Best LAC for NARP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is too much. Posters have called these kids weirdos, abnormal, and dorks. What is wrong with you. I can’t understand how a parent could refer to any kind of kid as a dork. What are you, twelve years old? Talk about intolerant.

There is really no way to have this discussion without using these terms. The concept of NARP is really about differentiating between straight laced athletes and more unconventional male liberal arts college students (who tend to be more unconventional than say state u males). I am really just channeling what my own kid has conveyed. I have no ill will towards any kid - you be you as they say!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is too much. Posters have called these kids weirdos, abnormal, and dorks. What is wrong with you. I can’t understand how a parent could refer to any kind of kid as a dork. What are you, twelve years old? Talk about intolerant.

There is really no way to have this discussion without using these terms. The concept of NARP is really about differentiating between strait laced athletes and more unconventional male liberal arts college students (who tend to be more unconventional than say state u males). I am really just channeling what my own kid has conveyed. I have no ill will towards any kid - you be you as they say!

If my kid came in and called other kids dorks I would tell him to cut it out. Even if you don’t like or fit in with fit in with a group you can describe them without disparaging them. I certainly wouldn’t channel that from a rude kid. You can certainly have the discussion without disparaging. Even the term NARP says they are the “regular” people with the implication that the athlete is the “different” one. So your description of the NARP as the “unconventional” one doesn’t track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny thread. People keep mentioning schools with “only” 20% athletes (usually even these schools are at least 25%).

The answer is simple, and these are two great schools:

Reed College
St. John’s College

I think this is missing the mark. This is a boy who wants to hang out with other normal boys. The problem is at many LACs, almost all the normal boys are on sports teams which leaves him to fend for himself among the overwhelmingly abnormal male NARPs. The answer is NOT to attend Reed College which consists entirely of abnormal NARPs.

If it is a SLAC, these are the schools. Oh, yes, Bennington also. (Hampshire has some varsity sports but the percentage of athletes is tiny there).

There are many, many options of large schools with way under 10% varsity athletes; OP should look there.

It is very easy to avoid schools with 20-40% student athletes. That’s not missing the mark, but hitting it.

You are missing the point. This kid wants to hang out with the type of kids who are on sports teams but they are always busy with practice and tend to keep to themselves. Because they are the only guys there who aren’t total weirdos. The idea is not to go to a school that is ONLY weirdos. But that is what you keep pushing.

I am not pushing anything — only giving the information that was actually asked for. And I mentioned larger schools: Amherst notoriously has more athletes than the University of Alabama. As for Reed, those “total weirdos” probably work harder than students at any school in the country. But something tells me you didn’t know that…

[Anonymous]

My non-athletic DC is very happy at Bowdoin. Easily found his group, learned that he enjoys hiking, and getting out of his comfort zone a little bit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is too much. Posters have called these kids weirdos, abnormal, and dorks. What is wrong with you. I can’t understand how a parent could refer to any kind of kid as a dork. What are you, twelve years old? Talk about intolerant.

There is really no way to have this discussion without using these terms. The concept of NARP is really about differentiating between strait laced athletes and more unconventional male liberal arts college students (who tend to be more unconventional than say state u males). I am really just channeling what my own kid has conveyed. I have no ill will towards any kid - you be you as they say!

If my kid came in and called other kids dorks I would tell him to cut it out. Even if you don’t like or fit in with fit in with a group you can describe them without disparaging them. I certainly wouldn’t channel that from a rude kid. You can certainly have the discussion without disparaging. Even the term NARP says they are the “regular” people with the implication that the athlete is the “different” one. So your description of the NARP as the “unconventional” one doesn’t track.

NARPs don't like being called NARPs. Trust me on this. It's almost like misgendering them. It's not meant as a compliment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM has introduced me to the concept of NARP (non athletic regular person).

I have a NARP. A boy who isn't an athlete but also isn't into something else that has a built-in community, like Drama. Regular straight guy who likes movies and music and Ramen and video games. Super funny w strong friend group but isn't an extrovert.

He was thinking about LACs (history or possibly Econ), but I wonder if these schools have 30-40% athletes, maybe a bigger university would be better? Any thoughts?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

DC is at Bates as well and is on an athletic team. Walked on. Has just as many friends on team as she does who are NARPs. Same is true for most teams. Not as cliquey for sports as other schools.

