Less selective schools “similar” to MIT

[Anonymous]

Bumping this in hopes that OP will come back and tell us where her DD ended up!

I have a DD with a similar outlook, and found this to be a very helpful thread filled with good suggestions about which schools to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Carleton.

+1

Wayyy too woke and not good for stem. Not even a contender to
Harvard/mit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking for less selective schools similar to MIT in that they encourage kids to pursue their interests and students are supportive as opposed to competitive with each other.

And the students are truly kind. That is key.

That is what has stuck out to us about MIT - it is not just a phenomenal school academically but they seem to have found a way to select and encourage those who foster team work.

Doubtful DC will get into MIT next year (it is truly a lottery even with great stats) so looking for other options where there is not fierce competition and the school has a truly a collaborative approach to learning. Also where professors engage with the students and it is not just rote learning.

My kid was interested in MIT, but got in elsewhere during the early round, so never got the chance to apply. But he had similar interests in a school - smart, collaborative, kind.

The other schools he was interested in were Stanford, Rice, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Harvey Mudd, Princeton (kinda sorta, but vibes), Brown (for the freedom to do his thing), USC, Purdue, Wisconsin, plus a very good state flagship.

[Anonymous]

Mines is amazing! Definitely check it out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an entitled Harvard grad. MIT kids are pretty nice, and not just nicer than Harvard kids. Many Richard Stallman types, in the best sense of that.

Anyway, OP should definitely check out Harvey Mudd.

Richard Stallman is also a Harvard grad and loved his time there. For some, Harvard’s CS and engineering program is a better fit.

[Anonymous]

Carnegie Mellon U

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My DC is able to weed through data to find schools that check the boxes for majors etc and trying to get a good range of selectivity. She is having a hard time trying to find schools that match the vibe she is looking for which is why I posted.

We already visited Georgia Tech - currently not considering it. She thought the Georgia Tech kids all looked somber - it was a nice day when we visited and there was almost no one outside enjoying themselves. That stood out. For state schools we have Penn state, UMD & Virginia Tech on the list to look at.

Her current school is a pressure cooker and not collaborative and she does not want a repeat in college. It has become toxic and she is coming to us for help in finding more collaborative college options. She likes working on groups/bouncing ideas off others. Guidance counselor at HS is not helpful. Very different HS experience than my other DC who is at a different high school.

Cal Poly SLO - they learn through doing so lots of projects and group work. It has a phenomenal architecture and engineering program. I wouldn’t go there for humanities or social sciences but STEM is great. It also doesn’t have the cut throat competition of some of the
UC schools with deflationary curves.

The other UC option is UC Davis. Very nice kids, cool college town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Carleton.

Perhaps you meant Clarkson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking for less selective schools similar to MIT in that they encourage kids to pursue their interests and students are supportive as opposed to competitive with each other.

And the students are truly kind. That is key.

That is what has stuck out to us about MIT - it is not just a phenomenal school academically but they seem to have found a way to select and encourage those who foster team work.

Doubtful DC will get into MIT next year (it is truly a lottery even with great stats) so looking for other options where there is not fierce competition and the school has a truly a collaborative approach to learning. Also where professors engage with the students and it is not just rote learning.

That was the impression we had during the tour.

But after a completing a highly selective program and admitted students day, kid chose a different HYPSM. It is fiercely competitive especially in STEM areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Carleton.

Perhaps you meant Clarkson?

Carleton. It is an elite lac that does STEM very well. Clarkson is a no name school.

[Anonymous]

I like that most people here didn’t even choose a college that’d help op, just a bunch of other elite schools that are just as hard to get into

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like that most people here didn’t even choose a college that’d help op, just a bunch of other elite schools that are just as hard to get into

I didn’t Cal Poly SLO and UC Davis are much, much easier to get into for an OOS student. I’m assuming OP isn’t in state in one of the red zones for impossible in state admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weird to have that "house in aspen" experience touring Harvard since those guides are on work-study.

My neighbor's kid went to MIT and had to move dorms bcs of a weird stalker guy. ("the odds are good ,but the goods are odd" was her refrain about dating at MIT and that was before the stalker).

Apply widely and see what shakes out. Then do the accepted students weekend which is a much deeper look that "the kids looked up happy in the library during the 8 seconds we walked through"

Not all guides are on work study. DS is a guide, because he loves the experience, and it is just like any other campus job.

[Anonymous]

Northeastern

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like that most people here didn’t even choose a college that’d help op, just a bunch of other elite schools that are just as hard to get into

I didn’t Cal Poly SLO and UC Davis are much, much easier to get into for an OOS student. I’m assuming OP isn’t in state in one of the red zones for impossible in state admissions.

Lots of kids from Sacramento area high schools go to these two schools as admission to Cal, UCLA and Stanford is obviously difficult.

Cal Poly is located in one of the most beautiful parts of the US, not far from the ocean. UC Davis is superior for non-STEM. Rarely hear anyone complain about either school.