Thoughts on this college list - SLAC with supportive community and mellow vibe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson College in Pennsylvania might work for OP.

Pomona College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Skidmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, Colby College, Colorado College, Macalester College, Holy Cross, Pitzer, Connecticut College, Sewanee-The University of the South, Gettysburg College, St. Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College, Lewis & Clark, and many others, but I see no need to venture further down the rankings.

Good list except I’d remove Connecticut College.

why remove Connecticut College? It’s a nice, solid school that’s easier to get into than it ought to be IMHO.

I don’t think it’s very mellow, which OP asked for. Good school, yes, but not mellow.

Why do you say it isn’t mellow? I have heard it has a wonderfully supportive and collaborative environment from several people, including an alumna. I am genuinely curious about how you know this as we have considered this school for our senior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson College in Pennsylvania might work for OP.

Pomona College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Skidmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, Colby College, Colorado College, Macalester College, Holy Cross, Pitzer, Connecticut College, Sewanee-The University of the South, Gettysburg College, St. Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College, Lewis & Clark, and many others, but I see no need to venture further down the rankings.

Good list except I’d remove Connecticut College.

why remove Connecticut College? It’s a nice, solid school that’s easier to get into than it ought to be IMHO.

I don’t think it’s very mellow, which OP asked for. Good school, yes, but not mellow.

Why do you say it isn’t mellow? I have heard it has a wonderfully supportive and collaborative environment from several people, including an alumna. I am genuinely curious about how you know this as we have considered this school for our senior.

Sounds like someone who had a bad experience there. Most people love Conn and it seems like just about the only low pressure but excellent colleges in the northeast. Our DC strongly considered it, and she was bummed that she got into a "higher ranked" school and felt she had to go to there instead. (No pressure from me - Conn have her a good merit scholarship and I would have been happy to save 30K a year.)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Curious why folks think Haverford is too much of a reach for this kid? My junior DS is very interested in H, has 1510, is top 5% of class. Is it too reach-y for him?

Has a good shot if he applies ED.

People will still call it a reach because it's a reach for everyone because of low acceptance rates and holistic review. Your DS sounds like he would have a good shot ED, but it's still not a sure thing.

Haverford gives a small full pay bump.

How the hell do you know?

Yikes.

Np but my understanding from Haverford is that although it was a controversial move on campus, it’s used only on the margins as they finalize their class and ensure they have enough financial aid dollars.

A quick google search revealed reporting from Inside Higher Ed:
“ The college will evaluate all applicants as it has in the past (at least for those from the U.S.), without regard to financial need. The college will also determine the size of its financial aid budget for the year. And as long as there is money in the budget, the college will admit applicants as it has done in the past. But the college projects that it will run out of aid money before admitting the entire class and that the last 10-15 students admitted (at a college that typically enrolls about 350 freshmen) will be those who can be admitted without going outside the aid budget.

Haverford officials stress that, some years, there may be enough money so that all of those admitted are selected without going to what is called need-aware admissions.”

Problem is that Haverford doesn't have much of an endowment. We visited there recently. I was expecting a very academic Quaker kind of environment (which Swarthmore has), and instead of it seemed to have a very preppy/lax bro vibe.

I'm guessing $$$ makes up for a lot during application review.

[Anonymous]

From our child’s experience, Kenyon has as supportive community and mellow vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks for all the thoughts here!

Mellow vibe = Collaborative vs competitive feel

I am surprised that people aren't more bullish on kid's chances at F&M, Lafayette, Kenyon, etc.

Also, we are full pay - does that make a difference here?

I’d be very surprised if a full pay boy with his stats - and assuming good application and demonstrated interest (to include interviews) - wasn’t accepted to those schools. Only caveat is if MCPS or similar where honors are weighted 1 instead of .5, the gpa isn’t super strong. People really need to specify honors weighting.

Also - I’d consider adding Bates, Grinnell, Macalester and Oberlin. Not sure of location preferences.

I would not add Grinnell. My son is a recent grad and it’s a pressure cooker environment. He a teammate committed suicide, two friends had mental breakdowns and left school. My son was never in therapy till college. He got a fantastic education but the price was steep. His 2nd choice was St Olaf and I often wish he had gone there instead.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to the Grinnell parent. We are considering it for my youngest and have toured there. Her sister is at St. Olaf and leads a very balanced life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson College in Pennsylvania might work for OP.

Pomona College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Skidmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, Colby College, Colorado College, Macalester College, Holy Cross, Pitzer, Connecticut College, Sewanee-The University of the South, Gettysburg College, St. Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College, Lewis & Clark, and many others, but I see no need to venture further down the rankings.

Good list except I’d remove Connecticut College.

why remove Connecticut College? It’s a nice, solid school that’s easier to get into than it ought to be IMHO.

I don’t think it’s very mellow, which OP asked for. Good school, yes, but not mellow.

Why do you say it isn’t mellow? I have heard it has a wonderfully supportive and collaborative environment from several people, including an alumna. I am genuinely curious about how you know this as we have considered this school for our senior.

Sounds like someone who had a bad experience there. Most people love Conn and it seems like just about the only low pressure but excellent colleges in the northeast. Our DC strongly considered it, and she was bummed that she got into a "higher ranked" school and felt she had to go to there instead. (No pressure from me - Conn have her a good merit scholarship and I would have been happy to save 30K a year.)

Sad and weird that your daughter was bummed because she could not attend her first choice, because she “had no choice” but to chase the rankings.

Proud that my daughter had the maturity and confidence to trust her own judgment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson College in Pennsylvania might work for OP.

Pomona College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Skidmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, Colby College, Colorado College, Macalester College, Holy Cross, Pitzer, Connecticut College, Sewanee-The University of the South, Gettysburg College, St. Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College, Lewis & Clark, and many others, but I see no need to venture further down the rankings.

