Best LAC for NARP

[Anonymous]

My child who is not an athlete is having a great first semester at Bates College. Involved with lots of fun activities that have created a community.

[Anonymous]

I really don’t like that NARP term. Why not just say non-athlete? What does “regular” mean? The term seems mean spirited towards non-athletes.

I do get the concern about small schools that end up with a high percentage of athletes and Greeks.

[Anonymous]

I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a DCUM issue not a real issue. These threads are always so ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it's a problem at LACs. The percentage of guys who are straight and not athletes is increasingly tiny. It can be really hard for those students to find a community.

I think it's a genuine issue. Most LACs are not appealing places for straight boys who don't play competitive sports. But this is what most LACs chose.

Personally, I wouldn't bother. I would try to find a university on the smaller side. If he's a stellar student, something like Dartmouth or Rice. They're big enough for everyone to find their space, but small enough to get the liberal arts college experience.

I genuinely would not encourage a straight, non-athlete boy to apply to schools like Vassar, Carleton, Bennington and many others. It'll likely be a lonely experience. If the student really wants to go to a LAC, I'd choose one with a big Greek life. Something like Washington and Lee or Whitman. Or something similar.

+1 Also look at Catholic colleges and universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Right??? I have a straight male 17 yo who has a large, tight group of other (mostly) straight male friends and none of these kids sound anything like what’s being described here. For one thing, they are 100 percent comfortable being around gay and trans kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Right??? I have a straight male 17 yo who has a large, tight group of other (mostly) straight male friends and none of these kids sound anything like what’s being described here. For one thing, they are 100 percent comfortable being around gay and trans kids.

I feel like a lot of the PPs never actually have a conversation with a current teenager. These threads are always so weirdly regressive and detached from reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Or I could just talk to my son, who attends a LAC. The athletes and the gender fluid boys (of which there are many) don’t really interact. He brought this up, not me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Right??? I have a straight male 17 yo who has a large, tight group of other (mostly) straight male friends and none of these kids sound anything like what’s being described here. For one thing, they are 100 percent comfortable being around gay and trans kids.

It’s not that they hate each other; they just don’t associate with one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Or I could just talk to my son, who attends a LAC. The athletes and the gender fluid boys (of which there are many) don’t really interact. He brought this up, not me.

Did you ever consider this might be an issue specific to your son?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think this issue is overblown. My DH, myself and my DS have all attended/currently attend 3 different SLACs and I’ve only heard of this issue on DCUM.

Our son knew he wanted a SlAC and we visited many to narrow down his list. They do have different cultures and strengths and weaknesses IMHO the NARP thing is not what I would use to figure out the initial list.

It is a significant issue at many LACs. Amherst College & Middlebury College are examples of LACs with highly publicized NARP issues. And there are many more LACs with NARP issues.

It’s a legit issue because so many of the non-athlete males are gay (they are drawn to the safe supportive LAC environment) while the athlete males at say a Nescac school are really exceptional athletes. To play soccer at Amherst for example means you’re an amazing soccer player and could probably play D1 somewhere. Exceptional athletes tend to have a more conventional masculine outlook. I guess we call that “toxic” now.

I cannot roll my eyes enough at this outright nonsense. Please talk to literally a single teen who exists now, not the pretend teens from 1980s John Hughes movies who live in your mind.

Right??? I have a straight male 17 yo who has a large, tight group of other (mostly) straight male friends and none of these kids sound anything like what’s being described here. For one thing, they are 100 percent comfortable being around gay and trans kids.

It’s not that they hate each other; they just don’t associate with one another.

That may be true of your son. It is definitely not true of mine or of his group of friends. These are all juniors at a DC public school. One of the most popular, involved boys at my son’s school is trans. I think this isn’t uncommon now.

[Anonymous]

My DS, a NARP, loves Davidson. He’s having an amazing experience, both socially and academically. Highly recommend.