Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want smart kids and down to earth pick a Midwestern Flagship school. Yes, there will be a bigger variety of kids there from in state, but that’s what makes it down to earth! I’d go Big 10 school. IU, Illinois, OSU, Michigan (although interesting comment above about competitiveness there) Perdue.

I don’t know as much about them but UNC, Florida, UT and Georgia are also very highly ranked flagships

A school that can support housing like https://www.thestandardannarbor.com/ is not entirely down to earth. At any elite school, there will be very rich kids who are the opposite of down to earth. There will also e down to earth kids.

That isn’t an “elite school” thing, that’s a “rich kid” thing which aren’t necessarily the same thing. You will find luxurious off-campus housing at ANY school that condones off-campus living (i.e. not at liberal arts colleges of any ranking).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC picked Purdue over Michigan for engineering for this reason. Michigan is not laid back or collaborative (I attended). Too many wealthy, east coast students that judge anyone not like them. And the students judge each other by grades, post grad jobs, and Greek status.

Purdue felt much more laid back. People say hello when you walk by. Purdue has an academic boot camp and study centers. I never had that at Michigan.

Purdue isn't elite.

This is true. Schools with a high percentage of top students will be more competitive than those who don’t. Top students work harder for top grades.

Anonymous wrote:Have you looked lately at college towns? There is an on campus housing crises. They are all building luxury apartments like this. Bloomington, Madison, College Park. Ann Arbor.

Ok? Regular kids could never afford to live in one of those buildings. The fact that they are viable means that there are enough rich kids to fill them

Have you looked lately at college towns? There is an on campus housing crises. They are all building luxury apartments like this. Bloomington, Madison, College Park. Ann Arbor.

Anonymous wrote:If you want smart kids and down to earth pick a Midwestern Flagship school. Yes, there will be a bigger variety of kids there from in state, but that’s what makes it down to earth! I’d go Big 10 school. IU, Illinois, OSU, Michigan (although interesting comment above about competitiveness there) Perdue.

I don’t know as much about them but UNC, Florida, UT and Georgia are also very highly ranked flagships

A school that can support housing like https://www.thestandardannarbor.com/ is not entirely down to earth. At any elite school, there will be very rich kids who are the opposite of down to earth. There will also e down to earth kids.

Anonymous wrote:If you want smart kids and down to earth pick a Midwestern Flagship school. Yes, there will be a bigger variety of kids there from in state, but that’s what makes it down to earth! I’d go Big 10 school. IU, Illinois, OSU, Michigan (although interesting comment above about competitiveness there) Perdue.

I don’t know as much about them but UNC, Florida, UT and Georgia are also very highly ranked flagships

+10. I went to Indiana. I had the best most down to earth friends. My DD is isnt going there, but I pushed her in that direction. The snobbery out here is awful. And it has been awful in school with these kids commenting on the choices of others.

Anonymous wrote:Elite schools in the midwest. Midwestern influence drives down the snob factor. Think Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wash U, etc.

+10. Absolutely. We chose a school purposely out of the DMV and away from the East Coast to escape the snobbery DD has had to deal with here. Odd reason for picking a school, but DD has had enough of it here.

My impressions of SLACs with down-to-earth and friendly students, garnered by tours for two different kids and knowing a few students and recent grads.

Among elite LACs: yes, Carleton, and also Wesleyan. I know Wes has a rep for "strident activist" types, but all the ones I've met were charming and a little self-effacing. Among slightly lower-ranked (but still top 40 or so) LACs: Harvey Mudd, Skidmore, Kenyon, Macalester.

Bonus small school but not a LAC: Caltech. They were so warm and friendly.

Just based on personal experiences. Some colleges I'm not mentioning may have just had tour guides having a bad day, or maybe the grads I know aren't representative. A person having a "down to earth" personality starts well before college anyway.

Duke

Elmdale College

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Anonymous wrote:lol, Carleton, Haverford, Tufts, etc are NOT elite schools.

Yes they are

DP. No, they're not. Neither is W&M or half a dozen other schools mentioned in this thread.

What's your standard of elite?

DP, elite is something like top 10. Certainly not beyond top 20.

So you're saying No. 6-ranked Carleton isn't?

No. 6 ranked where?

The fact that you're unaware of Carleton's excellent reputation (in rankings and grad school admissions) proves the point that its students are down-to-earth. They are a very smart, accomplished, interesting group of students, who also aren't the sort to boast about their achievements or quibble about the relative prestige of schools.

If you want smart kids and down to earth pick a Midwestern Flagship school. Yes, there will be a bigger variety of kids there from in state, but that’s what makes it down to earth! I’d go Big 10 school. IU, Illinois, OSU, Michigan (although interesting comment above about competitiveness there) Perdue.

I don’t know as much about them but UNC, Florida, UT and Georgia are also very highly ranked flagships

Faber

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol, Carleton, Haverford, Tufts, etc are NOT elite schools.

Yes they are

DP. No, they're not. Neither is W&M or half a dozen other schools mentioned in this thread.

What's your standard of elite?

Probably top 10-15?

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol, Carleton, Haverford, Tufts, etc are NOT elite schools.

Yes they are

DP. No, they're not. Neither is W&M or half a dozen other schools mentioned in this thread.

What's your standard of elite?

DP, elite is something like top 10. Certainly not beyond top 20.

So you're saying No. 6-ranked Carleton isn't?

No. 6 ranked where?

U.S. News Liberal Arts Colleges.

1. Williams
2. Amherst
3. Pomona
4. Swarthmore
5. Wellesley
6. Bowdoin (tie)
6. Carleton (tie)
6. U.S. Naval Academy (tie)
9. Claremont McKenna (tie)
9. U.S. Military Academy at West Point (tie)
11. Middlebury (tie)
11. Washington and Lee (tie)
13. Smith (tie)
13. Vassar (tie)
15. Davidson (tie)
15. Grinnell (tie)
15. Hamilton (tie)
18. Barnard (tie)
18. Colgate (tie)
18. Haverford (tie)
18. U.S. Air Force Academy (tie)
18. University of Richmond (tie)
18. Wesleyan (tie)