[Anonymous]

I think one of the PPs has some bizarro-world vision of what these schools are like. There are TONS of male students at any liberal arts school who are not on teams but who are not "unconventional" to use the PP's term.

And the idea that there is some giant divide between athletes and non-athletes is ridiculous to anyone with a kid at some of the schools mentioned. These are small schools - all kids, athletes and non-athletes, interact all the time in the dining hall, in class, at parties, in other extracurriculars. There's actually much more mixing of groups than there was at my large university, where each team or clique had its own frat or offcampus house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think one of the PPs has some bizarro-world vision of what these schools are like. There are TONS of male students at any liberal arts school who are not on teams but who are not "unconventional" to use the PP's term.

And the idea that there is some giant divide between athletes and non-athletes is ridiculous to anyone with a kid at some of the schools mentioned. These are small schools - all kids, athletes and non-athletes, interact all the time in the dining hall, in class, at parties, in other extracurriculars. There's actually much more mixing of groups than there was at my large university, where each team or clique had its own frat or offcampus house

I'm sorry, I am not making this up. I was told this by my child who attends a SLAC. He didn't coin the term NARP. It's a real thing. It's not like the bloods and the crips but there is something to this and maybe the level of integration varies by school.

[Anonymous]

2 schools my DS crossed off his list are Lafayette and Skidmore (for this reason).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny thread. People keep mentioning schools with “only” 20% athletes (usually even these schools are at least 25%).

The answer is simple, and these are two great schools:

Reed College
St. John’s College

I think this is missing the mark. This is a boy who wants to hang out with other normal boys. The problem is at many LACs, almost all the normal boys are on sports teams which leaves him to fend for himself among the overwhelmingly abnormal male NARPs. The answer is NOT to attend Reed College which consists entirely of abnormal NARPs.

If it is a SLAC, these are the schools. Oh, yes, Bennington also. (Hampshire has some varsity sports but the percentage of athletes is tiny there).

There are many, many options of large schools with way under 10% varsity athletes; OP should look there.

It is very easy to avoid schools with 20-40% student athletes. That’s not missing the mark, but hitting it.

You are missing the point. This kid wants to hang out with the type of kids who are on sports teams but they are always busy with practice and tend to keep to themselves. Because they are the only guys there who aren’t total weirdos. The idea is not to go to a school that is ONLY weirdos. But that is what you keep pushing.

Holy mother of God, WHAT is your problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is too much. Posters have called these kids weirdos, abnormal, and dorks. What is wrong with you. I can’t understand how a parent could refer to any kind of kid as a dork. What are you, twelve years old? Talk about intolerant.

Seriously. I can’t believe any adult actually thinks this way. It’s pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think one of the PPs has some bizarro-world vision of what these schools are like. There are TONS of male students at any liberal arts school who are not on teams but who are not "unconventional" to use the PP's term.

And the idea that there is some giant divide between athletes and non-athletes is ridiculous to anyone with a kid at some of the schools mentioned. These are small schools - all kids, athletes and non-athletes, interact all the time in the dining hall, in class, at parties, in other extracurriculars. There's actually much more mixing of groups than there was at my large university, where each team or clique had its own frat or offcampus house

I'm sorry, I am not making this up. I was told this by my child who attends a SLAC. He didn't coin the term NARP. It's a real thing. It's not like the bloods and the crips but there is something to this and maybe the level of integration varies by school.

I think we’ve established that you don’t have good social skills, so I am not inclined to trust what you report from your son.

[Anonymous]

Never heard the term "NARP," but it actually describes my entire family. Our boys - who are personally not athletic but both enjoy watching sports - found plenty of like-minded friends at state schools where there is a large enough community to find one's "people."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think one of the PPs has some bizarro-world vision of what these schools are like. There are TONS of male students at any liberal arts school who are not on teams but who are not "unconventional" to use the PP's term.

And the idea that there is some giant divide between athletes and non-athletes is ridiculous to anyone with a kid at some of the schools mentioned. These are small schools - all kids, athletes and non-athletes, interact all the time in the dining hall, in class, at parties, in other extracurriculars. There's actually much more mixing of groups than there was at my large university, where each team or clique had its own frat or offcampus house

This fits my/my kid's experience. The majority of students are fairly typical kids. We visited a lot of LACs--you might see and remember the more "out-there" types, but the vast majority of students are fairly conventional.