Vassar has a strong Econ program, surprisingly so, with a very good selection of courses. See

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-colleges-economics

for other SLACS with strong econ programs.

Vassar is unlikely to be a safety, but it's a bit easier for men to get into Vassar than women, based on past acceptance rate data.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does he love about each. Mine loved Williams, hated Bowdoin, and loves Colby now (didn't get into Williams).

Actually has only seen Williams in person, he is basing Bowdoin on what he has heard and read. He loved the mountains, tutorials, academic seriousness without the intensity of say Swarthmore, small chance of getting into the Oxford program junior year and liked the idea of a rural setting. He also liked the small campus. I loved the musuems (he hiked with his brother while I visitted them).

That's useful info. Less selective than Williams but similar in those respects: Colby, Hamilton, Colorado College (but check the block schedule), Whitman, St. Lawrence

Anonymous wrote:What does he love about each. Mine loved Williams, hated Bowdoin, and loves Colby now (didn't get into Williams).

Actually has only seen Williams in person, he is basing Bowdoin on what he has heard and read. He loved the mountains, tutorials, academic seriousness without the intensity of say Swarthmore, small chance of getting into the Oxford program junior year and liked the idea of a rural setting. He also liked the small campus. I loved the musuems (he hiked with his brother while I visitted them).

Anonymous wrote:What does he love about each. Mine loved Williams, hated Bowdoin, and loves Colby now (didn't get into Williams).

Good question. Colby, Kenyon, and Whitman all seem like good Williams fallbacks (if not true "safeties") to me. Bowdoin is tougher, although Vassar strikes me as a good suggestion. But that's just how I think of the schools--what really matters is what OP's DC is looking for...

Gettysburg, Dickinson, Lehigh, Lafayette

Anonymous wrote: Haverford.

Less than 18% acceptance rate last year, so not a safety.

Ithaca college perhaps. I don't see any safeties discussed here. Examine stats as much as admit rates because admit rates are all screwed up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS Junior will major in Econ, may ED one of these two but knows chances aren't great, has GPA, EC, APs and test scores to be a good candidate. Also, looking at Hamilton and Grinnell. Needs to visit Vasaar to get a feel for the school. So what less selective LACs did your child how loved these schools apply to?

Oberlin or Kenyon college? Don't know that could be considered safeties.

Perhaps more likely safety/targets than Grinnell or Hamilton.

One comment that sticks in my mind is the college counselor telling one of my DCs that certain schools will not necessarily admit if they think you may end up elsewhere - don't think he wanted to use term "yield protect," but that's what it sounded like to me. Could see that with Grinnell, possibly Hamilton. Grinnell seems to take kids who ED from our DCs' school, but rarely in RD.

On Vassar, know two kids who applied there this year and both rejected. Seemed like strong students to me - know one of the families. One of the kids was recruited for a sport, so kind of a shock when rejected. Coach didn't even give a heads up.

Connecticut College--former sister college to Yale way back when, beautiful campus, hours closer.

Hamilton, U Rochester, Haverford.

Anonymous wrote:What does he love about each. Mine loved Williams, hated Bowdoin, and loves Colby now (didn't get into Williams).

While all three seem fairly similar to me, one DC liked all three and one DC loved Bowdoin and hated Colby. So much seems as if it can hinge on the guide and composition of the tour group - at least with this kid.

What does he love about each. Mine loved Williams, hated Bowdoin, and loves Colby now (didn't get into Williams).

Anonymous wrote:HS Junior will major in Econ, may ED one of these two but knows chances aren't great, has GPA, EC, APs and test scores to be a good candidate. Also, looking at Hamilton and Grinnell. Needs to visit Vasaar to get a feel for the school. So what less selective LACs did your child how loved these schools apply to?

Oberlin or Kenyon college? Don't know that could be considered safeties.

TBH, we never really got there in terms of true safeties and I fretted about it. DC admitted to one of the two you mention here. College counselor was suggesting Colorado College, Occidental, and Reed for safeties/targets. I thought DC needed some real safeties (admit rate over 50% at minimum), but DC/college counselor didn't think so. DC EAed two of the suggestions, but learned about ED before EAs released.

If ED had not worked out, guessing DC may have applied to UVM.

Whitman, Lawrence

HS Junior will major in Econ, may ED one of these two but knows chances aren't great, has GPA, EC, APs and test scores to be a good candidate. Also, looking at Hamilton and Grinnell. Needs to visit Vasaar to get a feel for the school. So what less selective LACs did your child how loved these schools apply to?