Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haverford. Amazing LAC. Gets less buzz here than Amherst etc. So I guess a hidden gem.

I think it's like the people who insist on paying top dollar for second tier private schools in DC like Norwood or Washington Episcopal School. If the peers at the neighborhood public school are smarter than the peers at WES or The British School then what is the point? Just for extra coddling or fitting in with those moms? Such a waste of money.

A lot of people have more money than you, they don't consider it a waste, and/or they have it to waste.

Anonymous wrote:Haverford. Amazing LAC. Gets less buzz here than Amherst etc. So I guess a hidden gem.

+1 Haverford is awesome and is underrated. Visited twice this last cycle, would have been DD's ED2 if she hadn't gone in her ED1. Loved the school. But it has to be for the right student, it wouldn't appeal to everyone. But for those looking for a highly intellectual, engaged, small liberal arts college experience on a beautiful, tight-knit campus, with excellent post-grad placements (ranks 12th in feeders to top law schools, for example), Haverford is hard to beat.

Anonymous wrote:Haverford. Amazing LAC. Gets less buzz here than Amherst etc. So I guess a hidden gem.

I think it's like the people who insist on paying top dollar for second tier private schools in DC like Norwood or Washington Episcopal School. If the peers at the neighborhood public school are smarter than the peers at WES or The British School then what is the point? Just for extra coddling or fitting in with those moms? Such a waste of money.

I think SLACs outside of the top 20 are generally for either very wealthy people from the East Coast or cater to their region. For example Rhodes College would be a coveted school for a kid from an UMC or wealthy family in Tennessee to attend. It carries very little name recognition in Texas, Seattle or Chicago. And Rhodes is an excellent school.

Nobody in California knows much about the Claremont Colleges since attending a UC and Cal State is a much better ROI. Californians would send their kid to a state school like Michigan or University of Georgia over most SLACs.

Any new gems?

UMBC
St Olaf
Rochester
Calvin

Anonymous wrote:Sewanee

Ohio University Honors Tutorial College

UCSB CCS

Another vote for Ohio University and Bobcat Nation. Alumni network is super tight and supportive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are willing to stomach Oklahoma (admittedly a huge if), University of Tulsa. Small private school in a decent city that has big time sports.

OU? As in the one in Norman? Next.

We are touring OU today and Tulsa tomorrow. Really impressed with OU so far - campus is nice, all the kids have been friendly and we have seen students of all types and backgrounds.

Ohio University Scripps College. Niche and much more selective than OU in general, but has produced several Pulitzer winners both for journalism and photojournalism. Consistently one of the most highly ranked schools in the nation for what it does (currently #2). Beautiful school, rated one of country’s best college towns, very rural though which may dissuade some, but part of a larger university of 20,000 students. DS is so happy there and has a great future ahead of him. Please listen to your kids when they tell you what matters to THEM and what truly interests THEM when considering schools. Happiness is not dependent on status of US News school rankings.

This is silly. If you've done ANY research or spent anytime on DCUM, you've heard of 99% of these schools. How do you differentiate between unpopular hidden gems and popular hidden gems? How about unpopular unhidden gems vs popular unhidden gems?

Anonymous wrote:These are all so expensive

A lot of the ones mentioned give a lot of merit aid.

Anonymous wrote:UMBC

Lol

Anonymous wrote:If you are willing to stomach Oklahoma (admittedly a huge if), University of Tulsa. Small private school in a decent city that has big time sports.

OU? As in the one in Norman? Next.

Sewanee

Ohio University Honors Tutorial College

UCSB CCS

Haverford. Amazing LAC. Gets less buzz here than Amherst etc. So I guess a hidden gem.