<p>My boys have all gone to all male schools for elementary, middle and highschool at times. Worked very well for them. If they wanted to continue the trend for college, that would be fine with me too. I would recommend an overnight or even weekend visit at the schools and with some similar schools that are coed so you can really compare the environments. Check out the schools where you get the tuition breaks as well. You need to kick some tires before you make such a decision. You may have a valid preference, you may be mistaken. A lot of girls I know who dismissed the idea of a single sex college were interested after they took a good look. </p>
<p>You are going to have to discuss the financial issues with your family and it isn't just necessarlly because you like those two schools. If you wanted to consider any schools that are going to cost more than the schools where your parents get the break, you need to talk. I personally had that issue many years ago as my father had free tuition for his kids at a program that he worked with, and as far as he was concerned that was his college planning. In my case, it was either that, or get the money elsewhere as we had a pretty big family, my dad was already paying tuition for a half brother and there were 2 more behind me. So I knew exactly where I stood and what the stakes were when I applied to schools and did throw in some schools where I had a good chance of some merit money. This is no different from many other kids whose families have financial constraints. You are fortunate to have such a good financial safety to back you up in this process.</p>
<p>Have a look at Grove City College (near Pittsburgh). It's a very old-fashioned place socially, no co-ed dorms, limited visiting hours in rooms, etc. No drugs or alcohol or pre-marital sex allowed on campus. They have great professors, and it is a true bargain at around $14K including room and board. They also supply students with their own lap tops. They also have great grad school placement. I have a friend who went there, now a super-successful lawyer. It's definitely a "Christian" environment, though, so it's not for everyone. You have to attend a service once a month, I think.</p>
<p>A few other options: Wheaton College (in Illinois), Calvin College (Mich), Hope College (also Michigan), St. Olaf (Minnesota). I also felt that the University of Portland in Oregon had this same sort of "wholesome" atmosphere. It's a Catholic school (but only 50% of students are Catholic) with a conservative and caring administration. There are many similiar schools out there as well.</p>
<p>Wabash, You might start by going over Wabash's web site carefully and taking notes (even printing out) some of their information. Share that with your parents and let them know that you will visit and consider the colleges they want you to see if they will also visit a few of your choices. Good luck - let us know how it goes. Did you see on the college admissions discussion section how one student received enough merit money from Wabash that he will only need to pay $8,000 a year? And, he's an international student.</p>
<p>Wabash, coincidentially my son just got a mag from something called "privatecolleges.com", which appears to be yet another of these marketing organizations that universities seem to create all the time (CTCL, Colleges of Distinction, etc.). Anyway, there was a nice article about why someone would choose to attend a single-sex school. You might try to find it online at their site and print it out to give them.</p>
<p>The number of single-sex colleges is shrinking. Keep in mind that there's no guarantee that either Wabash or Hampden-Sydney will still be all-male for the next four years. I had a conversation with the trustee of what used to be a women's college that had experienced a drop in applications over the years. They hadn't wanted to sacrifice quality, so their enrollment had shrunk over the years. Ultimately, they had to choose between lowering their standards, closing their doors, or admitting men; they chose to admit men.</p>
<p>I went to Wabash's web site; it has no information about how many applications they receive, or how many they accept. I may have missed it, but I didn't see any information there on the size of their enrollment. This may be a sign that they're struggling with some of the same issues as some of the former women's colleges that have gone co-ed.</p>
<p>Before you decide on a school based on its status as all-male, I'd ask some very pointed questions along these lines.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I went to Wabash's web site; it has no information about how many applications they receive, or how many they accept.
[/quote]
USNWR's 2005 edition lists a 50% acceptance rate ( 1299 applied, 647 accepted, total enrollment 859). But the 2005 edition looks back to 2003-2004, so current info - to show the trend - would indeed be useful.</p>
<p>Wabash is in fine shape financially. They have a healthy endowment and are actively supported by alumni who would not be happy to see the school go co-ed. According to their web site:.As of December 31, 2004, the value of Wabash's endowment was $323.6 million, which places Wabash first among schools in the Great Lakes Colleges Association in average per-student endowment funds. On a per-student basis, Wabash College ranks among the top 30 colleges in the nation. Certainly, if they are getting more than 4 applications for every place in their freshman class, they are in no danger of disappearing any time soon. And, with a 50% acceptance rate, they are not exactly a "less selective" school either. There are plenty of young men interested in the Wabash experience.</p>
<p>By the way, you might want to ask your parents to take a look at the parents section of the web site (alumni and parents). And, these figures might impress your parents as well:</p>
<p>Wabash College ranks 6th in the "Best Value" category among national liberal arts colleges in the 2005 US News rankings.
13% of alumni have Ph.D.s.
12% of alumni hold the title
"President" or "Chairman".
Only two Ivies have a higher percentage of alumni in Who's Who.
75% of graduates go on to graduate or professional school within 5 years.
90% of students receive either financial aid or merit money or both.</p>
<p>I'm less familiar with HSC. But I'm sure you can find the same type of information on their web site with a patient and thorough search. Also, you may want to get a copy of the book, Colleges that Change Lives, by Loren Pope, to share with your parents. It has a very in-depth report on Wabash.</p>
<p>carolyn, I wanted to say a special thanks for all your fine contributions on this topic!</p>
<p>Wabash, as you know I'm enthusiastic about single-sex colleges, so I'm not out to discourage you. But the other thing I don't quite understand is your belief that there are certain things that a prof will say to a single-sex class that he or she won't to a co-ed class. Now, I can see how a professor might alter his or her teaching style a bit, and I can see how the student-faculty interactions might be different, but to alter content? That makes less sense to me. What kinds of things do you think a faculty member would do at an all-male college that he or she wouldn't at a co-ed school? </p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that there are both male and female faculty at single-sex colleges.</p>
<p>I think the advice you've received here is right--expand your options a bit, look at other LACs, including some church-related schools which are a bit more conservative (if that's what you think you want).</p>