Anonymous wrote:Second Dickenson and U Rochester. Both full of pre-professional students.

Dickinson doesn’t seem anything like U of Chicago to me.

Anonymous wrote:UMBC

+1. My DD is there and loves it. Had no interest in a party school and finds plenty of school spirit. Her dorm floor is constantly doing things, there’s stuff planned on the quads on the weekends. But no gross frat/party life. It was her safety but she ended up choosing it and is very happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Olaf

This was what I was going to say. My kid got into 9 or 10 colleges, including WM, Grinnell, Kenyon, Oberlin, Mac. When it all shook out, this was his second choice. Would have cost less than WM with merit. I loved it too. Special place.

I’m heading through this for the second time, both kids looking at small schools. I’ll add Dickinson, Wooster and Sarah Lawrence (which I did not realize was now co-Ed). All of these should do great merit for a kid whose stats show it to be a safety.

Where did your child wind up? My DS is applying to the same schools.

Any thoughts about Guilford or Roanoke?

I am not the same parent posting about Wooster, promise! But I agree with that suggestion. It is worth a look. Tons of school spirit, lots of sports, great facilities, including the environmental building. We toured and it was my top pick, as if that mattered haha. The seniors have dedicated study space in the library. They can even decorate the space. It shows a commitment to academics that I didn’t necessarily feel at other schools.

SLACs. Easier to find smaller cohorts since campuses are smaller. She’ll see them in class and bump into them in library, dining hall, etc. Nerdy often suggests social awkwardness. My child is at Reed and loves it there. Due to Covid, kids are grouped together based on their elective, so if they want to study chemistry, they are a pod, or if arts focused, they are together. Because the schools are smaller, some of this can be less given to chance and better coordinated for the benefit of students. You aren’t relying on Greek life to find your “fit”.

Second Dickenson and U Rochester. Both full of pre-professional students.

Anonymous wrote:We have heard plenty of positive CTCL stories and many of the schools in the book would seemingly be a good fit here.

Right. You're hearing from the cult of people who have been duped into thinking that collectively these schools are somehow special, when in fact they're just a bunch of largely B-rated schools that first appeared in some guy's book and then banned themselves together to market themselves. Agnes Scott is all women; Wabash is all men; Reed is super academically intense, highly selective and uber liberal; Hillsdale is one of the most conservative colleges in America and a haven for Trump suporters; Evergreen State is a state school that admits 98 percent of applicants; St Mary's is a Catholic university with a Division I sports program, etc. Utterly ridiculous to group these schools together even more crazy to parents to fall for the gimmick. There are literally hundreds of schools in this country that could easily be included on the CTCL list.

We have heard plenty of positive CTCL stories and many of the schools in the book would seemingly be a good fit here.

Anonymous wrote:I know of one CTCL off the top of my head that is neither private nor expensive.

You're right -- Evergreen State and New College. Two of the weirdest colleges in America.

Anonymous wrote:What about Liberty?

Do you live in VA? My in-state recommendations for a safety...
- University of Mary Washington
- George Mason University
- Christopher Newport University (Honors program)
- Longwood University

What about Liberty?

I know of one CTCL off the top of my head that is neither private nor expensive.

The CTCL thing has been argued ad nauseum. The bottom line is that the only thing that CTCLs have in common is that they are (1) private, expensive, and relatively small, (2) less selective than the nation's best colleges, and (3) in some guy's book.

One thing they don't have in common is high graduation rates. Juniata's may be relatively good, but other CTCL schools are not.

Here's a pretty good and brief article about CTCL schools.

https://educatedquest.com/6400-2/