Safety that isn’t a party school?

[Anonymous]

OK, it took me a minute, but the post of "Caltech" was not a suggestion - it was a spelling correction to the post 2 before which mentioned that 'even Caltech has a party scene' but misspelled the school name. I don't think anyone is suggesting Caltech as a safety for anyone.

OP, I'd look for schools that have a high percentage of older adults coming back for a degree later in life, vs 18 year olds starting directly after high school. There will still be plenty of students your DD's age, but the older students tend to be more focused as a group, less of a party scene, and that affects the overall atmosphere. I'm not sure how to search for these schools, but keep an eye on it as one statistic. When I was in college in SoCal way back when, Cal State San Marcos was known for this - pretty easy to get into, and had a good fun campus life, but lots of older/returning students made for a more serious, focused academic feel. Yes, this is a huge generalization, but it seems to hold true a lot of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Brigham Young

Let’s be fair. It’s going to be a huge culture shock from the DMV if you aren’t Mormon or at least Conservative Christian. It has a lot of same same rules and well put together white kid vibe as Liberty, but it is smarter kids a lot less of an academic joke and not a Jerry Falwell scam/ money laundering machine. But know your kid is getting into a very strict social code. Curfews, no dancing, single sex dorms, no boys in bedrooms, dry campus, and last I heard no caffeine and mandatory attendance at religious events. Lots of religious events. It exists primarily to educative Mormon kids. Who are wholesome, kind, hard working and clean cut. Rest, wholesome peers. But the school expects everyone to live the Mormon life style, which centers are social activity on the church. So that’s where your kids social life will likely center. It’s still a pretty racist school (I would only send a white kid), women are often there to get married and become educated Mormon mothers, you can be expelled for pre-marital sex, and they are only just starting to be okay with homosexuality. Kinda. Not really. If we must. Many kids and parents from the DMV are not okay with that. So, know it going in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These threads become meaningless real fast. Everyone is just throwing names around. It makes no sense and not helpful at all.

Agree.

However, I think that SMCM and College of Wooster are useful, on point suggestions. (I really do, but I recognize the irony of my post.)

So are St. Olaf, Dickinson Juanita and some of the lower ranked seven sisters (not Barnard or Wellesley, yes Sarah Lawrence (now coed) and MHC). Yes, Mary Washington for instate VA. Guilford College in GSO, NC is Quaker and a nice choice. A 1350-1400 SAT kid with a mix of As and Bs and a couple of APs the last two years should get into these schools and have a good chance at enough merit to make it in state comparable.

+1 And add Macalester for a kid who wants a LAC with an urban setting. Their typical merit isn't as high as some of the others but they do offer merit unlike higher ranked LACs.

[Anonymous]

Tulane, Pomona,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tulane, Pomona,

Stop. Please.

[Anonymous]

University of Alabama in Huntsville. They have attached lots of high stats kids in the last few years with excellent merit scholarships. Had an Honors College. Huntsville has lots of STEM opportunities.
Rolling Admissions is a plus.

[Anonymous]

+1. But don't look beyond STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These threads become meaningless real fast. Everyone is just throwing names around. It makes no sense and not helpful at all.

Agree.

However, I think that SMCM and College of Wooster are useful, on point suggestions. (I really do, but I recognize the irony of my post.)

So are St. Olaf, Dickinson Juanita and some of the lower ranked seven sisters (not Barnard or Wellesley, yes Sarah Lawrence (now coed) and MHC). Yes, Mary Washington for instate VA. Guilford College in GSO, NC is Quaker and a nice choice. A 1350-1400 SAT kid with a mix of As and Bs and a couple of APs the last two years should get into these schools and have a good chance at enough merit to make it in state comparable.

Sarah Lawrence is not one of the seven sisters schools.

