<p>Also, I don't know if Bryn Mawr has riding, but there is a ton of it available in the area.</p>
<p>Considering I am working with a client this year who also rides and has some other similar criteria....here are some options:
Sarah Lawrence
Skidmore
Smith
Connecticut College
Vassar
Goucher
Brandeis
Barnard
Drew
University of Vermont</p>
<p>I realize these are all Eastern Time Zone but I'm just looking up schools that I researched for someone wanting East Coast who also had Equestrian as one of the criteria and had other stuff in common with your D. That's just a start.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>PS...Bard doesn't have Equestrian.</p>
<p>I second the caveat about riding as THE make or break factor. Would she be satisfied if there was the possibility of riding in the area, though the school offers no club? If she could still ride in summers? I'd really work on getting her to imagine being wherever she applies if, say, she developed a sudden allergy to horses or (spits here, to ward off the evil eye) broke her leg. I say this based on the experience of watching a young relative make the college decision based on riding, dislike the school, drop out, and never ride again anyway. Also, so many students change their ecs once they are in college, even the ones which were the focus of their lives up to that point.</p>
<p>As the resident Smith honk, I have to say "SMITH!" </p>
<p>Meets the criteria across the board. They have a shot of a girl on horse coming out of stable in their most recent promo video. You can see a link to the video and get all sorts of input about Smith if you go to the "Smith" forum under the "CC Top Liberal Arts Colleges" sub-forum of the "Colleges and Universities" forum.</p>
<p>I would like to second (or 3rd or 4th) Earlham. My wife and I both loved the place (son hated it!) and I remember thinking that for a kid with a horse the place would be heaven. They have a student run co-op stable. You can bring your own horse to school but you have to share. </p>
<p>As for your criteria:</p>
<p>Central or Eastern time zone (It is one or the other - very confusing!! They used to be permanently on eastern standard time but may have changed recently) </p>
<p>LAC or small university (think Brandeis-size) <= check</p>
<p>Intellectual but laidback <= check check</p>
<p>Politically liberal <= CHECK</p>
<p>Crunchy/quirky <= definitely</p>
<p>Artsy with good fine arts offerings <= I think so, but defer to Mini</p>
<p>Good language department <= si?</p>
<p>Horseback riding available as a club sport <= horsies!!!</p>
<p>Decent number of Jewish students <= don't know, Quaker school. I did ask how many Quakers. Can't remember the answer but it was not as high as I thought... maybe only 10%?</p>
<p>Skidmore & Earlham were the first two I thought of...</p>
<p>Who was the dad with the twin daughters looking for schools? One of them was a horse lover. Search old posts about it and you will find a big list of horsey schools.</p>
<p>I think Wheaton used to have horses once upon a time, might be a good safety for her?</p>
<p>Consider Oberlin</p>
<p>Central or Eastern time zone: Eastern
LAC or small university (think Brandeis-size): About the same number of undergrads, but Oberlin has only a handful of grad students so it is somewhat smaller overall (about 3000 total rather than 5000)
Intellectual but laidback: very much so
Politically liberal: the poster child
Crunchy/quirky: definitely quirky, not sure what "crunchy" means in this context
Artsy with good fine arts offerings: yes, with among the best college art museums and music conservatories in the country
Good language department: several, in fact
Horseback riding available as a club sport: yes, see <a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/athletic/club_sports/equestrian/Default.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.oberlin.edu/athletic/club_sports/equestrian/Default.html</a>
Decent number of Jewish students: large number, with a kosher food co-op and a Hebrew Heritage program house</p>
<p>Might be a little bigger than you are looking for but Washington University in St. Louis fits a lot of your criteria.</p>
<p>What about Wheaton?</p>
<p>Here are several that have equestrian clubs or teams (or both) and that may qualify on more than one of the other dimensions of interest. </p>
<p>Allegheny
Bates
Bryn Mawr (Bryn-Mawr-Haverford have equestrian club)
Carleton
Colby
Connecticut College
Denison
Haverford
Kenyon
Mt. Holyoke
William & Mary</p>
