Beginning the list, want to be thorough

Parents Forum
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<p>We are beginning to make the list of possible schools for my second child to consider. Kid is a junior at an arts high school, with creative writing as their current art. Kid doesn't think they will be pursuing this as a college choice, however. Kid's interests/passion at the moment is history, and after a great experience at William and Mary's NIAHD summer pre-collegiate program thinks they might want to pursue museum studies. Kid is a quirky, non-binary gendered, mutli-colored haired, social justice-oriented person. Grades are good (3.5-3.8/4), they haven't taken AP's yet (school doesn't offer many, a couple are on the schedule for senior year), test scores are only OK (they just took the PSAT, we don't have the scores yet, sophomore year Explore test was predicting 27 ACT). I tend to lean in the direction of small liberal arts colleges, but might think about a mid-sized university if the situation was right. Kid wants to leave the Midwest (we're in Chicago) and is thinking favorably of the eat coast--after their summer experience at W&M they want a college with "historical significance"--whatever that means. </p>

<p>So essentially looking at good history programs with maybe museum studies/historic preservation.public history programs. Kid is at the moment interested in US history, so also maybe American Studies programs. </p>

<p>The current list is:
William & Mary (this is a reach, even if kid does another summer at NIAHD)
Goucher
Hampshire
Boston University
Boston College
Clark (maybe)
Skidmore
Knox
Kalamazoo
Beloit
Monmouth College
UVA Charlottesville
Tufts (likely a reach)</p>

<p>What are we missing? I feel like there must be more schools out east that could fit the bill that we are missing. We haven't visited anywhere yet (except for a "test" visit at Lawrence, where their brother goes), but will visit Beloit next month. On some level we will be making the visit list from the bigger list. Does anybody have a kid majoring in history at a school that they really love? </p>

<p>Thanks for any tips!</p>

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<p>I gather finances are not a consideration?</p>

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<p>I don’t think the NIAHD will help in the apps for W&M. Tufts is definitely a reach. How did Monmouth get on the list? Up until the “historically significant” comment I was thinking Reed in Portland OR. Top PhD producer per capita in History and well known for students that walk their own walk. It is a reach, though.</p>

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<p>Consider Bard or Wesleyan if junior year grades will strengthen GPA. The reach/dream schools are easy to find, the matches and safeties much harder. Perhaps Emerson in Boston? It’s all about getting onto campus and getting a sense of the student body and academic environment if you can!</p>

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<p>Until the standardized tests come out it is hard to know but with the 27 it seems like UVA, Tufts, W&M, BC are reaches. It is also a good idea to visit a small and medium sized school to see what he thinks before you get too set on your list (My S didn’t like the LACs because they felt too small but for my D the LACs felt like close knit community and she loved them and is attending one-- just personal choice). </p>

<p>The east coast has tons of great LACs that might work for him – I suggest you get a college guide book (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review, or another) and read up on them. Some schools we looked at for her were Lafayette, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Union, Skidmore, Conn. College. You may also want to read up on Gettysburg in PA which we did not visit but it is right by the historic battlefield. For a mid sized college read up on Fordham and Villanova. I agree that I’d probably take off Monmouth.</p>

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<p>I think Hampshire is an excellent choice, and have heard that they are one of the top (if not the top) schools for getting kids into graduate school for history. It’s also worth noting that they won’t even look at test scores as of this year, so you don’t need to worry about those. I was also going to suggest Bard. I don’t know much about it personally, but my son’s top choices are Brandeis, Hampshire, and Wesleyan, and some people who know him have suggested he look at Bard. I understand they have a very unique admissions process. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I suggest you get onto Naviance and do some searching. There are many, many LAC’s and mid sized colleges and universities that will meet your criteria. Happy1 suggested Gettysburg, I wouldn’t. It is a very good school but not very inclusive or accepting in my opinion. It has a very large Greek scene that dominates the social scene there. That being said, the battlefields and museum are worth a visit if you are anywhere close to it while looking at schools. Ursinus, Muhlenberg, and Lafayette all come to mind as being more accepting and located close to many historic sites. Best of luck in your search! </p>

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<p>^ Hmm, Hampshire doesn’t show up in the top 10 on the lists I’ve seen. <a href=“The Colleges Where PhD's Get Their Start”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-colleges-where-phds-get-their-start/&lt;/a&gt; </p>

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<p>@Erin’s Dad - There was a 2008 NSF study that’s cited on Hampshire’s webpage. </p>

<p><a href=“Success After Hampshire | Hampshire College”>https://www.hampshire.edu/discover-hampshire/success-after-hampshire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’ll try to find the actual study. I know I’ve seen this elsewhere as well.</p>

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<p>Even if the kid does not identify as LGBT, some of the issues that those groups care about might be important. You may want to look for threads about good choices for LGBT kids.</p>

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<p>Can I just say that I love the sound of Kid?:)</p>

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<p>Brandeis… outstanding history department and a school with a commitment to social justice, diverse study body, close to Boston, good study abroad options</p>

