Anonymous wrote:It’s not that hidden but I think Elon is a gem of a school and has a lot to offer.

+1
And their outreach to NOVA is huge, courting bright kids who worked ridiculously hard in high school but don’t necessarily want to grind in college and who want a little more personalized experience than la large state school can offer.

Why is Juniata so controversial on DCUM. And is it really a hidden gem?

Anonymous wrote:What are some hidden gems in or near major cities?

I was the PP who was happily surprised by University of Puget Sound. It’s a very pretty campus, sort of classical college feel, right in Tacoma, not too far from downtown Seattle.

Trinity University was a very good suggestion, and that’s right in San Antonio.

My daughter really liked Meredith, a women's college in NC. The campus is adorable, and it is right down the road from NC State, so there is plenty of interaction.

I honestly think ODU did the best open house of the ones we attended. I know people poo poo Norfolk, but I was pretty happy with the campus and vibe there.

I will add Shenandoah to the list. Not too far from DC, small school, good programs.

Can't forget Randolph College. Such an adorable little campus and we loved the Take2 model. It is in a consortium with ULynchburg and Sweet Briar, so there are options if you want to take classes that aren't offered at Randolph.

What are some hidden gems in or near major cities?

Anonymous wrote:At the risk of raising the hater... we looked at a LOT of LACs for DD who was set on environmental science. She liked Juniata best. It's really a gem for environmental science.

Please don’t summon the Juniata hater.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trinity University. Super well resourced school with merit to give. For kids who are open to going South, tempted by Alabama money, but want a SLAC .. here's your school. Intellectually rigorous, no athletic scholarships at all. Great new buildings, fantastic dorms. Engineering, accounting, Chinese (one of the best in the country) .. they deliver the goods. And San Antonio is a gem.

Couldn't talk my dd into looking and I don't blame here, but it's a great option

YES, this is a great one

They were making kids take flags down. Hard pass.

Confederate flags?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not hidden, but JMU undergrad business school is a gem. It was my son's safety, but he chose it over other higher ranked schools, and it has exceeded expectations. Definitely will be harder to get into in 10 years.

What’s JMU

James Madison University

Ohio Wesleyan

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can confirm, Scranton, St. Joe's, Dayton, all Jesuit (or maybe Catholic) schools that have happy kids and very solid academics. My kids go to Catholic school and these are popular picks. So is Fairfield, but that is a little more selective.

Dayton is Marianist, not Jesuit.
But I can confirm it's a gem.

What makes you say that career outcomes suck at Dayton?

Anonymous wrote:Not hidden, but JMU undergrad business school is a gem. It was my son's safety, but he chose it over other higher ranked schools, and it has exceeded expectations. Definitely will be harder to get into in 10 years.

What’s JMU

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trinity University. Super well resourced school with merit to give. For kids who are open to going South, tempted by Alabama money, but want a SLAC .. here's your school. Intellectually rigorous, no athletic scholarships at all. Great new buildings, fantastic dorms. Engineering, accounting, Chinese (one of the best in the country) .. they deliver the goods. And San Antonio is a gem.

Couldn't talk my dd into looking and I don't blame here, but it's a great option

YES, this is a great one

They were making kids take flags down. Hard pass.

this is wrong in about 10 different ways. hard pass on low information posts.

Not hidden, but JMU undergrad business school is a gem. It was my son's safety, but he chose it over other higher ranked schools, and it has exceeded expectations. Definitely will be harder to get into in 10 years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga for engineering. Small class sizes, caring profs, ABET accredited. Small city. Pretty state. School spirit (D1 basketball). Merit $ is typical.

I'd say most Jesuit colleges are hidden gems and I'm surprised they aren't more popular (outside of the couple super popular ones). Hits the sweet spot for a lot of kids with mid-size + city locations. My friend's DD is very happy at University of Scranton.

I agree with this. My friend who is an extremely analytical and choosy person (and Michigan grad) sent her oldest to Marquette for Engineering. The youngest is going to another Jesuit college for Pre-Med. She wanted them to attend small schools with personal attention. Especially for the Pre-Med, since recommendations are important.

Np. What school for pre med?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga for engineering. Small class sizes, caring profs, ABET accredited. Small city. Pretty state. School spirit (D1 basketball). Merit $ is typical.

I'd say most Jesuit colleges are hidden gems and I'm surprised they aren't more popular (outside of the couple super popular ones). Hits the sweet spot for a lot of kids with mid-size + city locations. My friend's DD is very happy at University of Scranton.

I agree with this. My friend who is an extremely analytical and choosy person (and Michigan grad) sent her oldest to Marquette for Engineering. The youngest is going to another Jesuit college for Pre-Med. She wanted them to attend small schools with personal attention. Especially for the Pre-Med, since recommendations are important.

I would add Loyola Chicago (Jesuit) to this list.