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

[Anonymous]

NP here and I apologize; I only have a second and can't look through 22 pages of replies...just want to say, anyone mention Rice, or Pepperdine?

I'm in LA and would love to see my kids go to Pepperdine (but they are fixated on UCLA....if you grow up in LA you get fixated on either USC or UCLA, LOL)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give the midwestern schools a good look. Someone has already mentioned Carlton and Macalaster. Also look at University of Chicago, Ripon, Washington University (St. Louis), Grinnell, Cornell College, Lawrenceville.... A different part of the country adds something intangible to the experience. And I am guessing that some geographic diversity might help your DC.

And don't rule it out for $$ reasons until you find out what aid--merit and need-based--becomes available.

U Michigan(Ann Arbor) has a "college within the college" for liberal arts that is very highly respected. Or was 20 years ago.

Gustavus Aldophus, Macalester, Carelton, Beloit, St. Olaf's, Augustana (IL), Knox College, Cornell, Monmouth College, Colorado College...

any of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, really

What do you know about Knox? My DD has gotten excited about it as a very likely and they've invited her to apply for free with many scholarship possibilities. I have not heard much but she's planning to apply even though she's considerably above their range. Any thoughts would be great!

[Anonymous]

A friend's DD went to Kalamazoo College and did very well there. She's now in grad school at Harvard. Her dad and mom went to highly selective SLACS, so didn't think much of Kalamazoo, but now they are very pleased with the school. Her DD loved it, BTW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are going to visit St Marys College next week - Maryland's attempt to create a William & Mary equivalent. But we are having a lot of trouble with this concept. Our junior wants liberal arts, 2-3000 students. She can't get into top tier (e.g., Williams). The options seem to drop off rather quickly.

In addition to St. Marys--Mary Baldwin? Washington and Lee? University of Richmond?

[Anonymous]

Washington College

[Anonymous]

William and Mary.

[Anonymous]

Rhodes

[Anonymous]

Peter Cooper

[Anonymous]

Kalamazoo (MI)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)

[Anonymous]

Sarah Lawrence.

TCU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No football games at Mary Washington. Big hole in fall weekends. What do alumni come back for in fall? Homecoming without football? Just seems sad.

This may shock you, but some people have zero interest in football. I've never gone to a football game in my entire life. My weekends have always been plenty full. I actually have no idea if my college had a football team or not.

Also, as a college student I didn't care about talking to alumni. And as a graduate, I never went back to my college. I took my finals and left. I didn't even attend graduation because I found out it cost money to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here and I apologize; I only have a second and can't look through 22 pages of replies...just want to say, anyone mention Rice, or Pepperdine?

I'm in LA and would love to see my kids go to Pepperdine (but they are fixated on UCLA....if you grow up in LA you get fixated on either USC or UCLA, LOL)

A friend of mine went to Rice, and LOVED it. Did not stay in Texas after, but had fond memories.

[Anonymous]

Is Rice really a best kept secret?
Looks pretty tough to get into based on Naviance from DD's school. Looks 10 admits out of 64 applicants for Bethesda area schools last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No football games at Mary Washington. Big hole in fall weekends. What do alumni come back for in fall? Homecoming without football? Just seems sad.

This may shock you, but some people have zero interest in football. I've never gone to a football game in my entire life. My weekends have always been plenty full. I actually have no idea if my college had a football team or not.

Also, as a college student I didn't care about talking to alumni. And as a graduate, I never went back to my college. I took my finals and left. I didn't even attend graduation because I found out it cost money to attend.

You sound like an Awful person.

[Anonymous]

Sewanee