Good LAC for a kid who is just plain old SWEET!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Minnesota has a lot of SLACs with that vibe. St. Olaf has already been mentioned and is a good one. I went to Gustavus Adolphus College -- very similar to St. Olaf in profile, though St. Olaf's particular strength is in music and Gustavus is particularly strong for sciences. Both have lots of smart, earnest kids -- ones who worked hard and got good grades, but are probably not future Nobel Prize winners. Gustavus at least has good merit aid -- not sure about St. Olaf.

Carleton is in Minnesota (same town as St. Olaf) and students there a generally a notch above academically, but also more politically active, PC, "woke" etc. Tons of great discussions on that campus, but more in the spirit of ardent intellectual battles about contemporary topics and with a liberal bent. Great for many (and I would have gone but at the time they had no merit aid), but if you're looking for a comfortable place for a sweet kid, maybe not what you're looking for.

Macalester could be another good Minnesota option, though I know less about it than the others.

I want to Carleton and have a niece there now. It was and is a great place for sweet, earnest kids. The liberal bent is offset by midwesern pragmatism. I agree with others that there are a lot of great midwestern SLACs that fit the bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Minnesota has a lot of SLACs with that vibe. St. Olaf has already been mentioned and is a good one. I went to Gustavus Adolphus College -- very similar to St. Olaf in profile, though St. Olaf's particular strength is in music and Gustavus is particularly strong for sciences. Both have lots of smart, earnest kids -- ones who worked hard and got good grades, but are probably not future Nobel Prize winners. Gustavus at least has good merit aid -- not sure about St. Olaf.

Carleton is in Minnesota (same town as St. Olaf) and students there a generally a notch above academically, but also more politically active, PC, "woke" etc. Tons of great discussions on that campus, but more in the spirit of ardent intellectual battles about contemporary topics and with a liberal bent. Great for many (and I would have gone but at the time they had no merit aid), but if you're looking for a comfortable place for a sweet kid, maybe not what you're looking for.

Macalester could be another good Minnesota option, though I know less about it than the others.

I want to Carleton and have a niece there now. It was and is a great place for sweet, earnest kids. The liberal bent is offset by midwesern pragmatism. I agree with others that there are a lot of great midwestern SLACs that fit the bill.

I agree with Carleton PP.
With the exception of Oberlin, the Midwest SLAC's (Carleton, Mac, Grinnell, St. Olaf, etc.) are far more sane and rational.
DS attends Grinnell and loves it. Given he is a white, male, conservative athlete majoring in Poli Sci, that's really saying something. We looked at all of the above schools and they all seemed like positive, respectful, and friendly environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr

Back in the 50s maybe

Those schools are filled with ambitious driven feminists now

Sweet is not the adjective I would use to describe them

[Anonymous]

This describes my SIL who still wore shorts under her dresses like a 4th grader when she left for college. She went to Santa Clara and had tons of friends and never drank or partied.

[Anonymous]

OP, my DS sounds alot like your DD. I too was looking for a LAC that would be a good fit for a good student, but not with off the charts grades and scores. As we live in LAX Bro country, and my son is definitely not a LAX Bro I was very sensitive to that vibe. He is a first year at Denison and very happy. I realize that Denison at one time was known for frats but my wife and I both commented when we initially visited how we liked the vibes from both the students and the administration. There is definitely D3 sports, and that vibe, but there are also quiet kids, like my son. Other have suggested honors colleges at state schools and that may be a good fit as well. I can't speak to that as my wife and I both thought my son would benefit from the smaller environment of a LAC. And that has proved to be true - the smaller size is right for him.

Best of luck to you and your DD. She's lucky to have you looking out for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr

Back in the 50s maybe

Those schools are filled with ambitious driven feminists now

Sweet is not the adjective I would use to describe them

They have evolved with distinctly different characters. Mount Holyoke has many foreign students and a hard-working but inclusive nature. Smith is ranked higher and edgier socially. Both offer excellent educations, but do have a different feel. Different locations too, though free bus between all Five Colleges, opportunity for classes at other colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wellesley, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr

Back in the 50s maybe

Those schools are filled with ambitious driven feminists now

Sweet is not the adjective I would use to describe them

They have evolved with distinctly different characters. Mount Holyoke has many foreign students and a hard-working but inclusive nature. Smith is ranked higher and edgier socially. Both offer excellent educations, but do have a different feel. Different locations too, though free bus between all Five Colleges, opportunity for classes at other colleges.

PP. How would you describe the current character of Wellesley ? Thx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You know you're being ridiculous, OP.
If your daughter is immature and sweet-tempered, she will find her circle of friends, just as other students with different personalities will find theirs.

I know, because I was like your daughter! It took me some time to make friends, because all of us non-extraverts need a little time, but after that it was great.

So please focus on what's important:
Where your daughter wants to go (weather, vibe, distance from home) and what her academic preferences are. That will narrow down colleges for you.

Be nice, PP. I don't think that OP is ridiculous at all. OP you have asked a great question. These answers are very helpful to parents with the same concerns as you. Of course OP will take other things into consideration as well as what she asks here. That is a given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, my DS sounds alot like your DD. I too was looking for a LAC that would be a good fit for a good student, but not with off the charts grades and scores. As we live in LAX Bro country, and my son is definitely not a LAX Bro I was very sensitive to that vibe. He is a first year at Denison and very happy. I realize that Denison at one time was known for frats but my wife and I both commented when we initially visited how we liked the vibes from both the students and the administration. There is definitely D3 sports, and that vibe, but there are also quiet kids, like my son. Other have suggested honors colleges at state schools and that may be a good fit as well. I can't speak to that as my wife and I both thought my son would benefit from the smaller environment of a LAC. And that has proved to be true - the smaller size is right for him.

Best of luck to you and your DD. She's lucky to have you looking out for her.

+1

My geeky, non partying DC is extremely happy at Denison.

[Anonymous]

Agree with Midwestern schools and women's colleges. We found a "happiness" index which supposedly ranked schools by student happiness. It was an interesting list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need more specifics besides being "sweet" and I have never heard of a school full of snarky, jaded kids who will look down on sincere people.

All you have to do is read up about the GW sorority girls to see jaded, snarky, racist..

[Anonymous]

American university.

[Anonymous]

Carleton or St. Olaf. Definitely go for a visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I have ever met from St. Olaf is incredibly sweet.

Like Betty White!!! Dumb as shit, but sweet. And she put St.Olaf's on the map.

[Anonymous]

Without knowing more about your daughter's stats, I'll toss in a few more names:

Goucher (Baltimore)

University of the South - Sewanee

Randolph College (formerly Randolph Macon Women's College)

Rhodes in Tennessee

Davidson