<p>For parents searching, this is a pretty nice and in my opinion a believable list.of the current academic climate on campuses culled from USNWR data in a nice simple list without editorializing.</p>
<p>I like it, but I think the test optional footnote makes it a little out of kilter. But generally a useful slice at it (go Mudd!). :)</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr College and Bucknell were the two ‘surprises’ to me but perhaps that is a positive because I did not get the sense that those campuses were “intense” in feeling, like you might expect from a college that attracts stats high kids - so it they might be good choices for smart kids who don’t want that heavy intellectualism that can set in on certain campuses. Colby is alittle like that to - perhaps those are those elusive work hard, play hard campuses that kids are sometimes looking for. </p>
<p>How many private secular LACs * didnt* make their list?</p>
<p>“I did not get the sense that those campuses were “intense” in feeling,”</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is super intense in its academic culture. People brag about how many huge papers they have to write, etc. A peer of UChicago, MIT, etc. in terms of how highly students prioritize academics.</p>
<p>Well, I’m just happy that beautiful Severance Hall is featured in the photo of the Wellesley purple class of 2014.</p>
<p>According to my D (Bryn Mawr grad)–BMC is intense in terms of academics–about the same at Haverford, but Swathmore, her words, “is crazy intense”!
(All three are part of the Tri-co consortium and she took classes at both Haverford and Swarthmore.)</p>
<p>@Hanna that is interesting because Bryn Mawr does get much “play” here in discussions about women’s colleges. </p>
<p>@emeraldkity4, it looks like there are over 200 in USNWR liberal arts listing so this article would rank alittle less than half. Rankings smankings, in my opinion, but my gut reaction was this list was probably more accurate on just the academic stats of the kids. There are colleges in the top 50-75 that get very little play here. Lafayette and Bennington get a fair amount of discussion here and yet we rarely hear about Centre, Connecticut College or Hendrix.</p>
<p>i was wondering since most lists confine themselves to the top 10 or 25.
I admit I am not familiar with the southern religious schools farther down the list.
<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/high-school-counselor”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/high-school-counselor</a></p>
<p>I have trouble equating SAT/ACT scores with “academic stats of the kids”. Apparently Business Insider thinks smartest = highest average test scores and nothing else.</p>
<p>I agree Erin’s Dad, but so many parents (and kids) say they want to go to college with peers - what the heck else besides GPA and SAT does anyone talk about here to define a peer… so that seems a fair indicator to make a ranking list which theoretically this list-maker has done. </p>
<p>@Eri’s Dad they have to use something; I’m not sure what else is available.</p>
<p>The test-optional schools find some way of measuring students beyond SAT/ACT. The whole listing is somewhat skewed due to 1) missing schools that don’t report scores at all, due to their standardized testing policy and 2) including scores from schools that either don’t require standardized tests from all students, therefore probably only get them from students with good scores, or schools that didn’t report scores from all students. The gaps in my item 2 are pointed out in the listing, but it’s hard to say what the impact is.</p>
<p>“Smartest”…pfffft. An accurate title would be “The 106 LACs that admit the highest average SAT scores.”</p>
<p>Never mind that those high averages are no guarantee that the school offers what the article calls “an intellectually stimulating environment and a tight-knit community,”</p>
<p>Never mind that the scores of admitted students tell you nothing about how they learn and grow while at the school, or what outcomes they achieve after graduating.</p>
<p>This list is as ridiculous as judging the quality of a football quarterback by how far the special team was able to return the kickoff.</p>
<p>The relative rankings are meaningless but this IS a list of mighty fine schools from Mudd to Witt.</p>
<p>NONE of those would trump nonLAC colleges for me or my son. Our alma mater flagship is so much better in the STEM fields we each chose. I can’t imagine being limited by those smaller schools’ options in so many areas- academics plus more. Just pointing out that the list is great for those who want that type of college, but meaningless for others like myself.</p>
<p>I’m very surprised Brandeis wasn’t on the list.</p>
<p>Wis - two of my kids (pretty much non-Stem but not totally humanities) could not imagine themselves at a school with more than 2500 kids, one of mine it was all about the bigger the better (STEM kid). I did small LAC for undergrad and Big 10 for grad school - the best of both worlds - so I supported the differences in my kids and yes for the kid that wants Big 10 supersized, this list is totally meaningless.</p>
<p>I discovered (a few years ago when checking) that even Dartmouth doesn’t offer some of the social science-humanities course types my son took as electives at our flagship. I can’t imagine being limited in those options. Fortunately there are many different types of college experiences available to suit many different types.</p>
<p>Why would anyone think a list of Liberal Arts colleges would be appropriate for someone who wants a large research university? I don’t understand why this is even a question. If I was presented with a list of the top 100 smartest research universities, I would know it wasn’t an appropriate list for my kids, who want the small LAC experience.</p>