Hobart and William Smith for a nerdy male student?
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Anonymous
| I welcome honest opinions either way. My son’s guidance counselor has recommended this school, and it looks good on paper, but my son is a total nerd (in the sweetest and best way possible). He would not fit in with the “bro” crowd. Should we visit? Scratch off the list? |
Anonymous
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I'd scratch it off the list. Between athletic recruits and Greek life, I'd be worried about his finding his people at such a small school.
What about University of Rochester? The student profile is much more like your kid (in a good way, of course). |
Anonymous
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More than 50% of the male students are varsity athletes, and there is a heavy drinking culture.
414 athletes out of 775 male total students. https://ope.ed.gov/athletics/#/institution/search |
Anonymous
| Look for his academic and social fit first and foremost; need for strong alumni assistance with internships and jobs; can't recommend much without more background info. If he wants to sail - sure H&WS is a great place as is Cornell or Ithaca. Skiing, state parks and wineries close by in the Finger Lakes. |
Anonymous
| Why did he recommend it? I hear it recommended most for environmental science. If that's the case, look at Juniata College. A lot of similarities academically but no Greek life, not a bro culture. |
Anonymous
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HWS tends to perform well by survey-based information, such as here, for friendliest students:
Friendliest Students | The Princeton Review https://share.google/BhtDyhh6WnosNr99wL Nonetheless, fraternity life appears to be popular, at least for some students: Colleges with Lots of Greek Life | The Princeton Review https://share.google/whpLOGsVY7ZZ7ET0J Regarding academics, top programs include architectural studies and environmental studies. |
Anonymous
| Friendliest Students | The Princeton Review https://share.google/LtctvzEwiOoLmXMsS |
Anonymous
| I know a nerdy kid who is a very happy freshman there and has found a girlfriend and is living his best life. But who knows if he is a total anomaly. I would take my kid to visit and spend a full day on the campus. |
Anonymous
| Not worth the money |
Anonymous
| Nope, I'd look elsewhere. Plenty of other LACs that will a better fit. What is his intended major, and is he ok with a bit larger school? Geographic constraints? Budget? I'd look at Dickinson, Beloit College, Kalamazoo College, Kenyon & Brandeis University before HWS. Don't pay attention to those Princeton Review lists, they are usually crap. But definitely get on Reddit and see what students are saying about the culture and vibe of schools. Google the % of greek orgs at each, too. I attended Beloit (back in the 90s) and it still has a nerdy, quirky student body. There's an entire program house that's all science fiction/fantasy focused- great kids who play D&D and watch Star Trek. Strong sciences. Had a friend at Beloit who transferred to HWS and then transferred back after 1 semester. |
Anonymous
This really isn't helpful. Plenty of kids who aren't top students want to go to a SLAC. And most of the time they will cost more than a state school. My DS applied to 4 small colleges/universities (plus a few large universities). Hobart wasn't one of them, but he would have been a fit academically. All under 4000 students. He is an average student and the price for the schools was from 35-42,000. Only one gave financial aid. Everything else was merit. Ironically, it was the highest ranked by far. |
Anonymous
Princeton Review is totally tarted. I swear they just throw darts at a list of schools on the wall to come up with those lists. |
Anonymous
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Maybe not as relevant for a male applicant, but the only time I've ever heard of this college, is when they were in the news because they handled sexual assault complaints horrifically.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/us/how-one-college-handled-a-sexual-assault-complaint.html |
Anonymous
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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Friendliest Students | The Princeton Review https://share.google/LtctvzEwiOoLmXMsS[/quote]
Princeton Review is totally tarted. I swear they just throw darts at a list of schools on the wall to come up with those lists.[/quote] In that Princeton Review results are based on extensive survey data rather than preconceptions and sterotypes, such an impression should not be unexpected. |
Anonymous
This is not at all surprising. Higher ranked schools with larger endowments give need-based-aid. Lower ranked schools give merit aid. |