Anonymous wrote:imo the biggest problem schools like Midd, Hamilton, Colby, Bates, Colgate have is very undesirable rural/remote locations with no diversity. Demographics have changed drastically in the US. Lots of kids want to be in or have easy access to major cities for all the cultural, entertainment and culinary benefits. Logistically try getting to Middlebury Vermont, Hamilton NY or Watervile Maine. Plus the winters are brutal. Believe Colgate had a 3,000 drop in apps and Midd has seen a pronounced decline in last 2 years. College popularity has changed with top kids flocking to Duke and Vandy while those wishing to remain in North East seeking city schools.

I agree with this. SLACs remain competitive but, in relative terms, their popularity has suffered at the expense of national universities. Meanwhile, cities have become more popular, not to mention larger demographic shifts away from New England and upstate New York towards the south and west. Endowment level (and ability to give merit in future) mitigates or accelerates this decline.

While the very top will remain top, you can already see the shift going on in the tiers below WASP-B. Stock picks, largely for these reasons:

Hold long-term: WASP-B
Buys: Davidson, Mudd, CMC
Sells: Bates, Colby, Midd, Hamilton, Colgate, Conn College, Trinity (neighborhood negates urban advantage)
Holds: Wesleyan, Holy Cross, W&L, Macalester, Occidental, Haverford, Carleton, Grinnell (due to endowment)

Anonymous wrote:It’s an outdated term. Swarthmore and Pomona are niche and not as desirable in my area (New England). Bowdoin and Middlebury absolutely are. They’re all fabulous schools and highly selective.

Your area isn’t reflective of the country.

Anonymous wrote:I went to one of the schools you mentioned. I get two reactions almost 50-50.

1) where’s that school?
2) wow, great school.

There are lots of people, even hiring managers who have never heard of even the highest ranked schools.

Me too, and one of my kids is at one of them (Swarthmore). My education and life-long relationships forged there have been invaluable, or I wouldn't be supporting her making the same choice. Neither of us chose the school to impress anyone.

The Midd boosters will counter with someone’s third cousin removed nephew is a Middlebury grad who is the President of the local bank. Lol

Anonymous wrote:Lots of Middlebury boosters constantly trying to inflate their school’s prestige.

No kidding. One “substantive difference” is Midd accepts 70% of their class ED, and is a far easier admit than WASP-B. Not to mention their Feb. admit issue.

I do agree that there is no substantive difference between Midd and these 8 schools: Colby, Davidson, W&L, Hamilton, Wesleyan, Colgate, Smith, and Grinnell.

I would put Carleton, Wellesley, Claremont McKenna, and Mudd in a category above Midd and its brethren, though still below WASP-B….

These schools appeal to the LL Bean crowd.

I won’t call Ivy rejects elite.

imo the biggest problem schools like Midd, Hamilton, Colby, Bates, Colgate have is very undesirable rural/remote locations with no diversity. Demographics have changed drastically in the US. Lots of kids want to be in or have easy access to major cities for all the cultural, entertainment and culinary benefits. Logistically try getting to Middlebury Vermont, Hamilton NY or Watervile Maine. Plus the winters are brutal. Believe Colgate had a 3,000 drop in apps and Midd has seen a pronounced decline in last 2 years. College popularity has changed with top kids flocking to Duke and Vandy while those wishing to remain in North East seeking city schools.

I went to one of the schools you mentioned. I get two reactions almost 50-50.

1) where’s that school?
2) wow, great school.

There are lots of people, even hiring managers who have never heard of even the highest ranked schools.

^+1. Midd has obviously slipped in the last decade with poor leadership, applications are stagnant and US News rankings decline. It is nowhere near Williams and Amherstto say otherwise is disingenuous. Colby is probably more of a peer as they are benefiting by strong leadership and infusion of lots of cash and facilities.

Who uses "signaling"? Employers? I had to look it up.

Lots of Middlebury boosters constantly trying to inflate their school’s prestige.

It’s an outdated term. Swarthmore and Pomona are niche and not as desirable in my area (New England). Bowdoin and Middlebury absolutely are. They’re all fabulous schools and highly selective.

Loyal enthusiastic Williams grad here but agree with looking beyond the acronyms. I thought the Midwestern LAC’s were better fits for my kid.

Anonymous wrote:Nobody outside of these forums knows what wasp means. Actually most people thinks it means white Anglo Saxon Protestant. Maybe some wannabe elites in nyc, Boston, and Philly do. You tell the average person your considering Amherst and they’ll think you mean umass.

+1