Midsize schools (vent)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easier to get into:

UMW- have one kid there. Does have a similar feel to W&M where my other kid is applying. Gives straightforward merit aid based on grades and test scores.

CNU- very similar in size to UMW, but way fewer trees on campus if that matters to your kid as it did mine.

It is hard to find schools of this size that are in a good price range.

It’s not like CNU has no trees. Most think the campus is quite pretty.

DP - my kid had the same reaction to CNU. Yes, it has trees, but they are not really tall relative to the buildings. The feeling on a hot day was that there was zero shade, no tree canopy. For my really outdoorsy kid it was a big negative. Similar sized UMW and W&M are quite different from CNU in that respect. I know a lot of people think the campus is pretty but it's pretty in a "fancy resort" kind of way, not "historic college" kind of way. People can have different preferences. It was just one of several reasons DD didn't feel a good fit there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easier to get into:

UMW- have one kid there. Does have a similar feel to W&M where my other kid is applying. Gives straightforward merit aid based on grades and test scores.

CNU- very similar in size to UMW, but way fewer trees on campus if that matters to your kid as it did mine.

It is hard to find schools of this size that are in a good price range.

It’s not like CNU has no trees. Most think the campus is quite pretty.

DP - my kid had the same reaction to CNU. Yes, it has trees, but they are not really tall relative to the buildings. The feeling on a hot day was that there was zero shade, no tree canopy. For my really outdoorsy kid it was a big negative. Similar sized UMW and W&M are quite different from CNU in that respect. I know a lot of people think the campus is pretty but it's pretty in a "fancy resort" kind of way, not "historic college" kind of way. People can have different preferences. It was just one of several reasons DD didn't feel a good fit there.

16:32 here. Thank you PP for describing what CNU looks like. My kid just remembered it as "not having conveniently-placed trees." Lol.
CNU did feel like an upscale resort. It had the best dorms we've ever seen. My kid said -I bet they charge a lot for this school!

[Anonymous]

I have several midsize non flagship state schools on my child’s preliminary list, but I doubt they would appeal to your child interested in Lehigh.

For example, in VA, Radford fits this size. I believe Longwood does, as well (not currently on our list). I know they are frowned upon here, though.

[Anonymous]

Coastal Carolina
UNC Asheville
Western Carolina
Winthrop University (slightly smaller)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC wanted the same size, and on the initial list were:

Lehigh
Santa Clara
University of Denver
Worchester Polytech
Villanova
Wake Forest
University of Rochester
William and Mary

Most of these are not easy to get into. WF and Villanova have 32%/31% acceptance rates. Also, as spomeone who is from WORCESTER it pains me when people say Worchester. It is not even pronounced like there is an H in there.

Wake had a 20 percent acceptance rate for 2026

[Anonymous]

My DD wants the same, OP. We've asked her to consider some 20-30K places just in case she doesn't get an acceptance she wants from one of her preferred mid-sized schools.

Fwiw, my kid was originally against religious affiliated schools when we first started looking, but once she learned about the Jesuits and how they are service oriented, she softened her opinion.

[Anonymous]

UDenver, UMiami

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have several midsize non flagship state schools on my child’s preliminary list, but I doubt they would appeal to your child interested in Lehigh.

For example, in VA, Radford fits this size. I believe Longwood does, as well (not currently on our list). I know they are frowned upon here, though.

Screw all those people who frown. DCUM is filled with a huge population of a-holes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have several midsize non flagship state schools on my child’s preliminary list, but I doubt they would appeal to your child interested in Lehigh.

For example, in VA, Radford fits this size. I believe Longwood does, as well (not currently on our list). I know they are frowned upon here, though.

Screw all those people who frown. DCUM is filled with a huge population of a-holes.

And you're here because......

[Anonymous]

They are hard to find! Maybe The College of New Jersey? That's a pretty nice (maybe overlooked?) school.

[Anonymous]

There are some universities of a nice size in the Mid-American football athletic conference
(that's the easiest way to get a complete list of them)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC wanted the same size, and on the initial list were:

Lehigh
Santa Clara
University of Denver
Worchester Polytech
Villanova
Wake Forest
University of Rochester
William and Mary

All equal or tougher admits

I know, I was just sharing the list of considered from a similar kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fordham and many/most other Jesuit colleges fall into this category.
Drexel
Maybe Quinnipiac? U Hartford? I’m not as sure about these two.

This. My DD is applying to W&M, UMW + a bunch of LACs. I do worry a bit that the LACs may feel small (she doesn't think it's an issue) so would have liked her to consider more midsize schools but it seemed like most we could find in that W&M size were Jesuit and she's also adamant that she's not going to a religious-connected school (yes, I know Jesuit schools are religious in that way but she has very strong opinions!)

That her choice, of course, but if you think she is leaving some great schools off the list based on a misinformed stereotype, you may want to set up a visit to at least one so she can see that college is college no matter who founded the place. Most of the coveted Ivy league schools are also connected to religions. It might be the best thing for her education to live something she wrote off without actually understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC wanted the same size, and on the initial list were:

Lehigh
Santa Clara
University of Denver
Worchester Polytech
Villanova
Wake Forest
University of Rochester
William and Mary

Most of these are not easy to get into. WF and Villanova have 32%/31% acceptance rates. Also, as spomeone who is from WORCESTER it pains me when people say Worchester. It is not even pronounced like there is an H in there.

Woo Pi -- I know, I just can't spell. I'm working on it, but autocheck picked the sauce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finding good medium size schools (5,000-15,000 undergrads) that aren't super hard to get in to feels impossible. The only school my junior is interested in so far is Lehigh and it could be a reach school depending on how this year plays out.

Not super hard to get into -- this will depend (in part) on what your DC's stats are.

A few more to check out
U Richmond
Providence College
Creighton
CO Mines
Gonzaga
Santa Clara
Univ San Diego
LMU
Villanova
TCU
U Miami
Loyola Chicago
GWU
Fordham
WPI
Baylor
Stevens Inst
Clark
St. Louis U
RIT
Clarkson
Chapman
U Denver
U San Francisco
DePaul
Seattle U