Anonymous wrote:I would HIGHLY recommend Rice. It's a university that is divided into small residential colleges. Students have the resources of a big university but the social and academic support of a SLAC. It is also always ranked highly in terms of happy undergrads. My DD is a junior there and adores it. And they just announced a big push to make it more affordable!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suggest Haverford. The small, self-contained community is very supportive, probably due to its Quaker roots. Many of the faculty live around the campus. There is an honor code. We really liked the vibe.

I will also say that if your child has such a history, you might want to be within driving range.

Haverford is uniformity-oriented. The college is small and there is not a great deal to do on campus. The Homor Code stifles rather than facilitates respectul differences, and academically Haverford can’t be compared to several of the other listed colleges and universities; Tufts and WUSTL in particular have much wider curricula and much more diverse and active student bodies. Haverford seems pleasant for a few hours of initial exposure, but don’t read too much into the place. It’s basically a degree-granting prep school after high school. I went there and transferred.

Would you say the same about Bryn Mawr? Bryn Mawr does not have a prep school vibe but it is small and has the same Quaker ethos/honor code and I wonder if there is a similar tendency towards uniformity.

OP it is tough to find a school that is intellectually stimulating/challenging enough without being a pressure cooker.
The right size can also be hard to identify. I have seen people making good points about sending kids to big school and make equally good but different points about sending kids to small schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suggest Haverford. The small, self-contained community is very supportive, probably due to its Quaker roots. Many of the faculty live around the campus. There is an honor code. We really liked the vibe.

I will also say that if your child has such a history, you might want to be within driving range.

Haverford is uniformity-oriented. The college is small and there is not a great deal to do on campus. The Homor Code stifles rather than facilitates respectul differences, and academically Haverford can’t be compared to several of the other listed colleges and universities; Tufts and WUSTL in particular have much wider curricula and much more diverse and active student bodies. Haverford seems pleasant for a few hours of initial exposure, but don’t read too much into the place. It’s basically a degree-granting prep school after high school. I went there and transferred.

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Anonymous wrote:I felt Tufts' surroundings were a little dicey/sketchy (for someone how is already anxious).

I have not been to Middlebury but know someone who transferred out because she felt the kids were mostly rich and spoiled.

We liked Bowdoin a lot. Not sure about those Maine winters.

If you visit Carleton (speaking of winters!), maybe swing by St. Olaf's. That sounds like a gentle place to spend four years.

Huh? Medford? LOL. Why? Have you been, in person (my guess is no)?

Anonymous wrote:I felt Tufts' surroundings were a little dicey/sketchy (for someone how is already anxious).

I have not been to Middlebury but know someone who transferred out because she felt the kids were mostly rich and spoiled.

We liked Bowdoin a lot. Not sure about those Maine winters.

If you visit Carleton (speaking of winters!), maybe swing by St. Olaf's. That sounds like a gentle place to spend four years.