Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for chiming in. As I stated, very early in process and looking to expand this initial list. Kid would like to attend college outside of Virginia - and really likes Colby. Not interested in learning more about Swarthmore, Davidson, Villanova, or any Ohio schools🫤. Planning to visit a few campuses this fall, ideally a mix of 4-5 campuses in the east, and then go from there.

Anonymous wrote:Assuming these 3 are reaches? Maybe add Bates, Vassar and Middlebury. Skidmore as target? Bard and Muhlenberg as likelies?

Anonymous wrote:Assuming these 3 are reaches? Maybe add Bates, Vassar and Middlebury. Skidmore as target? Bard and Muhlenberg as likelies?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC only wanted to apply to small schools too. It was really important to have at least one larger school that would accept more students on the list. There just are not enough spaces at these tiny colleges, and there isn't a lot of predictability in how they select their classes. W&M was a good suggestion by a PP -- bigger but not huge.

I was the PP who suggested Wm & Mary.

Are you familiar with honors colleges at large state universities ? Basic idea is to create a small school within the setting of a large university. Important if seeking merit grant scholarship money.

Also encourage your son or daughter to look at small colleges within a specific university. The School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) at Northwestern University might be of interest. Students at Northwestern can major in another college within the university. Easy to switch schools if the student desires to do so.

Will your daughter or son be comfortable in a very cold, rural, isolated environment ? Is your student okay with old run-down towns ? May not seem important now, but spending 4 academic years at a small, cold, rural, isolated LAC in an undesirable location should be taken in consideration when selecting schools.

Colby, Bowdoin, Tufts, William & Mary, are all solid schools. Davidson College (about 1,800 students) in North Carolina has a beautiful setting, nice weather, and outstanding academics.

Lots of merit scholarship grants available at large state public universities' honors colleges (essentially a small college set within a large university which gives a student the best of both worlds).

Could you name a few of these that are successful at creating a smaller community using this method?

Anonymous wrote:Kenyon

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second the recommendation of Davidson. Enrollment is now around 2000 students with almost all living on campus. It has top notch academics with a strong economics department and a very well connected, high achieving alumni network. It's pretty campus looks like it could fit well in New England and is only 20 minutes outside of Charlotte in a cute (and safe) college town with strong town/gown relations. Awesome climate (winter temps in the 60s not unheard of) compared to the New England schools and a Lake Campus on Lake Norman for the students to enjoy. Great school spirit and traditions plus Division 1 sports with basketball being the big draw. Admissions wise it is very competitive with an acceptance rate around 17% but is, for now, an easier admit than some of the elite NESCACs.

Not OP but Davidson sounds like a potential fit for my cold weather adverse rising HS student who is looking at smaller LACs. Anyone know what the political leanings are among the student body at Davidson? Appears the school has longstanding ties to the Presbyterian Church not that it in and of itself means a lot these days.

Maybe some can chime in, but I was surprised to see how very Christian Davidson's statement of purpose is. Here is one of the six paragraphs:

"The Christian tradition to which Davidson remains committed recognizes God as the source of all truth, and believes that Jesus Christ is the revelation of that God, a God bound by no church or creed. The loyalty of the college thus extends beyond the Christian community to the whole of humanity and necessarily includes openness to and respect for the world's various religious traditions. Davidson dedicates itself to the quest for truth and encourages teachers and students to explore the whole of reality, whether physical or spiritual, with unlimited employment of their intellectual powers. At Davidson, faith and reason work together in mutual respect and benefit toward growth in learning, understanding, and wisdom."

This is followed by a much shorter paragraph about diversity of thought:

"As a college that welcomes students, faculty, and staff from a variety of nationalities, ethnic groups, and traditions, Davidson values diversity, recognizing the dignity and worth of every person. Therefore, Davidson provides a range of opportunities for worship, civil debate, and teaching that enrich mind and spirit. Further, Davidson challenges students to engage in service to prepare themselves for lives of growth and giving."

https://www.davidson.edu/about/statement-purpose

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for chiming in. As I stated, very early in process and looking to expand this initial list. Kid would like to attend college outside of Virginia - and really likes Colby. Not interested in learning more about Swarthmore, Davidson, Villanova, or any Ohio schools🫤. Planning to visit a few campuses this fall, ideally a mix of 4-5 campuses in the east, and then go from there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC only wanted to apply to small schools too. It was really important to have at least one larger school that would accept more students on the list. There just are not enough spaces at these tiny colleges, and there isn't a lot of predictability in how they select their classes. W&M was a good suggestion by a PP -- bigger but not huge.

I was the PP who suggested Wm & Mary.

Are you familiar with honors colleges at large state universities ? Basic idea is to create a small school within the setting of a large university. Important if seeking merit grant scholarship money.

Also encourage your son or daughter to look at small colleges within a specific university. The School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) at Northwestern University might be of interest. Students at Northwestern can major in another college within the university. Easy to switch schools if the student desires to do so.

Will your daughter or son be comfortable in a very cold, rural, isolated environment ? Is your student okay with old run-down towns ? May not seem important now, but spending 4 academic years at a small, cold, rural, isolated LAC in an undesirable location should be taken in consideration when selecting schools.

Colby, Bowdoin, Tufts, William & Mary, are all solid schools. Davidson College (about 1,800 students) in North Carolina has a beautiful setting, nice weather, and outstanding academics.

Lots of merit scholarship grants available at large state public universities' honors colleges (essentially a small college set within a large university which gives a student the best of both worlds).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second the recommendation of Davidson. Enrollment is now around 2000 students with almost all living on campus. It has top notch academics with a strong economics department and a very well connected, high achieving alumni network. It's pretty campus looks like it could fit well in New England and is only 20 minutes outside of Charlotte in a cute (and safe) college town with strong town/gown relations. Awesome climate (winter temps in the 60s not unheard of) compared to the New England schools and a Lake Campus on Lake Norman for the students to enjoy. Great school spirit and traditions plus Division 1 sports with basketball being the big draw. Admissions wise it is very competitive with an acceptance rate around 17% but is, for now, an easier admit than some of the elite NESCACs.

Not OP but Davidson sounds like a potential fit for my cold weather adverse rising HS student who is looking at smaller LACs. Anyone know what the political leanings are among the student body at Davidson? Appears the school has longstanding ties to the Presbyterian Church not that it in and of itself means a lot these days.