Anonymous wrote:Claremont McKenna. Super underrated here, but top notch academics, great quality of life, internships/opportunities abound, alumni network + top outcomes.

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Anonymous wrote:NP-My kid is finishing up 4 years there.

The prison has ZERO impact on students. Most activities are on campus. In fact, when you go into town, you don't see or pass it at all (downtown is in the opposite direction). Same when I drive there from this area.

I think I have seen it twice in her four years, when we had to go to Walmart (you drive by it).

Baltimore has 20 jails and prisons. You pass one (where executions take place) every time you take the shuttle from the Homewood Campus to the Medical Campus. It does not prevent too many people from considering Johns Hopkins.

Baltimore does not have 20 jails and prisons. And you most definitely don't pass one where executions take place because Maryland abolished the death penalty in 2013.

Well the government thinks there are 20 jails/prisons there:

https://www.countyoffice.org/md-baltimore-city-jails-prisons/

When I went there, the bus from Homewood to the medical campus went through the prison grounds (on a street that bisects it) everyday. And I remember seeing death penalty protestors outside the day that an execution was scheduled.

So, my execution detail was dated, but my point that good schools can exist in cities with prisons/jails still stands.

Anonymous wrote:This is a hugely entertaining thread - hearing that Claremont McKenna and Carleton are hidden gems is hilarious. Almost as funny as the person that suggested more folks would hire from Alabama than one of the most selective colleges in the country. Maybe if you are hiring for Walmart…

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Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Kalamazoo College - a school with fabulous faculty, very loyal
Alums, strong social justice programs - all in a great town!

Also, in case you are looking for hidden gems, I can report that Kalamazoo - which looked really impressive and has an incredibly interesting curriculum/career/personal development plan that dates back decades that looks a lot like most other similar schools are only now trying to do -- gives a *lot* of merit aid, even to students who don't have the strongest stats. Best merit aid of all the similarly situated colleges we applied to (think over $40K).It was so incredibly reasonably priced with merit aid for my DC that it was hard to turn down. Looked very diverse, inclusive, interesting, nice small city with good internships, strong study abroad, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Kalamazoo College - a school with fabulous faculty, very loyal
Alums, strong social justice programs - all in a great town!

Anonymous wrote:Colleges that are under the radar--that is not oversubscribed but somewhat hidden gems.

I'll go--My DC did not apply but I learnt about Carleton in the process--I like so many things about it!

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Anonymous wrote:I grew up a few blocks from Muhlenberg. It was always regarded as a top school. My parents dreamed of me going there. But I wanted independence so I went west, Univ. of Utah. Poli Sci+ skiing!

Are you LDS? And if not, did you find that most students were and it was hard to make friends and fit in? I love the idea of living in Utah with all the natural beauty but worry about my kid being ostracized.

I was ostracized, and I’d never live there. My friend was also ostracized for not joining the church. Mormons kids stopped playing with his kids. Mean. He had to move.

As for me, we had to find a national chain hotel and not a locally owned one. The locals would not give us unmarried people a room.

Anonymous wrote:University of Kansas

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If I was the next Governor of MD, I'd focus on trying to make St Mary's College tuition-free in order to lure the state's top students. It's already an honors college, but I think the location does a big disservice to its desirability. Not a lot of 18 year-olds want to go to school at a state university in the middle of rural farmland on the Chesapeake. If the school was free, I think the school would get a lot of looks from students and families.

That school should be similar in caliber and prestige to William & Mary. It's has the capability to get there.

My DD is a freshman there. I don’t think you need to make tuition free to lure top students. Being generous with merit aid should be enough, and is one reason DD is there.

The location is a plus for her. She didn’t want a big city but it’s not as rural as you think. Pax River Naval Air Station is about 10 minutes away and there are some shopping centers and places to eat within a 10 mile radius. Freshmen can have cars on campus, so that makes getting around easier. Also, it’s on the St. Mary’s River, not the Chesapeake.

Our DD likes it and describes it as a “small STEM school”, and less of a classical liberal arts college, which is fine for her since she’s a biochem major.

I guess that's great for freshmen that have cars...not all families can afford that. Maybe instead of free tuition the governor can give free cars, insurance, and gas to each student there?

Anonymous wrote:


We drove by it this Fall on the way to NorthWestern. Absolutely gorgeous campus. Slightly closer to Downtown Chicago than Northwestern is, close to the Water. We had a blast getting familiar with Chicago.



Friend's DC going next fall. Had no idea how gorgeous the campus was until I saw pics. If one wants to be in/near a city, seems like a good choice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up a few blocks from Muhlenberg. It was always regarded as a top school. My parents dreamed of me going there. But I wanted independence so I went west, Univ. of Utah. Poli Sci+ skiing!

Are you LDS? And if not, did you find that most students were and it was hard to make friends and fit in? I love the idea of living in Utah with all the natural beauty but worry about my kid being ostracized.

Anonymous wrote:NP-My kid is finishing up 4 years there.

The prison has ZERO impact on students. Most activities are on campus. In fact, when you go into town, you don't see or pass it at all (downtown is in the opposite direction). Same when I drive there from this area.

I think I have seen it twice in her four years, when we had to go to Walmart (you drive by it).

Baltimore has 20 jails and prisons. You pass one (where executions take place) every time you take the shuttle from the Homewood Campus to the Medical Campus. It does not prevent too many people from considering Johns Hopkins.