Best of the NESCAC

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone… A little break from a lot of people making decision but that will be me this time next year. As I’m looking around, I’ve really been attracted to the the nescac schools. It seems the smallness of the schools creates that close-knit community Im looking for. I’m from Boston area so I am fairly familiar with a couple. Distance doesnt matter as long as they’re in the new england vicinity (which is all lol). Coming from a school of around 1300, I would like to expand a little, maybe a little closer to 2000 undergrad mark but I am considering all of them as of now. I am really not certain what I want to focus my studies on although I enjoy foreign languages, maths, and sciences but I’m really looking for a well rounded school. Im a junior in the top 5-10 of my 350 or so class so I think i qualify for at least some of them.

In your opinion, what is your favorite of these schools and why? What do you like about them? Thanks! :slight_smile:

2

Sorry if this very general but feel free just to share your experience or knowledge of these schools, even just one is helpful. I really appreciate it!

3

This is a topic that can generate a lot of opinions, @raider659816. The “best” NESCAC in my opinion is the one that has both a balanced curriculum and is the most interesting. Interesting can be defined in many ways; I mean it here to mean a college that breaks the mold somewhat. A few of the NESCACs generated some comments in a thread in this forum, “Accepted to 15 Colleges …”

4

This is a really tough question. All of the schools are top-notch places. I don’t personally have a landslide favorite. It would probably be a close tie between Amherst, Middlebury or Bowdoin. but I do know that all the schools are great due to their solid academics, liberal-arts (except Tufts) educations, and their beautiful suburban/rural locations. They deserve the name Little Ivy.

Here’s a list for reference.

Amherst College
Bates College
Bowdoin College
Colby College
Connecticut College
Hamilton College
Middlebury College
Trinity College
Tufts University

Wesleyan University
Williams College

5

@raider659816 Precious few students really get to pick among them if they apply to several. Sure some do but not many students. If you get in one consider yourself fortunate. Since you are familiar with the schools you know that they are hard to get into and they accept students in a way to create a certain class profile. It is not all grades and test scores. Conn. College and Trinity applicants have the best chance of admissions. They are selective but not like the other nine schools.

As far as my impressions having visited virtually all is that Bates, Bowdoin, Hamilton and Middlebury had the most balanced and authentic feel.

If you apply, please look at the ED vs RD acceptance distribution. In the case of Bates, the acceptance rate in RD is much much lower, this year around 16 - 17% and 81% of the RD acceptances were in the top 10% of their high school class with an average ACT score of 32.

Also, keep in mind these schools generally don’t get a high level of Hail Mary applications. If they appear to be easier to get in compared to other top schools because of higher acceptance rates its because of this.

Approach them as a tough, fickled group in terms of admissions and you will be well served. If you fall in love with one, please apply ED, especially if you are female not being recruited for sports. In several that is the worst demographic bucket to be in.

One edit point, in terms of location I thought the proximity of Bowdoin and Bates to each other and their proximity to Portland was unbeatable. Both of these schools have the best dining hall food I have ever eaten at a college.

6

Here are a few thoughts about Bowdoin which make it a great choice.

  • Proximity to the coast/ocean. It's a couple of miles away, and water views from the college's tallest residential building. Bowdoin students make the most of their coastal location. Think surfing, boating, lobster bakes on the beach. You get the idea.
  • Bruswick is a lovely collegetown, with shops and restaurants directly adjacent to campus. There are something like 80 restaurants of all types, several nice Inns, and a farmers market in Brunswick, again within steps of campus. Town and gown relations are excellent.
  • Southern Maine is a tourist mecca with all sorts of things to do, from skiing to beaching to dining to boating to shopping...
  • Dining service and student happiness ratings are at or near the top in every college survey/ranking i've seen.
  • "Dorms like palaces" according to at least one rating service.
  • Portland, a cool, vibrant small city with a great foodie scene is only 20 minutes away.
  • Boston is 2 hrs +- via a train which leaves from Brunswick Station, which is steps from the Bowdoin campus. It cost like $20 bucks. Think day trip to Boston if you feel "city-starved."
  • Academic ranking in the top 5 LACs nationally.
  • Grad school and job placement nothing short of amazing.
  • Alumni giving rate at or near the top of the NESCAC.
  • Per capita endowment larger than half the Ivy League, and about equal to Dartmouth. This is reflected in resources, services, facilities available to Bowdoin students.

