SLAC vibes - Middlebury, Wesleyan, Vassar....

[Anonymous]

I have an athletic, straight son who is politically progressive and socially very tolerant (volunteers with kids who have disabilities, befriended the trans kid in his class who couldn't find a partner for a project, etc). He's considering some SLACs at which he could play his sport. We have visited F&M and Dickinson, both of which seem like decent fits vibe-wise.

What are the student bodies like at Middlebury, Wesleyan, Trinity (CT), Haverford, Occidental, and Vassar? Maybe the Maine ones as well (Colby, Bates, Bowdoin)?

I don't think a super artsy crunchy place will be the best fit for him....he is going to want to find friends who want to watch professional sports, join a fantasy football league, etc, and girls who are interested in dating men. I feel like at a smaller school you really have to make sure it's the right fit.

[Anonymous]

Might add Colgate and Holy Cross both more athletic oriented and traditional dating atmosphere. Both at over 3,000 students are biggest SLACs.

[Anonymous]

My kid looked at all three and is at Wes, which has a really wide range of kids and is just generally very welcoming. It has a very eclectic vibe. My kid is not straight, but he knows/is friends with plenty of guys who sound like your son.

Vassar seemed similar to Wes and also appealed to my kid. He just liked Wes more.

Middlebury seemed preppier and straighter but still progressive. It did not appeal to my kid, but based on the (lovely) kids we know there, it sounds like it might be a good fit for yours.

[Anonymous]

Check out Davidson’

[Anonymous]

Not sure about his sport, but Skidmore may be a good fit. While there is an artsy crunchy contingency, there are a range of students there. My kid who liked Dickinson also liked Skidmore.

[Anonymous]

Bucknell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Davidson’

Love Davidson but it's D1 and he is D3 material.

[Anonymous]

Would remove Vassar, Wesleyan, and Bates way too artsy crunchy. No middle ground at those 3. If into sports and dating try Bucknell, Holy Cross and yes Davidson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would remove Vassar, Wesleyan, and Bates way too artsy crunchy. No middle ground at those 3. If into sports and dating try Bucknell, Holy Cross and yes Davidson.

Just reiterating, as a Wes parent, that this isn’t true. I can’t speak for Vassar or Bates, as I don’t have kids there. Do you have kids at all three?

[Anonymous]

Have you looked into Washington and Lee? Definitely socially tolerant. Definitely girls who want to date men.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like my DS. Of the schools you list that showed interest in recruiting him, he loved Wesleyan and liked Haverford a lot. He was pretty neutral on Vassar . . . we both got an "uptight" vibe from it.

In the end, he chose Carleton. If it's not on your list, I'd recommend that you look into it. It wasn't on his radar until the coach reached out to him, and it quickly became his first choice after a campus visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an athletic, straight son who is politically progressive and socially very tolerant (volunteers with kids who have disabilities, befriended the trans kid in his class who couldn't find a partner for a project, etc). He's considering some SLACs at which he could play his sport. We have visited F&M and Dickinson, both of which seem like decent fits vibe-wise.

What are the student bodies like at Middlebury, Wesleyan, Trinity (CT), Haverford, Occidental, and Vassar? Maybe the Maine ones as well (Colby, Bates, Bowdoin)?

I don't think a super artsy crunchy place will be the best fit for him....he is going to want to find friends who want to watch professional sports, join a fantasy football league, etc, and girls who are interested in dating men. I feel like at a smaller school you really have to make sure it's the right fit.

Vassar probably is not what your son is seeking regarding social life and non-academic activities.

Davidson College in North Carolina should be a comfortable environment for him, but not sure if all sports are D-1 or just basketball is D-1.

Bowdoin & Middlebury should also be given serious consideration by your son.

Colby, Denison, & Franklin & Marshall should also be considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you looked into Washington and Lee? Definitely socially tolerant. Definitely girls who want to date men.

I think my son is a bit of a goldilocks - can't stomach going to a school named after Lee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you looked into Washington and Lee? Definitely socially tolerant. Definitely girls who want to date men.

I think my son is a bit of a goldilocks - can't stomach going to a school named after Lee.

This is reasonable. I also think people suggesting W&L because it’s “tolerant” in response to a post seeking schools for a progressive straight boy aren’t really listening to your question.

What about Tufts? It’s D3 but twice the size of other NESCACs.

[Anonymous]

We were really surprised how much we all liked Vassar. We just visited recently. I thought it might be too artsy for my son (he’s centrist politically and interested in culture, but he’s not artsy nor quirky). It was beautiful and is strong in social sciences. The kids were also notably good looking and well dressed. It was quite striking after certain other schools we visited.