Williams/Amherst over a HYP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Trying to figure out if there are really 3 groups of kids, athletes, NARP and a third group?

My daughter refers to herself as an ARP (athletic regular person). Her roommate is a VARP (very athletic regular person)

[Anonymous]

I would 100% go for Amherst.

[Anonymous]

Williams for sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do moms here care so much about a boy not being able to find friends? If your boy is struggling to find friends at these schools, I promise you he's just awkward or weird.

agree, with kinder words maybe.

these schools have 2000 kids. with a tiny bit of effort, your kid will find a circle of 10

my kid quit organized sports at 7 years old, and is happily at a SLAC with good friends, girlfriends, interests, and clubs.

I don't really understand the harder-to-make-friends-at-an-LAC logic, at least when it comes to making friends. I went to one of the biggest T20 universities, and while I certainly had friends, I always kind of assumed it'd be easier at a much small school given the inherent tightness of the LAC student body. In that regard, I felt like I had more friends in my LAC-sized law school than I did in my mega-university. And, in a similar manner, it seems easier make make friends in a small town than in a huge city. (I've lived in both.)

Not at all the same thing as attending a small LAC.

Typically, law schools force the same students to take all first year classes together. Also, all law students have a similar goal, to pass the state bar exam,and to become an attorney.

Small LAC divides are most obvious among athletic teams versus NARPs.

Come on, man. Enough with the sophistry. First off, my larger point about still stands even if you're critical of my law school analogy. Second, most law schools divide each class into several different sections, and those sections (not the entire class) take some of the same core classes together during the 1L year. Third, LACs, such as my kid's WASP LAC do way more community building work than law schools--e.g., living in dorms together for at least the first year, week-long orientation events, club fairs, etc. Fourth, trust me when I say that sharing the same goal of becoming an attorney does not instantly unite law school students into a sense of meaningful fraternity. Fifth, my NARP kid has never mentioned any NARP divide at her WASP and is friends with at least a few athletes. I can't say for certain that my kid's experience holds true for all LACs (including Williams and Amherst), but you've painted with the broadest brush possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do moms here care so much about a boy not being able to find friends? If your boy is struggling to find friends at these schools, I promise you he's just awkward or weird.

My daughter found the athlete/ non-athlete divide uncomfortable, and she got a 'bro' vibe from many of the men. Said it contrasted a lot with the women, including the athlete women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, know that the choice between HYP and Amherst or Williams will have life altering consequences for your child. The wrong decision could destroy all their future prospects and render them unemployable, unmarriageable, and on a one-way path to skid row.

That being said, I have only ever heard of any student turning down HYP in cases where they went to Bucknell instead.

Or went to an SEC school for good weather, rah rah sports, and marry a wealthy blonde dancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you with straight males at SLACs who aren't D3 athletes, were your sons on any varsity sports teams in high school? My son is unlikely to be recruited by a high academic school, but a lot of his high school identity is wrapped up being a competitive Soccer and Track athlete. At a big school, he will have plenty of company and can enjoy intramurals and spectating D1 sports, but at a small school I wonder if he will feel excluded from his peers with similar interests.

My son is at one of the schools mentioned here. He was a varsity athlete in hs but not recruitable. Several of his closest hs friends were recruited to D1 schools. He’s a freshman and very happy with his choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do moms here care so much about a boy not being able to find friends? If your boy is struggling to find friends at these schools, I promise you he's just awkward or weird.

agree, with kinder words maybe.

these schools have 2000 kids. with a tiny bit of effort, your kid will find a circle of 10

my kid quit organized sports at 7 years old, and is happily at a SLAC with good friends, girlfriends, interests, and clubs.

I don't really understand the harder-to-make-friends-at-an-LAC logic, at least when it comes to making friends. I went to one of the biggest T20 universities, and while I certainly had friends, I always kind of assumed it'd be easier at a much small school given the inherent tightness of the LAC student body. In that regard, I felt like I had more friends in my LAC-sized law school than I did in my mega-university. And, in a similar manner, it seems easier make make friends in a small town than in a huge city. (I've lived in both.)

Not at all the same thing as attending a small LAC.

Typically, law schools force the same students to take all first year classes together. Also, all law students have a similar goal, to pass the state bar exam,and to become an attorney.

Small LAC divides are most obvious among athletic teams versus NARPs.

Come on, man. Enough with the sophistry. First off, my larger point about still stands even if you're critical of my law school analogy. Second, most law schools divide each class into several different sections, and those sections (not the entire class) take some of the same core classes together during the 1L year. Third, LACs, such as my kid's WASP LAC do way more community building work than law schools--e.g., living in dorms together for at least the first year, week-long orientation events, club fairs, etc. Fourth, trust me when I say that sharing the same goal of becoming an attorney does not instantly unite law school students into a sense of meaningful fraternity. Fifth, my NARP kid has never mentioned any NARP divide at her WASP and is friends with at least a few athletes. I can't say for certain that my kid's experience holds true for all LACs (including Williams and Amherst), but you've painted with the broadest brush possible.

LOL !!!! You are too much. I want some of what you are drinking or smoking !

[Anonymous]

The NARP/athlete divide seems to be most pronounced at Amherst, Middlebury, & Williams. Haven't read such complaints at Pomona or Swarthmore.

Most discussion about LACs seems to focus on Amherst, Williams, and Middlebury.

A couple of recent Bowdoin grads acknowledged the social divide between athletes & non-athletes as a practical matter since the athletes (cross country/track) train & travel together for most of the year. Nevertheless, the reality is that this makes a small school smaller for all sides.

I know of several other LACs where this is a problem with respect to socialization, but those LACs are rarely discussed on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, know that the choice between HYP and Amherst or Williams will have life altering consequences for your child. The wrong decision could destroy all their future prospects and render them unemployable, unmarriageable, and on a one-way path to skid row.

That being said, I have only ever heard of any student turning down HYP in cases where they went to Bucknell instead.

weirdo- but if u r right, they probably saw the value of the number 1 ranked LAC per LinkedIn - Bucknell king of the hill for SLACs based on outcomes and alumni connectivity. These grads are not only good looking, cool, and athletic, but they are making fat stacks after leaving lewis burg

[Anonymous]

I know a fair number of kids who turned down Brown, Cornell, and Penn CAS for WASP, but I know zero who turned down HYP.