Good luck with your search.

7

Wow, thank you so much everyone… This really helps! Sorry again for the vagueness of the question. If it helps, heres some stuff about me that could narrow down the schools more compatible with my personality.
I am a boy lol so maybe I’m at a disadvantage with what @crabby955 mentioned
Play sports (hockey) but would only continue on an intramural/club level, nothing serious
Probably fall in the upper middle class-- but still applying for financial aid
Little more on the athletic/jockish side (bit of a gym rat) but still have a nerdy side- Im not embarrassed to say I enjoy school
Im really not a hipster or artsy
Don’t smoke or drink but although I know its everywhere, Id like a place where it doesn’t have a HUGE presence
I really want to be at a place where students are driven and determined to succeed like myself but still know when to have a good time and not in the library 24/7
Id like to maintain close relationships with professors
Like I said, distance isn’t a big deal but Id like a good location
Sounds stupid but good food matters to me. Hey, I’ll be eating it for 4 years!
Im not very political but if anything I would probably lean a little more conservative but this isn’t a big deal for me
Id like somewhere with a beautiful campus and great facilities
And as I said with the smallness, I like to have a close student community where I would recognize most people on campus or at least in my class by the end of my time there
Just in general, a place with good vibes and genuine people

If this type of personality seems to click with any of these schools, that would help a lot! Im just looking for a good fit for me!
Thanks again so much!

8

Another appoach is to research whether any of these schools have a singular academic program that appeals to you. In the case of Hamilton, which I know from researching another thread, it is the only school in the country that can be positively cross-referenced between a USA Today article, “The 10 Best American Colleges for Writers,” and a USNWR category, “Writing in the Disciplines.” In terms of NESCACs, it is the only college that makes either list.

Regarding campus beauty, Thrillist put something together, “The 25 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America.”

(I wrote this post as you were writing your #6, so it may seem out of sync.)

9

I would recommend considering a few LACs outside the NESCAC conference. A little geographic diversity in your application list can help a lot in having some great choices of LACs to consider next April. The NESCAC schools see tons of applicants from New England. Being male will actually help you a teensy bit with a lot of LACs.

10

Yes male acceptance rates are a bit better. I think you misunderstood what I wrote.

Put St. Lawrence, Dickinson, Gettysburg and Colgate on your list as well. You could get some great merit money from the first three.

11

I agree Saint Lawrence should be included when discussing NESCACs. The only (ironic) drawback to the school is that it’s comparatively easy to get into. Nevertheless, as stated above, the merit scholarships available for the right student could be excellent. SLU has a neat – bordering on the exotic – location.

12

It is easier to get into because of its location. There is a wall of other colleges and universities between it and the major markets of ny, nj, ct and mass. Still it attracts bright kids and the location is something out of national geographic.

13

In the non-NESCAC category would also add Union College, which is very strong academically. It is actually a former member of NESCAC (withdrew because it is D-1 in hockey). Union also offers merit money and has an engineering school and 6 year med program (which is rare for a LAC), all on a very beautiful and historic campus.

14

Of course they are all excellent schools. We had visited Bowdoin and Middlebury and our daughter was headed to Middlebury, so she obviously loved Middlebury as did we. We have a family friend and a family relative at Bowdoin and they are enjoying it immensely.

