Colleges for a low-key high-achiever?

[Anonymous]

Pomona is hard but students aren't competitive (and you can't beat the west coast vibe). Wesleyan has great academics but is relatively chill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice

+1.

Can either of you talk more about Rice? I don't know much about it, but my high achieving, not at all competitive DD is interested. Nice size, like the residential college aspect, in a city (even if it's in Houston)... She isn't sure she wants to study, but liked a couple of virtual videos of kids doing super different stuff - like theater and microbiology, or dance and physics or whatever. Would love to hear what the vibe of the place is like. Someone said it's like Blair magnet kids (in MCPS - the STEM magnet). Is that true? TIA

[Anonymous]

Salisbury, Stevenson, St. Mary’s College of MD, Frostburg.

[Anonymous]

Op this kid will do great wherever he goes. No offense but the whole post seems like a humble brag. He can go Ivy, SLAC, Flagship and will excel .Sorry he is "over it" but lots of teens are. Let him take a gap year and figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice

+1.

Can either of you talk more about Rice? I don't know much about it, but my high achieving, not at all competitive DD is interested. Nice size, like the residential college aspect, in a city (even if it's in Houston)... She isn't sure she wants to study, but liked a couple of virtual videos of kids doing super different stuff - like theater and microbiology, or dance and physics or whatever. Would love to hear what the vibe of the place is like. Someone said it's like Blair magnet kids (in MCPS - the STEM magnet). Is that true? TIA

I attended Rice 20 years ago, so my experience isn't super current, but when I was there, it was absolutely a perfect environment for high-achieving noncompetitive kids. (I'm not familiar with Blair magnet.) I loved that nearly all of my Rice classmates were bright/talented/quirky - it was also the first academic experience of my life when I wasn't constantly comparing my performance/success to everyone else's around me.

Yes, there are tons of theater and arts and cultural opportunities on and off campus. Lots of people double major (sociology + math or biology + English or... whatever is your passion). I learned to appreciate a huge variety of amazing food in Houston (off campus), and it's still a relatively inexpensive place to live - the city has a lot to offer, and it is wonderful to be able to be outside through the winter.

Downsides of the school, especially for a kid who isn't sure what they want to do: The academic advising when I was there was not great. My friends from Rice have settled ALL over the country, which is kind of a bummer because they are people I'd love to see more frequently. It doesn't have the same reputation on the east coast as Ivies and SLACs.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the Rice info, PP!

[Anonymous]

I think a state flagship is a great option! I had the same stats he does, and LOVED my time at Maryland. I was in the honors program, had all sorts of opportunities, and the level of pressure/competition was so much better than in high school.

If that's what he wants, I wouldn't discourage it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op this kid will do great wherever he goes. No offense but the whole post seems like a humble brag. He can go Ivy, SLAC, Flagship and will excel .Sorry he is "over it" but lots of teens are. Let him take a gap year and figure it out.

OP isn't the parent -- they're an aunt or uncle. Don't really think they have control over whether the kid takes a gap year. This post barely struck me as a humblebrag by DCUM standards.

[Anonymous]

State flagships are wonderful. I went to one --- my classmates ranged from valedictorians with 1500s to party-loving people who just made it in... Honestly, it's wonderful having that full spectrum. It felt like real life.

Maybe he can look at the elite scholarship programs at those school -- at UNC (my alum), it is the Morehead. They bond intensely throughout the four years and end up doing amazing things. Those kids were always golden people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:State flagships are wonderful. I went to one --- my classmates ranged from valedictorians with 1500s to party-loving people who just made it in... Honestly, it's wonderful having that full spectrum. It felt like real life.

Maybe he can look at the elite scholarship programs at those school -- at UNC (my alum), it is the Morehead. They bond intensely throughout the four years and end up doing amazing things. Those kids were always golden people.

Was going to reiterate your first paragraph, and then I laughed when I read your second. I, too, went to UNC. I got in from out-of-state and found that my fellow OOSers were well above average. I met a lot of Morehead scholars (many of whom are international students), and we had a blast but were still challenged in our classes (probably because we weren't on the football or basketball teams).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State flagships are wonderful. I went to one --- my classmates ranged from valedictorians with 1500s to party-loving people who just made it in... Honestly, it's wonderful having that full spectrum. It felt like real life.

Maybe he can look at the elite scholarship programs at those school -- at UNC (my alum), it is the Morehead. They bond intensely throughout the four years and end up doing amazing things. Those kids were always golden people.

Was going to reiterate your first paragraph, and then I laughed when I read your second. I, too, went to UNC. I got in from out-of-state and found that my fellow OOSers were well above average. I met a lot of Morehead scholars (many of whom are international students), and we had a blast but were still challenged in our classes (probably because we weren't on the football or basketball teams).

Hi! Yes, the oos are always smart, and even within the in state population, the full range exists. At my high school in Charlotte, UNC basically accepted all 50 kids who were in the top 10 percent of our 500 person class. Many, many of us went, from #2 to #50. As you might imagine, there is a huge range of capabilities there.

[Anonymous]

I'm also in favor of a large state school for kids who have a lot of different interests. There are so many departments and classes they can take, and often the first two years are undeclared which gives them a lot of time to explore interests. I would add UCLA and Berkeley to the Michigan recommendation. My DC, whose interests range from music, to psychology to business, is at UCLA and loves it.

Good luck to your nephew.

[Anonymous]

I graduated from and worked in admissions for a selective university before going on to attend law school at another selective university. I consider myself a "low-key high-achiever" and found my peeps at both those schools. Based on my experience, I'd say your nephew sounds like a very talented young person and he'll have lot of good options, including state flagships (especially those with honors programs -- e.g., UNC, Michigan), SLACs, and many other schools suggested by PPs here. The key will be for him to apply to a range of schools in terms of selectivity (not the same as quality). Keep in mind that at any of those schools there will be many more applicants with impressive credentials than the school can admit. Two things I know for sure: 1) ultimately, admissions decisions turn on many factors and can be hard to predict, and 2) a motivated, intellectually curious student will thrive at any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona is hard but students aren't competitive (and you can't beat the west coast vibe). Wesleyan has great academics but is relatively chill.

Maybe, but it’s the most difficult SLAC to get into I. The US and very small (although part of the Claremont colleges). State honors program of Jefferson Scholars at UVA offer more options.

[Anonymous]

I don't think anyone's suggested Vassar yet