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

[Anonymous]

What about Barnard? She could take classes at Columbia while she's at it.

[Anonymous]

It's not that easy to get into Barnard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not that easy to get into Barnard.

Absolutely. In fact, most of the schools mentioned in this thread have become very competitive in regard to admittance. Applying to college has become a new animal within the past 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Villanova University - excellent interdisciplinary honors program.

DH went to Miami OH and loved it.

[Anonymous]

How about Occidental College ("Oxy") in L.A? Both my brother and sister went there--they were smart but slackerly in high school and wound up with mediocre grades but good SATS. They both loved the fact that it was a small liberal arts college with a gorgeous campus, but with the city of L.A. all around. They got a lot of personal attention and are both fiercely loyal to the school.

[Anonymous]

Like one of the poster's daughters I did not want to do "too Southern or too Greek" -- but due to not getting in to the Oberlins and the like I applied to, I ended up at the unthinkable southern safety school (which had been my parents' idea in the first place and which I applied to only because I didn't think it would ever matter).

First, at most southern schools now 40% of the class is from NJ. Second, this idea that they will be too conservative that I've seen above -- well, maybe instead of being 90% liberal they'll be 60% or so -- these are still 18-21 year olds after all. But having *some* exposure to differing viewpoints can be a good thing in a college experience.

The Greek issue is real if that is not your scene but can be just as big a problem at some northern schools. And even if no Greek scene there could still be a binge drinking/party scene. Same difference really.

The only way to tease out these distinctions is not to make them based on geographic location but to visit the schools. I don't think anyone should force their child to attend a school, but forcing a visit and an open-mind is a different story. At a visit try to talk to students: if they are not greek do they feel left out socially? If they are of one political persuasion do they feel trampled?

In any case, going south turned out to be great for me. Kind of like study-abroad, I got to experience a different culture. Much more interesting and broadening than having gone somewhere exactly like my high school. Great weather too and got to head back north when it was hot!

[Anonymous]

Your community college. Do well and you automatically get into your state school. Graduate summa and you get into your choice of graduate schools. I did this - it can be done. And it cost about 10% of the alternative (look at the Post from a couple of days ago about realistic education options). I graduated summa from a top 13 DC area law school from all this -- going to school at night. Don't automatically assume your child benefits from being coddled at a super-expensive liberal arts "camp" for 4 years.

[Celeste652]

Goucher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your community college. Do well and you automatically get into your state school. Graduate summa and you get into your choice of graduate schools. I did this - it can be done. And it cost about 10% of the alternative (look at the Post from a couple of days ago about realistic education options). I graduated summa from a top 13 DC area law school from all this -- going to school at night. Don't automatically assume your child benefits from being coddled at a super-expensive liberal arts "camp" for 4 years.

Yes, CC by far is the best kept secret. At least in VA, do well there and child can get into W&M or UVA

[Anonymous]

I'm a Wellesley alum; DH went to Amherst. Both schools' alum mags have done stories in the past year or so about recruiting students from community colleges, in particularly MoCo. These students are often very hard workers who value their education more than other students; sometimes they're late bloomers, but they may also be immigrants or first-gen Americans who stayed home for the first couple of years to save money and be close to their families.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the immediate PPs. My DH and I recently spoke about the CC option for our senior high school son. He is of the "late bloomer" variety to quote 15:31. He is very bright but does not always make the best choices in terms of prioritizing school work over other activities (WII, fan-ficting, friends, etc). I was certain that my DH would not be on board regarding the CC-first option -- he is a prestige oriented guy who went to an Ivy -- but I pointed out to him that, after one or two years doing really well at NOVA, our son should be able to transfer to an VA four year college (including possibly William and Mary, which many regard as a "public" Ivy.). It has taken a bit of discussion on the matter, but my DH is now on board and has no problem with the idea of CC. Now, all we have to do is get our son to agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the immediate PPs. My DH and I recently spoke about the CC option for our senior high school son. He is of the "late bloomer" variety to quote 15:31. He is very bright but does not always make the best choices in terms of prioritizing school work over other activities (WII, fan-ficting, friends, etc). I was certain that my DH would not be on board regarding the CC-first option -- he is a prestige oriented guy who went to an Ivy -- but I pointed out to him that, after one or two years doing really well at NOVA, our son should be able to transfer to an VA four year college (including possibly William and Mary, which many regard as a "public" Ivy.). It has taken a bit of discussion on the matter, but my DH is now on board and has no problem with the idea of CC. Now, all we have to do is get our son to agree!

Good for you! DH and I thought this was an interesting approach and mentioned it to DC - who said no way, she wants an ivy. Sigh.

(And sometimes the push for the ivy comes from the kid, FWIW.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the immediate PPs. My DH and I recently spoke about the CC option for our senior high school son. He is of the "late bloomer" variety to quote 15:31. He is very bright but does not always make the best choices in terms of prioritizing school work over other activities (WII, fan-ficting, friends, etc). I was certain that my DH would not be on board regarding the CC-first option -- he is a prestige oriented guy who went to an Ivy -- but I pointed out to him that, after one or two years doing really well at NOVA, our son should be able to transfer to an VA four year college (including possibly William and Mary, which many regard as a "public" Ivy.). It has taken a bit of discussion on the matter, but my DH is now on board and has no problem with the idea of CC. Now, all we have to do is get our son to agree!

Good for you! DH and I thought this was an interesting approach and mentioned it to DC - who said no way, she wants an ivy. Sigh.

(And sometimes the push for the ivy comes from the kid, FWIW.)

I don't think a kid really knows what he/she wants until they start visiting schools. From a very early age my DC had her eye on a particular school, not an Ivy but a highly competitive small LAC. It was the first college we visited, and she really did like it, but as we started visiting more schools (DC is now a high school senior) she found a few she liked even more and right now she is not even sure she will apply to that first school.

I am the OP of this thread and I have really appreciated all of the information so many of you have kindly shared. If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting a range of colleges. DD and I found it to be time well spent and it allowed her to come up with a solid list of schools that she thinks she can be happy attending. Thanks so much for all of the info.

[Anonymous]

Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. Small private liberal arts college, not Greeky, very competitive admissions, part of a 5 college campus that helps bolster the social scene & class offerings, good biology and study abroad opportunities. Did I mention fantastic weather? Kids go there that got accepted at Stanford, Cornell, Swarthmore, Berkeley, Wellesley...You are a name, not a number. They have a "no student loans at graduation" policy right now, they make up the difference with grants. I went there and paid the same as I would have for in state tuition to a UC school.

[Anonymous]

Pomona is a great school, but no longer a secret. Its popularity is definitely on the rise among applicants in this area. We know a number of kids in our n-hood, grads of top MoCo publics (cluster and magnet schools) who applied there; 2 are now attending the school and love it (n.b., both have family in LA). At our son's DC independent school there's a lot of buzz about Pomona this year. I would love for our DS to go there (and I'm a Stanford grad).