Reply to Help me find a safety for my DD - along the lines of an SLAC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]her scores are great right now; I'd just look at the US news ranking list for schools in the 35 - 60 range for SLACs and see what appeals to her. Wooster is awesome, btw.[/quote]

We visited Wooster, but it was during the summer and my daughter just didn't feel it. I really think there's something there for her though. Can you share more?[/quote]

I'm not the PP, but I do work that has interns/applications from LAC students over the years, and I've become a huge fan of the midwestern liberal arts colleges based on what I've seen from their students.  In terms of financial safeties for strong students, Wooster focuses on supporting student research and as such it's a great fit for high achieving students who want/need merit aid. I would recommend visiting during the school year. But if your DD still doesn't feel it, I think that's a signal--SLACs have their own cultures and atmosphere and they have to resonate.  The Wooster students I've met have tended to be earnest, hard-working and open-minded.

I would also second the poster who recommended Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo and Wooster are similar schools in terms of academics and approach to undergraduate student research and ability to attract a strong sub-group of very high achieving students with good merit aid, but Kalamazoo also has more focus on international opportunities and is in  a somewhat more vibrant location so it may appeal to students who find Wooster too sedate. Kalamazoo students I've encountered seem very interesting, independent and self-directed.  You might hear more about Wooster from East Coast families because so many students do the Ohio LAC visit tour and don't make it out to Michigan (unless they are also considering U of M).

I have less direct experience with students from Beloit, Lawrence and St. Olaf which are similarly ranked but everything I've heard has been strong and I imagine it's quite similar, though I think the level of student-directed, independent research at Wooster are more explicitly built into their systems for all students. I think with all these schools a good thing to do is look at the projects undergraduate students are doing--get a feel for the kind of work that's supported and how it aligns with your DD's goals/areas of interest--and also look at the size of merit awards they give.

[/quote]

Thanks, PP. I really appreciate your response and suggestion to look into Kalamazoo. We had briefly considered it, but it seemed like a hike to get there. I agree - these LACs each have such a different vibe and with such a small group of kids you really want to make sure you mesh. It was just hard to get a good read on Wooster while we were there over the summer.  We had better luck with other schools. I think part of the reason is that they don't have a big information session so it's hard to get what they're overarching philosophy is aside from the senior research project. Thanks again.[/quote]

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