<p>Hi! We're looking at tier 1 schools for my daughter - she goes to a difficult science magnet school - in top 10 %, all A's in every AP/ honors courses she takes, 2200 on SAT's, is in many school clubs, school paper editor, and has her own business in teaching piano to young children. However, she's very "anti-preppie", "anti-cheerleader", "anti-sorority" (living in Texas, that's unusual!!!), and seems to gravitate towards old hippies and leans left. She's unsure of what she wants to do/be. It's between journalism, vet. medicine, teacher, with a minor in piano. Due to a potential move, we were thinking about some of the NE schools...Princeton, Yale, GW in DC, Swarthmore, U. of VA, U. of Richmond, Wash and Lee, William and Mary, but haven't ruled out UT Austin, Trinity, and Rice. Can anyone give us some advice as to a good "fit" considering her rebellious/difficult personality? Any other schools I haven't mentioned that may be good? thank you!</p>
<p>not that it’s a bad school, but I really wouldn’t go to U Richmond if you’re “anti-preppie/cheerleader/sorority.” </p>
<p>What about Columbia, Brown, Wesleyan, Vassar, NYU?</p>
<p>And if she leans left, she should know that W&L is more noted for its right leanings.</p>
<p>Based on our own daughter’s search, I’d second Wesleyan. We recently visited the campus and it seems to fit most of what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>It’s funny - no one suggests that they want to go someplace that will teach only what they already know and avoid any curricula that include new material, but lots of folks seem willing to label themselves as “left” or “right,” “preppy” or “countercultural,” and them seek to cloister themselves with people who are the most like themselves. If she tends to gravitate towards old hippies and leans left, isn’t that a good reason to at least look for a balanced campus culture rather than seeking out a Wesleyan / Oberlin / Grinnell type of school?</p>
<p>You may want to look into UChicago. Most there would not be considered preppy, nor is it frat/sorority heaven (though they do have them).</p>
<p>Too bad you are not looking northwest. Reed College sounds about right. Their slogan (unofficial, though it does appear on t-shirts sold in the campus bookstore) is Atheism, Communism, Free Love.</p>
<p>gadad, I was thinking more the type of student than their political leanings. all the students at Richmond look the same (to me, I know I’m generalizing) while everyone at Wesleyan seemed unique. I think it’s a myth that left-leaning means everyone is the same. </p>
<p>I think it’s a myth that just because a campus has a political leaning, that means there isn’t diversity or people won’t question their own beliefs. I think there’s a lot more questioning of beliefs that happens at really leftist schools than at schools that say they’re diverse just because there are both democrats and republicans there. to me, having both republicans and democrats implies no more or less diversity than having both anarcho-individualists and anarcho-communists. they may disagree virulently, but it’s ultimately two sides of the same coin.</p>
<p>she’s loves hippies and hates preps, but she’s looking at george washington, wash & lee, uva, richmond, trinity, and princeton???</p>
<p>she is very misguided.</p>
<p>No one mentions Harvard. In the republic of Cambridge… LOL, I love Cambridge </p>
<p>for a more unique twist try Hampshire and take classes at Amherst or any of the sister colleges.</p>
<p>She will become a confirmed hippie or run in the other direction… Have Fun</p>
<p>We live in VA and based on reputation and the kids we know that go there, I would say both Richmond and W&L are pretty preppy, conservative-ish, and Greek-oriented (at least at W&L). This is more a generalization and not a scientific sample. There are exceptions everywhere. Still, given how you describe your daughter neither of those jump out as obvious “fits.” I went to W&M (a lot of years ago) - it is pretty preppy, but also kinda “nerdy and quirky” in its own way. It is also a bit larger than the other two above. I’d say it would be a definite maybe. UVA is also pretty preppy, conservative and Greek, but it is a much larger university setting so has more variety and diversity than some of the smaller schools. </p>
<p>If she is looking at Swat, you all may want to check out some of the other (there are tons) of PA LAC’s… Haverford or Dickinson (known for int’l bent - study abroad, foreign language and such), etc… I don’t know much about the dept. strengths at each and whether that would be a match, but might be worth taking a peek. </p>
<p>Given that she is considering UT-Austin, seems to want different kinds of people, and has many possible career interests, perhaps a university setting such as U of Michigan or U of Wisconsin? Not in the northeast, though. There are also some funkyish midwestern LAC’s that might be a good fit is she likes Wes. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I just looked at the Panhellenic Council website for Washington and Lee. An amazing 77% of female students belong to a sorority. If she is completely opposed to joining a sorority, that might not be a great fit.
