Less stressful SLAC

Anonymous
Kenyon is quite laid back in every way. My laid back DC is one of those kids with high test scores who struggled to get As in AP classes at a fairly intense high school. (Maybe the word is lazy.) Landed at Kenyon, now getting As and enjoying the learning process, discovering interests, etc. May even take an extra class next semester. I don't see a lot of value in torturing bright kids who want to get good grades, which can also be de-motivating. So it's working out well.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


Is your private school in the DMV or in North Carolina, where Davidson is located?


Not in North Carolina. In mid Atlantic but not in DC.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


Is your private school in the DMV or in North Carolina, where Davidson is located?


Not in North Carolina. In mid Atlantic but not in DC.


Also not a boarding school. Just an academically rigorous private. Also sent multiple kids to Swarthmore and Middlebury last year, but top 20 percent of class mostly winds up at T30 universities.
Anonymous
depends on major....notoriously difficult Cornell was pretty enjoyable for me in history....imagine same could be said for alleged intense SLACs....i found school-related stress to be mostly self-imposed.... caveat, pre-college preparation means A LOT! and i'm not talking strictly AP classes, but anything reading/writing intense.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:SLACs are intense. At least mine was and so is my son’s.


LOL ! Please name the schools.


Swarthmore.


Swarthmore is not a typical SLAC, at least in terms of intensity.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:SLACs are intense. At least mine was and so is my son’s.


LOL ! Please name the schools.


Swarthmore.


Swarthmore is not a typical SLAC, at least in terms of intensity.

+1 My best friend’s kid is there and it’s a pressure cooker.
Anonymous
OP is not deserving of any further suggestions after being outright dismissive of almost all the reasonable suggestions, deeming the colleges many of us named as “second tier.”
Anonymous
Northeast: Bates (very collaborative), Skidmore
Southeast: Davidson, Sewanee, Furman
Midwest: St. Olaf, Macalester, Lake Forest
West: Santa Clara, Lewis&Clark, Whitman
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


14.5% admit rate is NOT relatively easy. Welcome to 2024!


It’s over 80 percent from our private. Some slacs love private schools. I only mention because may be relevant to op.


Last year, Davidson had a class of 490 students from 443 DIFFERENT high schools. Their yield is 50%. That means your high school probably had one, maybe two or three admits at most. To have an 80% admit rate from your school, you must have had four applications and three admits. But, had ten kids applied, there is no chance that eight would have been admitted. BTW, every school, even Harvard, takes more kids from their metro/state area. Most colleges see it as part of their community responsibility.


It’s a private high school with around 80 kids per class. Six kids attending Davidson from past two classes (grad years 2022 and 2023), literally a sea of green on Naviance. I’m aware of this because my senior considering applying based mostly on the favorable odds from her high school, but ultimately felt that Davidson was too small and did not apply.

Not sure why you are so personally offended by this. It is a known phenomena that some slacs really like private schools, lperhaps because it is a similar environment, or maybe because of the likelihood of full pay.


I’m not offended. It’s just that you oversold your comment. Six students in two years is hardly a “sea of green” - maybe an island. And, an “80% admit rate” based on 8 applications over two years from your rigorous private is hardly a statistical sample for the masses.

Your comments seem like a simultaneous Davidson put down and humblebrag. It’s best that your daughter didn’t apply/attend if she has your attitude.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


14.5% admit rate is NOT relatively easy. Welcome to 2024!


It’s over 80 percent from our private. Some slacs love private schools. I only mention because may be relevant to op.


Last year, Davidson had a class of 490 students from 443 DIFFERENT high schools. Their yield is 50%. That means your high school probably had one, maybe two or three admits at most. To have an 80% admit rate from your school, you must have had four applications and three admits. But, had ten kids applied, there is no chance that eight would have been admitted. BTW, every school, even Harvard, takes more kids from their metro/state area. Most colleges see it as part of their community responsibility.


It’s a private high school with around 80 kids per class. Six kids attending Davidson from past two classes (grad years 2022 and 2023), literally a sea of green on Naviance. I’m aware of this because my senior considering applying based mostly on the favorable odds from her high school, but ultimately felt that Davidson was too small and did not apply.

Not sure why you are so personally offended by this. It is a known phenomena that some slacs really like private schools, lperhaps because it is a similar environment, or maybe because of the likelihood of full pay.


I’m not offended. It’s just that you oversold your comment. Six students in two years is hardly a “sea of green” - maybe an island. And, an “80% admit rate” based on 8 applications over two years from your rigorous private is hardly a statistical sample for the masses.

Your comments seem like a simultaneous Davidson put down and humblebrag. It’s best that your daughter didn’t apply/attend if she has your attitude.


My attitude is the issue? All I said was that admissions to Davidson can be easier coming from a private school, and the admit rate from ours was high. You’ve been on a weird mission to disprove this because you apparently see it as a slight to your child.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


14.5% admit rate is NOT relatively easy. Welcome to 2024!


