me think it’s extremely academically rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have her take a gap year and then start at the top school. She just needs a break

Great advice!