The seven sisters are Radcliffe, Vassar, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgia Tech, U Michigan, University of Wisconsin- Madison

’

I don’t agree. Michigan and Wisconsin have a huge Greek life and party scene. Are their people who don’t participate in either? Yes, of course. But these are definitely party schools. Very good academics though.

Michigan and Wisconsin are schools with over 25,000 students. Something like 15-15% are Greeks. That is a lot of students who aren't Greeks. Yes, there are large party scenes, but with large schools, there are large non-party scenes. You can pretty much find anything at those schools, which is part of why they are popular and not safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is trying to pick safety schools and really only wants to go places where the students are focused and serious about their classes. She doesn’t want to go to a party/ very Greek school or a school where there is no enthusiasm or school spirit because it was the safety school for most people there. How do you find such a place?

I know I’m oversimplifying things and you can find dedicated students and partiers at ALL schools. She is nerdy and knows that at a huge state school there are focused, studious kids but thinks they’d be hard to find.

Any suggestions? (She has good grades/scores but can’t count on getting into her top schools.)

You’d be surprised if ou look at SLACs with good merit. Small colleges are $$$$. Lots of kids will go a tier down to get the merit money and afford a small school. The kids ar Wooster were impressive and their med school admit rates are very strong. So, someone there is studying.

My kid liked the environmental science offerings at Wooster and got a suprisingly generous (given DC's good/not amazing stats) 50% merit offer (which I've heard several other kids got too). A lot of LACs offer pretty amazing merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgia Tech, U Michigan, University of Wisconsin- Madison

Come on these are not safeties. Wisconsin in some cases but even that is a stretch.

Georgia Tech's 2020 acceptance rate was 21%, average admit GPA is 4.07, average SAT is 1465. I expect that out of state is tougher than instate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is trying to pick safety schools and really only wants to go places where the students are focused and serious about their classes. She doesn’t want to go to a party/ very Greek school or a school where there is no enthusiasm or school spirit because it was the safety school for most people there. How do you find such a place?

I know I’m oversimplifying things and you can find dedicated students and partiers at ALL schools. She is nerdy and knows that at a huge state school there are focused, studious kids but thinks they’d be hard to find.

Any suggestions? (She has good grades/scores but can’t count on getting into her top schools.)

OP can you please provide examples of this?

So, what you want are examples of schools that your child (whom we have no stats for) is sure to get into, but other people weren't sure they get in, but if they were, they don't lack school spirit because of it and they also don't have too much school spirit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgia Tech, U Michigan, University of Wisconsin- Madison

Come on these are not safeties. Wisconsin in some cases but even that is a stretch.

Georgia Tech's 2020 acceptance rate was 21%, average admit GPA is 4.07, average SAT is 1465. I expect that out of state is tougher than instate.

Seriously, my nephew had a 1570 SAT and As in all his science/math classes (up to multivariable calculus) and a sprinkling of B+s and got in to GA Tech off the waitlist 2 years ago. From a top public HS in NJ.

[Anonymous]

My DD is going to UChicago next fall. A safety on her list was Santa Clara. Look at that school, OP!

Another safety was Rochester.

One that was not a safety (it came up as a target) was Scripps. I think Scripps is fantastic. It's a women's college but surrounded by the other Claremont Colleges so it's not isolated. Kids can and do take courses at the other colleges so you get the benefit of the other colleges.

Also, check out Case Western. It might be a target, not a safety...but could be just what your DD wants. It seems to be an up-and-coming school that just never got its marketing right, and once it does, I think it will become a lot more selective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she likes Chicago with the urban environment, then she'll love Columbia. And if loves the midwest, then maybe Northwestern as a nice safety. Closer to home, Christopher Newport. Maybe too a couple of years of community college at NOVA would be a good way to save some $$$ and if she's looking at Chicago, she should pretty definitely be able to get in!!!

Caltech also is very underappreciated, so I second that one.

Maybe Wooster and Juniata as others have said.

OP, does all of this resonate???

What. By whom???

I definitely don't appreciate Caltech as much as I should.