15

If you weren’t restricting yourself to New England, there are LACs outside the NESCAC that are at least as interesting, for one reason or another. Examples: Vassar, Haverford-BrynMawr-Swarthmore, Davidson, Oberlin, Kenyon, Carleton, Macalester, Colorado College, the Claremont Colleges, Whitman, and Reed.

If you do want to stick to the NESCACs, then except for Tufts they are all similar enough that it would make sense to pick a few more-or-less at random that span an appropriate selectivity range, then go with the one that offers the lowest net cost at admission time.

Example application mix (pick at least one on each line; schools outside NESCAC are in parens)
Amherst/Williams/Bowdoin (… Swarthmore/Carleton)
Middlebury/Wesleyan/Hamilton (…Vassar/Colgate)
Colby/Bates (… Oberlin/Reed/Colorado College)
Connecticut/Trinity (… Whitman/Holy Cross/Bard/Skidmore)

Some of these have a stronger intellectual vibe (Swarthmore, Carleton, Reed)
Others appeal to outdoorsy types (Middlebury, Colorado College)
Others appeal to lefty/liberal political activists (Wesleyan, Oberlin)
However, you’ll find a fairly wide range of personalities at any of them.

16

A brief description of a few NESCAC and non-NESCAC colleges, based on my opinion:

In the NESCAC

Williams: Refuses to apologize for its isolated location – a good thing. Has an impressive senior tutorial program. Benefits from a strong national reputation.

Amherst: Consortium creates some interesting academic options, but the area consequently also suffers from a collegiate gender imbalance. An excellent school academically that also benefits from a strong national reputation.

Hamilton: Benefits from the curricular, architectural, spatial and, to some extent, cultural legacy of having been two colleges. A balanced curriculum, but also a writers’ college. Former fraternity houses are now beautiful residence halls.

Wesleyan: Progressive. Good vegan food. The recent publicity regarding drug usage is difficult to interpret evenly. Regardless, an excellent school academically with interesting alumni.

Colby: Classic LAC size. If you go much smaller than this (consortia excepted), you will sacrifice either athletics or curricular breadth; much larger, and you will lose the LAC feel. Has the coldest winters in the NESCAC.

Bates: A long history of progressivism may positively affect the social climate on campus to this day.

Trinity: The Long Walk is cool. Urban distinction with associated benefits and drawbacks. Alumni seem to care more about their fraternities than their college.

Outside the NESCAC

Colgate: One of the most beautiful campuses in the nation. Colgate’s town has been rated as one of America’s friendliest, according to Forbes.

Vassar: English major/artsy vibe, recently offset by their investment in an impressive new science building. Beautiful chapel and library. The gender imbalance, though real, does not differ significantly from the national average.

St. Lawrence: Whichever direction you travel you will find something interesting: the protected Adirondack Park, the Thousand Islands, Canada.

17

Wow, thank you so much everyone. This really helps I really appreciate it!! :slight_smile:

18

Tk21769 mostly I agree with your posts, but why would you separate Middlebury from Bowdoin, Carleton, Swat, Amherst, and Williams? If anything that’s the group I’d have placed Midd with (perhaps placing Carleton with the next group).

To those suggesting geographic diversity can help, be aware that Middlebury, at least, gets more applications from California than any other state. So it’s not just New England prep school kids.

Alum88, I think you could probably say all those exact same things about Middlebury. It’s hard to find two schools in the NESCAC more similar than Midd and Bowdoin. The notable differences are that Midd is a good deal bigger (but they’re both still small), Bowdoin is known for government Midd is known for international studies, Midd is in the mountains of Vermont, Bowdoin is coastal Maine.

19

By SAT scores, Middlebury places seventh in the NESCAC. From a selectivity standpoint, this is a significant metric. I don’t think the OP or other readers of this thread should equate @tk21769’s selectivity tiers with desirability tiers, nor do I think they were intended to be equated.

20

Getting into a college and choosing a college are separate processes. The information appropriate for one the processes may have little relevance to the other.

1 Like