I think schools like Dickinson and Skidmore fit this description, though they’re still fairly tough admissions (but attainable for solid students). Your student’s options will really depend on GPA as there are a range of colleges for smart and curious students that don’t want a cut-throat environment.

Wesleyan University is very much like this, although admissions are competitive. But once you're there, it's very collaborative and supportive, and the kids are super bright and interesting.

For less competitive admissions, I'd look at other small liberal arts colleges. Students who want a huge party scene won't choose them anyway, and less intellectual students often filter out to their cheapest state options, so the crowd at liberal arts colleges is a self-selecting bunch.

Willam & Mary for sure

We need some stats. Unweighted GPA, how many total APs, test scores.

Look Midwest. Carleton, Macalester, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for ideas for colleges with smart, curious, and engaged students (on the nerdier side is fine) that aren't super competitive environments (either on the admissions side or once there).

Ideally Mid-Atlantic/Northeast but interested in hearing about this type of school anywhere. Kid is very bright but more interested in a collaborative type school.

Does Juniata fit this? Clark University?

I think it’s tough to find intellectually curious along with a collaborative school environment and not super competitive admissions. When touring I would say on the whole school level, I saw it with a particular women’s college. I think you can also find pockets of it within a school if there is a specialized program or interest that would attract that type of student. For example, Michigan State (mid-west) has residential colleges https://rcah.msu.edu/news/us-news-ranking.html that will attract a certain type of student within the larger university. A good, does not have to be perfect, student would likely get in and something like the residential college would likely attract other students similar to your DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for ideas for colleges with smart, curious, and engaged students (on the nerdier side is fine) that aren't super competitive environments (either on the admissions side or once there).

Ideally Mid-Atlantic/Northeast but interested in hearing about this type of school anywhere. Kid is very bright but more interested in a collaborative type school.

Does Juniata fit this? Clark University?

Tufts?

Nope. Tufts kids have a chip on their shoulder for not getting into Ivies so feel the need to go extra far to prove themselves and thus are quite competitive.

Anonymous wrote:St John's College

Seems you overfitted a bit.

St John's College

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on OP. There are thousands of colleges in the United States alone, and it's not even clear if that's your boundary. In the US at least, once you're past the top 50 colleges, every college will fit what you are looking for.

OP here. DC is looking for a highly intellectual engaged community of learners who love discussing big ideas outside of class, but without the party/sports atmosphere at many schools or the competitive environment in some places. Ideally a smaller school. Any places that match that?

Isn’t that Chicago?

Anonymous wrote:Come on OP. There are thousands of colleges in the United States alone, and it's not even clear if that's your boundary. In the US at least, once you're past the top 50 colleges, every college will fit what you are looking for.

OP here. DC is looking for a highly intellectual engaged community of learners who love discussing big ideas outside of class, but without the party/sports atmosphere at many schools or the competitive environment in some places. Ideally a smaller school. Any places that match that?

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for ideas for colleges with smart, curious, and engaged students (on the nerdier side is fine) that aren't super competitive environments (either on the admissions side or once there).

Ideally Mid-Atlantic/Northeast but interested in hearing about this type of school anywhere. Kid is very bright but more interested in a collaborative type school.

Does Juniata fit this? Clark University?

Tufts?

Come on OP. There are thousands of colleges in the United States alone, and it's not even clear if that's your boundary. In the US at least, once you're past the top 50 colleges, every college will fit what you are looking for.

Anonymous wrote:I'm looking for ideas for colleges with smart, curious, and engaged students (on the nerdier side is fine) that aren't super competitive environments (either on the admissions side or once there).

Ideally Mid-Atlantic/Northeast but interested in hearing about this type of school anywhere. Kid is very bright but more interested in a collaborative type school.

Does Juniata fit this? Clark University?

Most colleges are like this. You should focus on what your student is looking for -- large/small, big city/small/rural, research university vs liberal arts college, etc. Every school has a collaborative aspect, so that tells us nothing.

I'm looking for ideas for colleges with smart, curious, and engaged students (on the nerdier side is fine) that aren't super competitive environments (either on the admissions side or once there).

Ideally Mid-Atlantic/Northeast but interested in hearing about this type of school anywhere. Kid is very bright but more interested in a collaborative type school.

Does Juniata fit this? Clark University?