Their website argues that high participation rates make for a more inclusive Greek system.
Maybe she’s just turned off by rush stories from Texas, which would intimidate and turn off many people.</p>
<p>Vassar, Wesleyan, Bates, Bard, and Wellesley sound like good fits. Also if she’s interested in Swat, maybe she should check out Bryn Mawr and Haverford. All three are in a consortium together. University of Pennsylvania is also in the consortium, although the ties between Swat, Haverford, and BMC are stronger.</p>
<p>St. John’s College is the epitome of
</p>
<p>Of course it’s also a very different kind of school, so look into it.</p>
<p>If you want to look at the opposite coast, look at Reed College in Portland OR. It is the anti-thesis of preppy, sorority cheerleaders.</p>
<p>REED in portland. this is a great school totally free-thinking hippy types but amazing education. sounds like a great school for your daughter to check out.</p>
<p>don’t forget the amazing UC’s in cali, berkely, UCLA…and maybe pomona and the claremont consortium.</p>
<p>my kid is also a freethinker, hates the whole hs scene to the point she was h/s and went alternative hs the last two years at a JC, and she just got into UCLA into the art school fine arts. very happy with UCLA, there is something for everyone there!
good luck!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>True. But it’s also a good place if you take seriously the concerns of post #5.</p>
<p>My friends there included:
a member of the Spartacus Youth League who could quote Marx, Lenin and Trotsky chapter and verse (when he was not to be found in some lonely stairwell playing a doleful tune on his clarinet); a delegate to the Republican National Convention who seemed to be able to name the holder of every seat in every district of the House of Representatives (and whose personal hero was Richard Milhouse Nixon); a baker’s son from Philadelphia who idolized Wassily Kandinsky and Captain Beefheart, equally; the WASPiest WASP I have ever met, straight out of Choate with a “the III” at the end of his name, who was also one of the nicest persons I have ever met; an uncannily pleasant relaxed guy who was getting his Ph.D. in economics at the age of 19; one of the youngest chess masters in the country; and a skinny little Jewish gal who was wild about aikido and palled around with a big mid-western, conservative farmboy and Christian bible scholar with whom she apparently had no romantic attachment or anything else in common, except an abiding friendship.</p>
<p>What a world that was.</p>
<p>Check out Wesleyan/Grinnell/Reed</p>
<p>If she’s “anti-preppie,” why is she considering Princeton and Yale before Harvard or other Ivies? That doesn’t make much sense to me. Of course, all those schools take all kinds of kids, but my*impression has always been that Princeton and Yale tend to be much preppier than its peers. I strongly recommend visiting before applying. It’s a very different world from Texas, as my friend from TX who went to NE prep school with me. </p>
<p>Based on your description, I also suggest UChicago. Harvard would be good, too.</p>
<p>I love how some people claim themselves to be “free-thinking, leftist, free-loving, hippie, anti-prep, alternative, and non-conformist” but are as contemptuous and intolerant of the people they’re trying to become the antithesis of. On both sides of the aisle, you will never succeed by isolating yourself from all kinds of people. It’s just not practical. I suggest she tries to accept the antithesis of herself and go to a school with a balanced mix of both liberal and conservative students. By sheltering herself from the real world, she might turn out to be a Bill Ayers or something.</p>
<p>Thanks to all! Lots of info, great opinions. And yes, I’d prefer to send her to a school that has a mixture of right/left, prep/non-prep…(for such a self-proclaimed “liberal” she certainly is limiting herself…isn’t she?! You’re spot-on, B Man 22) Some of the schools I mentioned were ones her parents (us) were considering. Of course, the visit and “feel” of the school will be ultimately important. Hopefully, that will open her eyes to the multitude of possibilities, and her impetuous and rebellious youth won’t hinder her. Thanks to all as well for the other options of schools mentioned - we’ll look into those as well, as we are just beginning our search.</p>