Less popular Hidden Gems

[Anonymous]

Maybe posters might be allowed to suggest THEIR nominees for hidden gems (which is a subjective label), without other people jumping in to say they are wrong.

This was meant to be a positive thread I believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wooster and Kalamazoo are two fantastic schools

Tangential question - what would it take for Wooster to come up to the level(s) of Oberlin, Grinnell, Macalester? They seem to have similar approaches to LAC education, I wonder what is lacking. I confess that I had never heard of it when I was growing up in Massachusetts until a cousin of mine from India enrolled in the later 1980s, and I then learned about their heavy international recruitment.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Claremont McKenna. Super underrated here, but top notch academics, great quality of life, internships/opportunities abound, alumni network + top outcomes.

Not a hidden gem. It’s a very elite college. You people know nothing!

It is not well-known at all. Even in SoCal, it's not known.

Just stop. It’s ranked 8th in Us News. It’s extremely selective. It’s not “hidden” in any way, shape or form.

Almost no one pays attention to US News for LAC rankings outside of maybe the top 3 or 5 schools. Other schools are heavily regional in reputation. In DC, CMC is NOT known even by the highly educated. Yes it is a hidden gem. Selectivity numbers don't mean much when you only get ~6000 applicants from an international applicant pool of several million a year.

Yes, we are still laughing at you. Even my lowly little Midwest mind knew of the Claremont colleges back in the 1990s and all of them are well known across the land now with CMC being one of the best knows out of the group. It is just tiny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges that are under the radar--that is not oversubscribed but somewhat hidden gems.

I'll go--My DC did not apply but I learnt about Carleton in the process--I like so many things about it!

Carleton is not at all a hidden gem. That’s a real misperception.

It's not hidden or it's not a gem?

[Anonymous]

Gonzaga

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga

we need a new game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga

we need a new game

or better directions for this one

[Anonymous]

SLAC's similar to CTCL's

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:DD liked Muhlenberg so much that she dropped Brandeis and BC. Nice when your kid likes a safety better than targets. Very welcoming campus. Seems like great faculty, personal attention and actively tries to help students upon graduation w/ alumni networks and school affiliations. Some nice historic buildings on campus. Gorgeous dining hall. New green science building being built. Also, voted best food in PA!

The food is so bad. We visited this summer and the visit included lunch. Made me concerned about the other PA schools if it was rated best. I know people love the school but we were not impressed (apart from food I mean).

Very strange. We toured this summer too, but food was not a part of it due to covid restrictions. Our tour guide also raved about the food. I went to a PA college that had excellent food, so it must be good overall. Maybe something was changed up for covid or, could you be thinking of a different school?

We just ate there this fall when we visited a friend's son. Food wasn't bad for cafeteria food. You could get alot cooked to order.

[Anonymous]

U of Rochester. Was impressed with this option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges that are under the radar--that is not oversubscribed but somewhat hidden gems.

I'll go--My DC did not apply but I learnt about Carleton in the process--I like so many things about it!

Carleton is not at all a hidden gem. That’s a real misperception.

Op here. You are right---it is not. But to us in the South, we hear more about Amherst and Swarthmore. Carleton was bit of a revelation to me---liked a lot about it and putting it in the list for next DC's considerations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:DD liked Muhlenberg so much that she dropped Brandeis and BC. Nice when your kid likes a safety better than targets. Very welcoming campus. Seems like great faculty, personal attention and actively tries to help students upon graduation w/ alumni networks and school affiliations. Some nice historic buildings on campus. Gorgeous dining hall. New green science building being built. Also, voted best food in PA!

The food is so bad. We visited this summer and the visit included lunch. Made me concerned about the other PA schools if it was rated best. I know people love the school but we were not impressed (apart from food I mean).

Very strange. We toured this summer too, but food was not a part of it due to covid restrictions. Our tour guide also raved about the food. I went to a PA college that had excellent food, so it must be good overall. Maybe something was changed up for covid or, could you be thinking of a different school?

I’m not thinking of a different school.

https://admissions.muhlenberg.edu/portal/summersaturdays2021

This is the program we attended. Lunch was provided in the cafeteria beforehand.

No need to get defensive, I believe you! Sounds like one bad experience. But, don't assume your singular anecdote is true overall when the school won a best food award. I am going to rely on that and our student guide who ate the food every day for 4 years.

I was just responding to your question about whether I was thinking of another school. But Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wooster and Kalamazoo are two fantastic schools

+1 I think these fit the category of hidden gems. Not well-known, rigorous education but not too selective, known for great merit aid for good students, really strong undergraduate experience including in STEM and lots of research opportunities and support. Both have a good sense of community and strong grad school placement. Wooster is classic rural LAC; Kalamazoo is in a small city. Both have reasonably strong endowments for their size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD liked Muhlenberg so much that she dropped Brandeis and BC. Nice when your kid likes a safety better than targets. Very welcoming campus. Seems like great faculty, personal attention and actively tries to help students upon graduation w/ alumni networks and school affiliations. Some nice historic buildings on campus. Gorgeous dining hall. New green science building being built. Also, voted best food in PA!

The food is so bad. We visited this summer and the visit included lunch. Made me concerned about the other PA schools if it was rated best. I know people love the school but we were not impressed (apart from food I mean).

Why would you feel the need to say that? It’s obnoxious.

How is it obnoxious? We were genuinely perplexed by how bad the food was given its reputation.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Claremont McKenna. Super underrated here, but top notch academics, great quality of life, internships/opportunities abound, alumni network + top outcomes.

Not a hidden gem. It’s a very elite college. You people know nothing!

It is not well-known at all. Even in SoCal, it's not known.

Just stop. It’s ranked 8th in Us News. It’s extremely selective. It’s not “hidden” in any way, shape or form.

Almost no one pays attention to US News for LAC rankings outside of maybe the top 3 or 5 schools. Other schools are heavily regional in reputation. In DC, CMC is NOT known even by the highly educated. Yes it is a hidden gem. Selectivity numbers don't mean much when you only get ~6000 applicants from an international applicant pool of several million a year.

That is false. Anyone looking knows it is part of the consortium with Pomona, Pitzer, harvey Mudd and Scripps.

It is an elite school to anyone who knows elite schools. Not under the radar or underranked.