Least pre-professional schools without being a grind

[Anonymous]

Davidson
William & Mary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WUSTL? It's known for premed rather than business/finance.

WUSTL is very pre-professional
And also a grind

The 2 things highlighted in the subject that the OP is looking to avoid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working on junior DS's long list. He has the stats to apply to the most rejective schools but of course needs targets and safeties too. His top priorities are: 1) accessible professors, classes taught by professors, 2) undergrads able to do meaningful research, 3) on the smaller side (under 8,000), 4) math and econ departments not predominantly attract students interested in finance and similar, 5) minimal Greek life. He thinks he wants to major in math/statistics, econ, or physics. His top choices now are Brown, Carleton, and maybe Reed.

JHU fits perfectly.

Every undergraduate at JHU almost all participate in some research, with many started in freshman.

Top notch Econ but it’s a small department. ❤️

Only 30% Greek.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working on junior DS's long list. He has the stats to apply to the most rejective schools but of course needs targets and safeties too. His top priorities are: 1) accessible professors, classes taught by professors, 2) undergrads able to do meaningful research, 3) on the smaller side (under 8,000), 4) math and econ departments not predominantly attract students interested in finance and similar, 5) minimal Greek life. He thinks he wants to major in math/statistics, econ, or physics. His top choices now are Brown, Carleton, and maybe Reed.

JHU fits perfectly.

Every undergraduate at JHU almost all participate in some research, with many started in freshman.

Top notch Econ but it’s a small department.

Only 30% Greek.

Many going into jhu think maybe premed, many don't make it. But it will be a "grind." YTube if any videos exist to get idea of what current students are saying on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WUSTL? It's known for premed rather than business/finance.

WUSTL is very pre-professional
And also a grind

The 2 things highlighted in the subject that the OP is looking to avoid

Yep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Olaf
Grinnell
Macalester
Whitman
Wooster
Lewis and Clark

Yep

[Anonymous]

Kalamazoo College. Kenyon. Carleton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan. As mentioned in other threads, there’s big overlap with Brown. Lots of research opportunities. Not at all preprofessional. Bigger than most SLACs (3000 undergrads and a few hundred grad students).

agree it’s a safety for many Brown kids - just about half of the kids my DC knee at Wes applied and were rejected by Brown. A step down from other schools mentioned. If he’s not an athlete not a fun place for a straight male for 4 years

Wesleyan not a safety for anyone. And you have no idea what this OP’s identity is, but the whole “not fun for straight male non-athletes” is just not true. I suspect you don’t have personal experience with the school and are just regurgitating stereotypes.

OP, I do have a kid there, and it aligns beautifully with everything you’ve mentioned your kid is looking for. Hope you check it out.

[Anonymous]

Ask on college confidential, you may get more insight over there. My kid is at Brown, does a lot of math/APMA. His other favorite smaller school was Swarthmore. He absolutely loved it. On our tour, the guide actually talked about the culture, and it didn't sound horrible (grind-wise) the way other schools we visited were...CMU, for instance. It came across as bright kids who are hard workers but also like to have fun. Maybe worth checking out and decide for yourself. The kids we know who have gone there absolutely loved it. Check out Kalamazoo as a safety for Carleton- trimester system, strong STEM and really nice kids, and in a fun city with lots going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask on college confidential, you may get more insight over there. My kid is at Brown, does a lot of math/APMA. His other favorite smaller school was Swarthmore. He absolutely loved it. On our tour, the guide actually talked about the culture, and it didn't sound horrible (grind-wise) the way other schools we visited were...CMU, for instance. It came across as bright kids who are hard workers but also like to have fun. Maybe worth checking out and decide for yourself. The kids we know who have gone there absolutely loved it. Check out Kalamazoo as a safety for Carleton- trimester system, strong STEM and really nice kids, and in a fun city with lots going on.

What's exactly happening in cold Kzoo? Ugh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working on junior DS's long list. He has the stats to apply to the most rejective schools but of course needs targets and safeties too. His top priorities are: 1) accessible professors, classes taught by professors, 2) undergrads able to do meaningful research, 3) on the smaller side (under 8,000), 4) math and econ departments not predominantly attract students interested in finance and similar, 5) minimal Greek life. He thinks he wants to major in math/statistics, econ, or physics. His top choices now are Brown, Carleton, and maybe Reed.

JHU fits perfectly.

Every undergraduate at JHU almost all participate in some research, with many started in freshman.

Top notch Econ but it’s a small department.

Only 30% Greek.

Many going into jhu think maybe premed, many don't make it. But it will be a "grind." YTube if any videos exist to get idea of what current students are saying on campus.

Is it still a grind outside premed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amherst is extremely unpreprofessional, to the extent that people look down on students interested in finance/consulting

Amherst still has a large pre-law continent but maybe this is why Middlebury now places much better into IB and top Consulting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan. As mentioned in other threads, there’s big overlap with Brown. Lots of research opportunities. Not at all preprofessional. Bigger than most SLACs (3000 undergrads and a few hundred grad students).

agree it’s a safety for many Brown kids - just about half of the kids my DC knee at Wes applied and were rejected by Brown. A step down from other schools mentioned. If he’s not an athlete not a fun place for a straight male for 4 years

Wesleyan not a safety for anyone. And you have no idea what this OP’s identity is, but the whole “not fun for straight male non-athletes” is just not true. I suspect you don’t have personal experience with the school and are just regurgitating stereotypes.

OP, I do have a kid there, and it aligns beautifully with everything you’ve mentioned your kid is looking for. Hope you check it out.

I guarantee your son is an athlete. Only other males who thrive there are the nerds, the ivy reject boarding school bros (much crossover with hockey players) or the try-hard hipster wannabees. Fun fun!

[Anonymous]

I was going to suggest Amherst as well. My niece is there and is super happy as a humanities major and there is no real pre-professional vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan. As mentioned in other threads, there’s big overlap with Brown. Lots of research opportunities. Not at all preprofessional. Bigger than most SLACs (3000 undergrads and a few hundred grad students).

agree it’s a safety for many Brown kids - just about half of the kids my DC knee at Wes applied and were rejected by Brown. A step down from other schools mentioned. If he’s not an athlete not a fun place for a straight male for 4 years

Not at all a step down from any of the schools mentioned and a straight male NARP will have zero issues finding a great crowd. You are totally off base.