<p>West coast resident here, with B10 roots, and just back from a bunch of east coast visits with S</p>
<p>On the east coast, a couple of schools not mentioned earlier that come to mind include Dartmouth, Middlebury and Boston College, and I’d avoid Cornell (great school, beautiful campus, but high stress in STEM)</p>
<p>On the west coast, consider UCSB/UCD/UCSC/Washington, and avoid UCB/UCSD for STEM as they can be stressful – UCLA in STEM can also be a pressure cooker, but the vibe is more balanced than UCB and UCSD IMO. </p>
<p>Midwest, possibly Wisconsin for a great school, but a fun campus and a little more laid back vibe.</p>
<p>OP: Oh, otoh. My brilliant young friend who recently grad’d from an Ivy med- failed organic at her first college, had to transfer for unrelated financial reasons. At the 2nd college, retook and on day one, prof said, we’ll work together, you’ll do your part and we’ll get you through this. That’s what you want, I think.<br>
Mount Holyoke. Just an idea.</p>
<p>I have some friends at Rice, and I would agree with it being “less stressful.” It definitely is challenging and will require work, but everyone is friendly, there’s no cut-throat competition. The school also makes an effort to get students to go and explore Houston and have fun. Rice also has free acupuncture for students at their rec center if a student feels the need to use that as relaxation in some manner.
But don’t get the wrong idea that it wouldn’t be difficult because it might be less stressful compared to schools of similar caliber. It’s recognized as a great school, and it’s courses will reflect it’s strong reputation. </p>
<p>Also, if your child is looking into the sciences and wants a great education at a relatively less stressful place, you could maybe look at Carleton?</p>