Favorite College that changes lives?

[Anonymous]

My nephew attends College of Wooster and loves it. They have a cool thesis programs for
seniors.

[Anonymous]

Niece went to McDaniel and loved it. Several other family friends had kids who also went there and also loved it. Although it is rural in Westminster, they run buses and pay for activities to Baltimore and DC every weekend. Very strong alumni community with good connections to great companies in the Baltimore area.

[Anonymous]

Hillsdale is most conservative on that list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for the article!

Between the original list and that added one there's nearly every place DC was accepted. How to choose after that, I still have no idea.

She didn't apply to Juniata, however.

Yes OP thanks for 2nd list too. DD accepted to 2 trying to decide.

[Anonymous]

See if they provide the Common Data Set. If they don't, I think that's a big red flag. Look at that document closely. Look closely at graduation rates.

[Anonymous]

Loved St. Olaf. Unfortunately, my kid felt it was not her vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew attends College of Wooster and loves it. They have a cool thesis programs for
seniors.

This is one of ours. I honestly wasn't sure dc would get accepted, they're more selective than some others and I know they're popular. I have a friend who went there about fifteen years ago and loved it and has done quite well in a very tough and very popular field. Wooster's even moved to the top of my list, but they're farther away than I'd like and there are some closer options that also do capstone projects and offer many things that seem similar.

Wooster does seem like it's in good financial shape, and the merit was good.

[Anonymous]

Lynchburg is a hidden gem close to the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lynchburg is a hidden gem close to the DMV.

We looked at Lynchburg and Roanoke and liked the both a lot. DCUM does not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in the GPNW and know the schools on this list from that region pretty well--have had friends attend all of them. They're all great places for kids who dig their respective ethos. In alpha order:

Evergreen State is super hippie. Like a left coast version of UNC-Asheville only more so. Or a mini UC Santa Cruz. More intellectual than academic, if that makes sense.

Reed is intense. Like a less selective but no less ambitious Swarthmore--but with lots of black eyeliner and hard drugs. If you're not both brilliant and cynical, it's not your spot.

UPS is kind of like a miniaturized flagship. Solid for business, music, and liberal arts and sciences. Wide range of kids there, almost all of them happy.

Whitman is like west coast Middlebury but in a bigger, better town (but also way further from anything else). For kids who check the "intellectual," "outdoorsy," and "at least somewhat preppy" boxes, it's heaven.

Willamette is right next to the state capital and is a school for go-getters, across a decent range of raw intellectual firepower levels.

Which of these schools would work for a moderately conservative student who is interested in that area of the country?

UPS or Willamette for sure. Probably Whitman, too. Definitely not Reed or Evergreen State.

I second UPS for this description. Work in Seattle in non-profit adjacent to people in finance annd investment management work and the its littered with UPS grads who are down to earth, slightly conservative for this area, sporty into adulthood, and a bit more “East Coast” than my other colleagues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in the GPNW and know the schools on this list from that region pretty well--have had friends attend all of them. They're all great places for kids who dig their respective ethos. In alpha order:

Evergreen State is super hippie. Like a left coast version of UNC-Asheville only more so. Or a mini UC Santa Cruz. More intellectual than academic, if that makes sense.

Reed is intense. Like a less selective but no less ambitious Swarthmore--but with lots of black eyeliner and hard drugs. If you're not both brilliant and cynical, it's not your spot.

UPS is kind of like a miniaturized flagship. Solid for business, music, and liberal arts and sciences. Wide range of kids there, almost all of them happy.

Whitman is like west coast Middlebury but in a bigger, better town (but also way further from anything else). For kids who check the "intellectual," "outdoorsy," and "at least somewhat preppy" boxes, it's heaven.

Willamette is right next to the state capital and is a school for go-getters, across a decent range of raw intellectual firepower levels.

Which of these schools would work for a moderately conservative student who is interested in that area of the country?

UPS or Willamette for sure. Probably Whitman, too. Definitely not Reed or Evergreen State.

I second UPS for this description. Work in Seattle in non-profit adjacent to people in finance annd investment management work and the its littered with UPS grads who are down to earth, slightly conservative for this area, sporty into adulthood, and a bit more “East Coast” than my other colleagues.

Which one of those schools is UPS? I don't understand the abbreviation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lynchburg is a hidden gem close to the DMV.

We looked at Lynchburg and Roanoke and liked the both a lot. DCUM does not!

We were just at Randolph this weekend - they are in a consortium with Lynchburg (and Sweet Briar)

Lynchburg and Randolph apparently have a couple programs where students take half their classes on one campus and half on the other.

[Anonymous]

Wheaton for Christian college. Excellent academics and not indoctrination like Hillsdale.

Bard is gorgeous and has excellent music conservatory

Reed is intellectual and out in nature, DD has a friend there, thriving

Heard great things about Juniata and Agnes Scott

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Kalamazoo College ("K") and left after a quarter. It's a provincial LAC with a lot of students who aren't all that bright.

I know two very bright students there right now. One who is going on to an excellent grad school. Maybe a quarter wasn't enough for you to get a good sense of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Denison has so many things going for it including an amazing president, a large endowment, and a beautiful campus. It is in the quaint village of Granville but only 30 minutes away from Columbus. The students are well-rounded and are from all over.

https://denison.edu/fast-facts

Can't say enough good things about that president. DS is now a sophomore at another Midwestern LAC. Denison probably still too preppy/fratty for him, but maybe in another five years or so.