<p>Before I start, let me first put in another shameless plug for Vassar. Lots of places to board a horse nearby. </p>
<p>I recall a discussion last year about schools for students who want to bring their horses, but I cannot find the link. However, in the process of looking I ran across the suggestion of Berry College, in Rome, Ga. It fits almost all the bill, but I am not sure aboyut the Jewish population. I don't see a Hillel on campus, but there is a decent sized Jewish community in the town of Rome, where the school is located. I would also suggest Emory. There are lots of places close by, just outside the immediate metro Atlanta area to board a horse.</p>
<p>Here- the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association site lists schools with teams <a href="http://www.ihsa.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ihsa.com/</a></p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence! It's very artsy and students have a lot of freedom designing their curriculum and it has horseback riding!!!!!! It has a lot of fun quirky things like the pillow room in the library (a room filled with pillows where students can study) and dive in movie night (students swim in the pool and watch a movie on a big screen!). Its a unique school but also has a good reputation and a beautiful campus/location!</p>
<p>Wheaton <em>had</em> an equestrian team - club in the 70s. I was the coach! The stable was across the street from the campus, but unfortunately this gorgeous historic old stable has been turned into condos! Current status of the riding club I do not know -- but there were no other very local stables.</p>
<p>Trinity College in Hartford has a riding club and I think equestrian team. My share-boarder is a sophomore at Trinity (with <em>my</em> horse) and is on the team.</p>
<p>If this current high school sophomore is thinking of boarding school, in New England think Kent, Ethel Walker, and Stoneleigh Burnham. Miss Porter's may also have access to riding -- but the above three have stables and programs.</p>
<p>I can't imagine where Sarah Lawrence students do horseback riding. Yonkers?</p>
<p>There's a website someplace that gives estimates of jewish students; my recollection from d's search is Carleton was low % compared to many of her alternatives. As was Macalester. Not so many compadres in the great northwest, it seems.</p>
<p>Monydad, when I was researching Sarah Lawrence in the fall for a client, I have in my notes that Sarah Lawrence has its own stables and that you do not need to own your own horse. It is the first choice school of the girl I am working with, in fact. I can't tell you the location but they've got it ;).</p>
<p>Check out this Hillel site to find the number of Jewish students on college campuses:
<a href="http://www.hillel.org/hillel/Hillel_Schools_New.nsf/Schools?openform%5B/url%5D">http://www.hillel.org/hillel/Hillel_Schools_New.nsf/Schools?openform</a></p>
<p>Interesting.... if they've got stables somewhere they might be able to do some riding someplace near the Bronx River Parkway, maybe?</p>
<p>But generally the immediate area is far from horse country, so I'm mildly surpised.</p>
<p>Barnard sounded even stranger to me at first, but I guess there are stables in Central Park. I wonder if the environment limits how "all out" they can ride there though. Something you might investigate, for each school, if it's important.</p>
<p>Again, I am not sure where Barnard rides but I have in my notes that they have a Club Equestrian team and there is an option to compete. </p>
<p>I can't say for horseback riding, but since I have a kid on a ski team, it doesn't always mean the facilities are right ON campus, LOL. My D is on a varsity alpine team for Brown and they don't train in RI! They train at a ski area twice a week midweek in MA. Their races are mostly in NH with a few in MA and VT. I imagine many of these schools have their own stables on campus but others might have arrangements with stables off campus too, same idea. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>EDIT: Out of curiosity, since I'm the one who suggested Barnard because I knew they had a team, I looked up where they practice. Here is the answer:
"The team practices at the Bergen Equestrian Center in Leonia, New Jersey. The facility is located about 15 mins away from campus, just over the George Washington Bridge."
Oh, and while we are at it, Barnard has a club ski team too, and there ain't no mountains in Manhattan (unless you count skyscrapers!)</p>