<p>Hey guys im looking for a few more schools to apply to. I'm looking for solid challenging academics without cut-throat competition between students. A laid back academic environment willing to question and examine any idea, conservative or liberal, on it's own merit. Diverse laid-back yet intellectually passionate student body, not extremely liberal nor conservative, bums nor workaholics, party animals nor saints. This may just be my idea of a perfect college and i know that no college will perfectly fit this description, but i was just wondering if you guys know of any schools that kind of sound like what im looking for. Just say the first college that comes to mind after reading this.</p>
<p>yeah, i realize that most colleges, especially really good ones, are going to be fairly to extremely liberal, but i'm looking for diversity of thought and acceptance of others with different views. </p>
<p>and if you were wondering, i consider myself a moderate liberal</p>
<p>also, don't feel that you are confined to only one suggestion. And i'm open to any type of school(Public, private, LAC, ect.) that may have the vibe im looking for.</p>
<p>I really would not say the University of Chicago is "socially chill". While the statement, "Where fun comes to die" may be slight hyperbole, it registers a substantial amount of merit.</p>
<p>Chicago-- Perhaps slightly more "workaholic" than your ideal school, but the "learn for the sake of learning" current is really strong here, as is the feeling that you're working for a benefit that extends far beyond the grade. (If you live your life by your grades, you don't even bother to apply here anyway). What continues to surprise me is the amount of social cohesion and that there is no real Chicago "type" individual.</p>
<p>Tufts, Rochester: nice in-between schools in the senses you're thinking of.</p>
<p>Carleton: like Chicago, but with more frisbees. (I have this on authority of various Carleton alumni who come to the U of C for grad school).</p>
<p>Wesleyan: more liberal than your ideal, still worthwhile for your criteria.</p>
<p>Grinnell
Kenyon
Macalester
Rice
Virginia
Michigan
Berkeley</p>
<p>ld, I think Pomona's a good idea and I'd also take a look at Williams, Hamilton, Kenyon, Bowdoin. I'm most familar with Williams: serious academics but in a supportive liberal arts context. Vibrant, energetic, upbeat student body with multifaceted interests and talents. Although left leaning like ALL selective colleges, at Williams moderates and conservatives at least have get a fair shake.</p>
<p>Brown
Carleton
Chicago
Columbia
Grinnell
Kenyon
Macalester
Pomona
Princeton
Reed
Rice
Swarthmore</p>
<p>Many may be a bit too overwhelmingly liberal for you (Princeton/Rice probably the exceptions) and Chicago/Swarthmore may be a bit too intense. College selection virtually always involves some measure of compromising "ideals."</p>
<p>I'm so surprised no one has said Stanford. It has the most chilled environment but obviously is academically rigorous and the campus is gorgeoussssss</p>
<p>"I really would not say the University of Chicago is "socially chill". While the statement, "Where fun comes to die" may be slight hyperbole, it registers a substantial amount of merit."</p>
<p>"Chicago-- Perhaps slightly more "workaholic" than your ideal school, but the "learn for the sake of learning" current is really strong here, as is the feeling that you're working for a benefit that extends far beyond the grade. (If you live your life by your grades, you don't even bother to apply here anyway). What continues to surprise me is the amount of social cohesion and that there is no real Chicago "type" individual."</p>
<p>Yeah i totally plan on working hard in my classes. But i'm looking for the "learning for the sake of learning" vibe that i got when i visited and interviewed at Chicago, not the "My grades are better/ I'm gonna get a really high paying job/ ect. ect." attitude that seems very prevalent at a lot of other top schools.</p>