college - tell me about "the best kept secret" schools - anyone have one?

[Anonymous]

I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP (again) --

15:43 -- I have heard good things about St Mary's

15:49 - DD is really backing off southern schools. We looked at 2 in Virginia, and she sees them as too into the Greek scene (she is not). She seems to think this will be the case with most southern the schools.

Right now her faves are Kenyon and Oberlin.

Mine has also ruled out most of the south. It limits the options. I went to college in the midwest (coming from DC) and loved it. One plus was that mine (Carleton) had good geographical diversity - more so than the New England colleges did at the time. I think that's true of Kenyon and Oberlin too. What about Macalester?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP (again) --

15:43 -- I have heard good things about St Mary's

15:49 - DD is really backing off southern schools. We looked at 2 in Virginia, and she sees them as too into the Greek scene (she is not). She seems to think this will be the case with most southern the schools.

Right now her faves are Kenyon and Oberlin.

Mine has also ruled out most of the south. It limits the options. I went to college in the midwest (coming from DC) and loved it. One plus was that mine (Carleton) had good geographical diversity - more so than the New England colleges did at the time. I think that's true of Kenyon and Oberlin too. What about Macalester?

Earlham poster here. Seriously, if she likes Oberlin and Kenyon, Earlham might be a good match. Others along those lines would be Kalamazoo, Bates, Colorado College.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

It is lovely, but entry is very competitive. And it is very pricey. We need for her to come up with a few options that are less competitive and hopefully a public university "just in case" $$wise.

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

[Anonymous]

Trinity, Connecticut College, Lafayette?

[Anonymous]

Beloit? Wheaton in Massachusetts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

It is lovely, but entry is very competitive. And it is very pricey. We need for her to come up with a few options that are less competitive and hopefully a public university "just in case" $$wise.

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

St Mary's poster here. If you live in MD tuition, room and board is about $21k. It thought it was reading it wrong at first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

It is lovely, but entry is very competitive. And it is very pricey. We need for her to come up with a few options that are less competitive and hopefully a public university "just in case" $$wise.

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

Smith College? or is that too weird? Admission rate is over 40%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

It is lovely, but entry is very competitive. And it is very pricey. We need for her to come up with a few options that are less competitive and hopefully a public university "just in case" $$wise.

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

St Mary's poster here. If you live in MD tuition, room and board is about $21k. It thought it was reading it wrong at first.

No, I am in Virginia. I don't know about W&M, but UVA is about the same tuition and so hard to get into, plus it is so big that I am not sure she will be comfortable there. She is planning on looking at it though. W&M, UVA and Mary Washington are the only 3 schools in VA that offer a classical studies major. She is really turned off by Williamsburg and not interested in Mary Washington at all.

[Anonymous]

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

What about Catholic? They have a very strong theater department and despite it being a Catholic school, the student body is not as conservative as you would think. I know it's not so glamorous to go to school where you grew up, but the students come from everywhere and they have a real campus (as opposed to a city campus) so she would still get a real college experience despite being close to home.

[Anonymous]

A lot of folks are mentioning good places. Just want to add, as an ex-college prof, that one thing this country has is a great higher ed system. The job market for profs is so bad that there are great teachers and/or researchers at all kinds of institutions. As no doubt you are already thinking, the best thing is to find a place that is a good fit for her and not to worry about the obsession you see on DCUM with Ivy League schools and other places in US News and World Report's top 25. It's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard great things about Kenyon. But mostly from when I was that age. I'm 30 now.

It is lovely, but entry is very competitive. And it is very pricey. We need for her to come up with a few options that are less competitive and hopefully a public university "just in case" $$wise.

She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater.

Smith College? or is that too weird? Admission rate is over 40%.

NOT weird at all!! I had no idea that admission was so relaxed. Plus, as I understand Smith is part of the 5 college consortium in Amherst. DD is already talking to Hampshire and U of Mass. THANK YOU!! I will pass this on to her.

[Anonymous]

I am a big fan of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas - great endowment (so very good financial aid) phenomenal teachers, small campus (1500 students) - very close to Austin, so there is alot of fun - and close to Dell, IBM and Scott & White for educational purposes. Has a very good fine arts program as well as excellent pre-med and psych programs. The Padeia program from a liberal arts perspective is outstanding. Full disclosure - I went there 15 years ago - it's only gotten better - and I mean MUCH better. And it was no slouch to begin with. It has a Methodist background, but it's not conservative (especially for Texas) and it's so close to Austin, that if you're feeling stifled - you can just hop in the car to go to Austin. I am happy to give more information if you want - but you can find alot at www.southwestern.edu.

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan?

[Anonymous]

Southwestern poster again - want to add:

"She is pretty liberal, very artsy (slightly granola/crunchy) and plans on doing a double major in classical studies and theater."

They completed a beautiful Fine Arts Facility a few years ago - they have a great Classics department (I am a product), and, although they do have a Greek system - it also has a thriving GDI (God Da** Independent) population (as I was when I went there). The Dean is NOT a big booster of the Greeks, so the University's support is solidly behind academics, fine arts, and sports (in that order - we have no football- although we do have a good LAX program, baseball and volleyball -for that size school). She would love the proximity to Austin and all of its artsy communities. I would highly, highly recommend you checking it out.