Good list except I’d remove Connecticut College.

why remove Connecticut College? It’s a nice, solid school that’s easier to get into than it ought to be IMHO.

I don’t think it’s very mellow, which OP asked for. Good school, yes, but not mellow.

Why do you say it isn’t mellow? I have heard it has a wonderfully supportive and collaborative environment from several people, including an alumna. I am genuinely curious about how you know this as we have considered this school for our senior.

Sounds like someone who had a bad experience there. Most people love Conn and it seems like just about the only low pressure but excellent colleges in the northeast. Our DC strongly considered it, and she was bummed that she got into a "higher ranked" school and felt she had to go to there instead. (No pressure from me - Conn have her a good merit scholarship and I would have been happy to save 30K a year.)

Sad and weird that your daughter was bummed because she could not attend her first choice, because she “had no choice” but to chase the rankings.

Proud that my daughter had the maturity and confidence to trust her own judgment.

She made the right choice for her. She chose the most challenging environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson College in Pennsylvania might work for OP.

Pomona College, Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Skidmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, Colby College, Colorado College, Macalester College, Holy Cross, Pitzer, Connecticut College, Sewanee-The University of the South, Gettysburg College, St. Lawrence University, Kalamazoo College, Lewis & Clark, and many others, but I see no need to venture further down the rankings.

Good list except I’d remove Connecticut College.

why remove Connecticut College? It’s a nice, solid school that’s easier to get into than it ought to be IMHO.

I don’t think it’s very mellow, which OP asked for. Good school, yes, but not mellow.

Why do you say it isn’t mellow? I have heard it has a wonderfully supportive and collaborative environment from several people, including an alumna. I am genuinely curious about how you know this as we have considered this school for our senior.

Sounds like someone who had a bad experience there. Most people love Conn and it seems like just about the only low pressure but excellent colleges in the northeast. Our DC strongly considered it, and she was bummed that she got into a "higher ranked" school and felt she had to go to there instead. (No pressure from me - Conn have her a good merit scholarship and I would have been happy to save 30K a year.)

Sad and weird that your daughter was bummed because she could not attend her first choice, because she “had no choice” but to chase the rankings.

Proud that my daughter had the maturity and confidence to trust her own judgment.

She made the right choice for her. She chose the most challenging environment.

^ She doesn't have to agree with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to the Grinnell parent. We are considering it for my youngest and have toured there. Her sister is at St. Olaf and leads a very balanced life.

I am from Iowa and I know Grinnell. I would choose St. Olaf over Grinnell. People on this board are into it because of prestige and rankings, but in terms of happy, just as smart, undergrads who go on to normal lives and careers and families? St. Olaf wins by a landslide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kalamazoo?

Kalamazoo in case anyone reading this is curious: compact campus, traditional in appearance (old brick buildings around a green with criss-crossing paths, on a sloping hill), at the edge of an extremely unfancy midwestern city with a vibrant community arts scene. Students are encouraged to engage with the community, and there are robust opportunities to volunteer. Mostly open curriculum but with high standards annd expectations of independent research and hands-on learning. Lots of personal attention; the place clearly had a lot of heart. Seems to punch above its weight academically, with a graduation rate that is on par with far more selective schools, which suggested good things about the education. Eclectic group of kids who all seemed to like one another. All reported working hard.

We visited a bit on a lark, but turned out my kid really, really liked the vibe and is applying.

There’s an Amtrak station in town, maybe a mile from campus, which is probably how she’d get there were she to go.

OK, my experience with Kalamazoo is ancient, but I still see commonalities between my alma mater in the 80s and today, so I will share that I hold incredibly positive memories of the kids from Kalamazoo with whom I studied abroad so long ago. It seemed a very special place.

K alum here - nice to hear. Your alma mater?

Lehigh University.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to the Grinnell parent. We are considering it for my youngest and have toured there. Her sister is at St. Olaf and leads a very balanced life.

I am from Iowa and I know Grinnell. I would choose St. Olaf over Grinnell. People on this board are into it because of prestige and rankings, but in terms of happy, just as smart, undergrads who go on to normal lives and careers and families? St. Olaf wins by a landslide.

Ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks for all the thoughts here!

Mellow vibe = Collaborative vs competitive feel

I am surprised that people aren't more bullish on kid's chances at F&M, Lafayette, Kenyon, etc.

Also, we are full pay - does that make a difference here?

I’d be very surprised if a full pay boy with his stats - and assuming good application and demonstrated interest (to include interviews) - wasn’t accepted to those schools. Only caveat is if MCPS or similar where honors are weighted 1 instead of .5, the gpa isn’t super strong. People really need to specify honors weighting.

Also - I’d consider adding Bates, Grinnell, Macalester and Oberlin. Not sure of location preferences.

I would not add Grinnell. My son is a recent grad and it’s a pressure cooker environment. He a teammate committed suicide, two friends had mental breakdowns and left school. My son was never in therapy till college. He got a fantastic education but the price was steep. His 2nd choice was St Olaf and I often wish he had gone there instead.

My son is there now and chose it over St Olaf. That is not his experience at all. He has a balanced life and great grades etc. It is not as intense as the SLAC I attended and I have never heard anyone describe it as a pressure cooker.

[Anonymous]

My DS is a first year at Kenyon. He is beyond mellow. Beyond. He's home for Thanksgiving and I'm very happy with how his experience has been. His grades are great so far, socially he's as happy as he has ever been, he's maturing before our eyes. With super high academics, your DS should be able to get in ED1 or ED2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure you’re getting great advice here. Being male is a major advantage to getting into SLACs. Important to ED. Ed 1 to haverford or vassar and ed2 to Kenyon or bates. He will get into one of those schools with Ed.

This. Based on experience.