It’s over 80 percent from our private. Some slacs love private schools. I only mention because may be relevant to op.


Last year, Davidson had a class of 490 students from 443 DIFFERENT high schools. Their yield is 50%. That means your high school probably had one, maybe two or three admits at most. To have an 80% admit rate from your school, you must have had four applications and three admits. But, had ten kids applied, there is no chance that eight would have been admitted. BTW, every school, even Harvard, takes more kids from their metro/state area. Most colleges see it as part of their community responsibility.


It’s a private high school with around 80 kids per class. Six kids attending Davidson from past two classes (grad years 2022 and 2023), literally a sea of green on Naviance. I’m aware of this because my senior considering applying based mostly on the favorable odds from her high school, but ultimately felt that Davidson was too small and did not apply.

Not sure why you are so personally offended by this. It is a known phenomena that some slacs really like private schools, lperhaps because it is a similar environment, or maybe because of the likelihood of full pay.


I’m not offended. It’s just that you oversold your comment. Six students in two years is hardly a “sea of green” - maybe an island. And, an “80% admit rate” based on 8 applications over two years from your rigorous private is hardly a statistical sample for the masses.

Your comments seem like a simultaneous Davidson put down and humblebrag. It’s best that your daughter didn’t apply/attend if she has your attitude.


My attitude is the issue? All I said was that admissions to Davidson can be easier coming from a private school, and the admit rate from ours was high. You’ve been on a weird mission to disprove this because you apparently see it as a slight to your child.


I'm not the PP you are referring to - nor am I great at math - but I know enough that six kids over two years is not a "sea of green."
Anonymous
NESCAC? Conn College. Maybe Hamilton. OH schools for sure. Definitely Kenyon and Denison and Oberlin (not music), and if Miami of Ohio counts, them too. TN, Sewanee and Rhodes. CA, Pomona and Oxy for sure. Maybe the Minn SLACs too. And in NY, skidmore, Union, and St Lawrence.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Surprised at all the people suggesting Davidson as a laid back option. Students may be nice but that school is intense! And it has a 15% acceptance rate (we have no stats from OP so it may be a completely unrealistic option with the minimal details provided). Let’s be honest, this is a selective college for really high-achieving kids, not a low-key and relaxed environment.


It’s actually a relatively easy admit from local private schools. I know multiple unhooked kids admitted from our academically rigorous private who didn’t take top rigor and/or weren’t within top 20 percent of class. Also a lot of student athletes since it’s less than 2000 students, and still competes D1.

I don’t believe op indicated if coming from public or private, but slacs still seem to give private schools a decent size preference.


14.5% admit rate is NOT relatively easy. Welcome to 2024!


It’s over 80 percent from our private. Some slacs love private schools. I only mention because may be relevant to op.


Last year, Davidson had a class of 490 students from 443 DIFFERENT high schools. Their yield is 50%. That means your high school probably had one, maybe two or three admits at most. To have an 80% admit rate from your school, you must have had four applications and three admits. But, had ten kids applied, there is no chance that eight would have been admitted. BTW, every school, even Harvard, takes more kids from their metro/state area. Most colleges see it as part of their community responsibility.


It’s a private high school with around 80 kids per class. Six kids attending Davidson from past two classes (grad years 2022 and 2023), literally a sea of green on Naviance. I’m aware of this because my senior considering applying based mostly on the favorable odds from her high school, but ultimately felt that Davidson was too small and did not apply.

Not sure why you are so personally offended by this. It is a known phenomena that some slacs really like private schools, lperhaps because it is a similar environment, or maybe because of the likelihood of full pay.


I’m not offended. It’s just that you oversold your comment. Six students in two years is hardly a “sea of green” - maybe an island. And, an “80% admit rate” based on 8 applications over two years from your rigorous private is hardly a statistical sample for the masses.

Your comments seem like a simultaneous Davidson put down and humblebrag. It’s best that your daughter didn’t apply/attend if she has your attitude.


My attitude is the issue? All I said was that admissions to Davidson can be easier coming from a private school, and the admit rate from ours was high. You’ve been on a weird mission to disprove this because you apparently see it as a slight to your child.


I'm not the PP you are referring to - nor am I great at math - but I know enough that six kids over two years is not a "sea of green."


Right, op shouldn’t consider applying, no one gets in Davidson, it’s only for the super geniuses. At least that's what their parents think. So bizarre.

Anonymous
Following this thread... will someone advise for a high rigor DC private, with a B average and a few C+s in the mix (Covid hangover.)
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Following this thread... will someone advise for a high rigor DC private, with a B average and a few C+s in the mix (Covid hangover.)


I think you will get better advice from your school and a paid counselor. That is a unique situation.
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