Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 15:13     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
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?


Wesleyan. St. John’s New Mexico.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 15:12     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
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?


No. Hard to be admitted.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 15:09     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Anonymous wrote:
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?


Highly intellectual and suggesting Juanita and Clark - are you a troll? Come on. Agree with the above who stated look at LAC outside the top 50 but outside the top fifty you aren’t going to get highly intellectual.



What does OP mean by highly intellectual? Most highly intellectual kids get top grades, and end up going where other kids with top grades go -- which happens to be schools that are competitive. But if OP means kids who are smart but don't have the grades to show for it, then outside top 50 would be the place to look.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 15:04     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Maybe look at Whitman College but getting there from DC is a haul.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 14:59     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
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?


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 do think some colleges have this culture and some don't. But without more info about OP's kid's stats, desired major, and preferences, it's too hard to suggest schools.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 14:47     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
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?


Highly intellectual and suggesting Juanita and Clark - are you a troll? Come on. Agree with the above who stated look at LAC outside the top 50 but outside the top fifty you aren’t going to get highly intellectual.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 14:10     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
most smaller SLACs honestly.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 13:55     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Carleton
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 13:30     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Impossible to know likelihood without seeing the student’s stats, but W&M was practically tailor-made for these parameters.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 13:02     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
W&M
Richmond
Wesleyan
Davidson
Sewanee
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 12:45     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Anonymous wrote:Bard?

They said smart.
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 12:45     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Bard?
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 12:24     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Oberlin
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 12:17     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Pomona or Pitzer
Anonymous
Post 11/28/2025 12:12     Subject: Smart and curious kids but not super competitive
Emory?