Check out this USN list - "A+ Schools for B Students:" http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus?int=a8f209

It's divided by National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, and Regional Universities and Colleges.

check out Baldwin Wallace in Ohio. My friend studied theatre there and did quite well.

U of Cincy has a fabulous performing arts school -- but I think people have try outs to get in

Muhlenburg (sp?) has theater, good students. May be too small?

High scores sought after by some very good universities trying to climb up the USNWR rankings, if at the NMSF level these schools could care less about ECs and number of APs etc. Tulane is a mid-sized university that has really improved following Katrina-much less Southern, less of a party school. Big enough that I am sure the theater scene is active there.

Vasser is another obvious choice, very artsy, lots of smart kids. May be on the small side but wasn't completely clear how you defined midsize LAC. Wesleyan probably a reach but may be worth looking at. Also University of Rochester-very strong theater and theater tech programs, academically excellent, but with great scores probably a reasonable target

Pitt is quite a broad mid-sized university, and Pittsburgh is actually a great city to be in these days. With high scores probably a safety school for your DD.

Syracuse is very strong in the arts and communication, but not sure a motivated/smart kid not actually majoring in film or communications or theater would be happy there, my mother taught there for years and was the dean, outside the arts/communication and maybe business programs, for undergraduates not that stimulating a place (and boy is Syracuse cold and grey)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out Miami University in Ohio.

Thanks. This is more what I was thinking. I will look into the other schools, but they seem small (perhaps I'm wrong?). But this is more the size of school I had in mind.

Miami of Ohio is an 18,000 student university, not a mid size LAC. Maybe it would be helpful to define your (or her) view of midsize?

Anonymous wrote:Check out Miami University in Ohio.

Thanks. This is more what I was thinking. I will look into the other schools, but they seem small (perhaps I'm wrong?). But this is more the size of school I had in mind.

Check out Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX (outside of Austin) very good theater program (and is close to Austin). Small liberal arts school. With smart, but not necessarily driven, kids. It's perennially one of the Colleges that Change Lives, and also usually considered a Best Buy by Fiske etc.

Check out Miami University in Ohio.

OP here. Thx so much for the replies. I will look into them. How about some universities? Ithaca or Syracuse? Others? Out of reach?

Skidmore. Maybe Conn College. Wheaton College.

Randolph Macon? VCU if she is ok with urban. Elon, possibly, but depends on her test scores, Longwood Honors program might also be a fit. Tons of small privates in PA too.

heard a lot of good things about St. Olaf in MN.

Look at Goucher and Sarah Lawrence.

Take a look at the Colleges That Change Lives schools too.

http://www.ctcl.org/

Look at Elon. Good theater program. Smallish. Up and coming.

I'm thinking about my daughter who has a 3.6 GPA, but very, very good PSATs, but does not have a schedule that is loaded up with AP classes. I am assuming her SATs will be similar. She'll be a junior and will take one AP this year. I anticipate her only taking one AP class senior year as well.

She has some mitigating factors including some health issues that prevent her from taking the full load of AP classes that many high achievers take, but we also probably wouldn't have pushed the AP classes either even without her health issues as she had perfectionist tendencies that we have been working on.

She's involved in theater, but has not founded/led any volunteer, extra curricular activities. So basically a pretty smart child, who is doing pretty decently, but has or probably won't do anything particular to distinguish herself from a college application perspective.

I picture her at a medium sized liberal arts college with people who are smart as well, but not necessarily the driven type that you find at the ivy league or other top "prestige" colleges. I'm thinking medium sized because I know that she would like to be involved in theater and assume a bigger (but not big) school would have some more of these kind of opportunities.

Any suggestions?