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<p>I agree that Kid sounds very much like a Reed kid, if you leave out the “historically significant”. But some schools on your list have a shorter history than Reed. And if you ignore the “historically”, Reed is certainly significant due to its fertile production of PhDs, Fulbrights, and famous dropouts like Steve Jobs. And Reed has a good creative writing program, so e could still take some workshops while pursuing the History minor.</p>

<p>Kid also sounds like a good fit for Sarah Lawrence, Bard and Brandeis. My gut says Sarah Lawrence not because of the non-binary gender (although that is a factor), but because e sounds like e has the sort of temperament that would love the small tutorials and Oxford-style donning at SLC. (Note: wondering about the “e”? Google Spivak pronouns)</p>

<p>Much depends on the test scores and this year’s GPA, but Kid sounds like someone who will knock the essay out of the park. Depending on the final stats, Bard’s alternative application is worth considering, since it only requires 4 essays on diverse scholastic subjects.</p>

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<p>I hadn’t thought about Brandeis, I will look at them. </p>

<p>Finances are potentially an issue, I work in academia (at a small liberal arts college in the Chicago suburbs) and it would be helpful to find a school that fits in our tuition exchange consortium (which is one reason I like the idea of Goucher), but grandparents also have college money socked away. </p>

<p>We might look at Bard, although Kid’s older brother felt it was too much “like a farm” (his words), not sure how much that would influence Kid. Kid is not crazy about the idea of New York. Like the entire state. It’s “not historical enough”. Who knows where they get that impression. :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>We visited Gettysburg (the site/town, not the college) on our way to Williamsburg last year, I think it also felt a little rural to them, and from what beenthereanddone said it sounds like it wouldn’t be a good fit–a big greek scene is on their negatives list. </p>

<p>LGBT inclusiveness is also definitely a consideration. </p>

<p>Honestly, PhD prep is not so much a consideration-- I know that’s a bigger deal in the sciences (a reason older brother is studying physics at Lawrence). Since they are aiming at museum studies (really conservation/preservation), a good history program and maybe a Chem minor (prep for grad programs in museum stuff) is more to the point.</p>

<p>I’d love them to go west, Reed would be a good fit albeit a reach, but at the moment the west coast is also not on the “plus” list as far as they are concerned. </p>

<p>I’ve already got a list started in Naviance, but it’s not as easy to search by geography there. Or I haven’t figured out how…:P</p>

<p>Monmouth (College, not University) is on the list because their history department’s approach seems really interesting. And they are in my consortium. I worry it’s a little small and isolated, though. </p>

<p>I also should say that Kid’s capital-D Dream choice (which for a bunch of reasons is not feasible) is Trinity College Dublin. I’m encouraging them to think about study away as an alternative. </p>

<p>I’m kind of interested in why Erin’s Dad thinks the NIAHD thing won’t help for W&M? Kid got a very good grade for the session, and the NIAHD faculty certainly led us to believe that they really love to admit the summer precollegiate kids into the undergrad program. I know the odds aren’t in our favor because we don’t live in Virginia, but I guess I had some idea that a recommendation from a summer instructor might balance out some weakness in other areas…maybe I’m dreaming… Kid isn’t 100% committed to the idea, but is interested…</p>

<p>Having been through this before and also working in a college environment I know this is early days yet for anything but exploring. A lot can change in a year. But we need to consider travel plans also… I will look at some of these other suggestions!</p>

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<p>And DreamSchDropout, yea, it’s funny how they are parsing out “historically significant”-- a couple of the schools in the Midwest have been around longer than some of the eastern ones–Knox was founded in 1837 and was an important part of the abolition movement and Underground Railroad, as an example. I am hoping that another year of maturity and perspective will help with this some :slight_smile: .</p>

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<p>Historically significant, and also a great small LAC: Washington College in Chestertown, MD. Check it out!!</p>

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<p>How about U of Delaware? It was founded in 1743 so it’s historic and it has a very well respected museum studies program.</p>

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<p>Earlham College. Quaker-founded, inclusive. Has a museum studies major.</p>

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<p>St. John’s College in Annapolis/Santa Fe? </p>

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<p>OP, a couple of comments:</p>

<p>(1) Have you looked at the Colleges That Change Lives website? It might give you some helpful ideas about LACs: <a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/”>http://www.ctcl.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>(2) I would take both William & Mary and UVA off your list, for several reasons. First, they are public schools; both have a student population of about 2/3 in-state students and 1/3 out-of-state students (and I think that, by law, they can take no more than 1/3 OOS), which means that your child is competing with a much smaller population for admission. Second, given your high school junior’s GPA and test scores (actual and predicted), your child is simply not going to be competitive for admission as an out-of-state student unless there is a tremendous “hook”; the average GPA and SAT scores for accepted students in both schools are much higher than what your child has. (Someone else on this thread suggested that you get on Naviance and look at statistics for these schools; that probably would be very helpful.) Third, if finances are a consideration, then the likelihood of getting any significant merit aid from either of these public institutions is extremely low unless your child is at the high end of the academic spectrum.</p>