<p>D number 3 is just beginning her college search. Although she's a little late out of the gate for class of '11, she has had the benefit of touring many schools last year with D2 - - but of course, none of the schools toured with D1 or D2 is "just right" for D3. </p>
<p>D3 wants to stay close to home (she is, after all, the baby), but she also wants, as much as possible, the freedom and variety that she is used to in NYC. D3 loves Northampton, but does not have her older sister's strong academic background, so Smith is is probably beyond her reach (even as a legacy and urm). Chatham and Simmons seem to fit the bill - -each is in a city with public transit so D3 can come and go without relying on classmates with cars or commuter bus/rail schedules.</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest other women's colleges (in cities, not too far from NYC)? Also, any info on Chatham (we hope to visit in the fall)?</p>
<p>D3's gpa is 2.8 (sch doesn't offer honors/AP); CR520 M490 W550 on the SAT.</p>
<p>Look for Cedar Crest in PA, maybe College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore is not that far either. Try Hollins too.</p>
<p>I’d say avoid Bay Path and Pine Manor. I visited them myself and they are just depressing I’m not even going to start it. I spent a night and students were very unhappy with the school in so many levels…</p>
<p>Let me tell you, sometimes, it is a little bit more distant than the range, but if she just falls in love with the school, she will forget everything. That happened to me when I visited Smith, so push her a bit and see if she gives it a shot.</p>
<p>I have a VERY close friend going to Chatham and I know a number of girls who LOVE it there. THe location is great and the profs are wonderful as well</p>
<p>My only caution is that Chatham is NOT like many of the other women’s colleges(ie Smith) where women really WANT the all girls atmosphere. At Chatham, it seems to be more of a “oh well, I guess this will work”, at least at first. then the girls grow to love it</p>
<p>Carlow University is like 95% women and is in Pittsburgh as well. Check it out!</p>
<p>“My only caution is that Chatham is NOT like many of the other women’s colleges(ie Smith) where women really WANT the all girls atmosphere. At Chatham, it seems to be more of a ‘oh well, I guess this will work.’”</p>
<p>That actually sounds like D3 - - she will consider only women’s colleges that are in cities. She really wants to be able to walk out her door and stoll into town, but is a bit more flexible re: geog with coed schools.</p>
<p>Other schools currently on the list are:
Hartwick (but farther away than she’d like)
Lesley
Emanuel
Iona
Univ Hartford</p>
<p>She liked SUNY Purchase and Guilford, both of which she visited w/ D2, but she’s concerned that each is too “out in the boonies.” She loved UNC-G (walk right into town), but that’s a real reach for her stats and it’s farther from home than she hopes to be.</p>
<p>Saint Joseph College in West Hartford is wonderful. It’s a very diverse college and might be worth a look/visit
[Saint</a> Joseph College | Saint Joseph College Connecticut](<a href=“http://www.sjc.edu/]Saint”>http://www.sjc.edu/)</p>
<p>When Trinity was an all male college, the Saint Joseph women were much in demand :)</p>
<p>R6L, you know I admire you a great deal, however, to be fair, that’s not true for a significant number of women. Many attend(ed) Smith because they received the most lucrative financial aid award…e.g. STRIDE, Zollman, Phi Theta Kappa and Springfield/Holyoke Partnership scholarships; STRIDE research opportunity; it was the “best” (read, highest ranked) college they were accepted; the town of Northampton was superior to middle-of-nowhere co-ed; housing/dining system; five college consortium; Smith name recognition and prestige, etcetera.<br>
I believe one reason NYC’s daughter attended Smith was to be close to her boyfriend, who was attending Amherst College.</p>
<p>Regardless of the reason a woman chose Smith, I know of very few who weren’t thrilled with their Smith education/experience.</p>
<p>CrewDad - - you have some memory (spot on re: D1). And I agree, many of the girls who choose any women’s college would have pref’d an equally attractive (prestige, finaid, college town, etc.) coed school.</p>
<p>Checked out Simmons the other day (D looking at grad schools). It’s in a fantastic location–just about abutting Northeastern, a 10 minute walk from the Museum of Fine Arts.</p>
<p>Not in the league of Wellesley, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, et. al, but a good school.</p>
<p>Trinity University in Washington DC might work. On the occasions I’ve visited the campus, there has been a clear sense of purpose. Trinity is adjacent to Catholic U and is convenient to public transportation that would take her anywhere she wants to go in DC. As for DC-NYC transportation, Bolt Bus, Vamoose Bus, and other similar lines have one-way fares in the $19 to $30 range with pick-up at Union Station or near the Convention Center in DC and drop off near Penn Station in NYC.</p>
<p>There’s a program at Tulane University (Newcomb College Institute) that’s dedicated to supporting and creating women’s programs/academics at Tulane. I have a friend whose D was a Newcomb Scholar–her D has been happy at Tulane. She found a close-knit group of women through this Newcomb group, even though she’s at a coed school. Other than the colleges you already mentioned, I think you’ve covered most of the women’s colleges located in cities. Don’t know if Bryn Mawr is one you considered, but while it isn’t in a city, per se, it’s very close to Philadelphia–just a short train ride away.</p>
<p>My friend is attending Simmons - she just arrived yesterday, and loves it. The location is wonderful, and she’s really excited about everything. I’m actually quite jealous of her World Religions class… =)</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the suggestions - - but just to clarify:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>D3 is NOT a Smith/MHC/Wellesley/BMC caliber student, </p></li>
<li><p>by “city,” I meant to include pretty much any place that is not too remote (D3 wants to walk from campus into town the way D1 walks from the Smith campus into N’hampton), and </p></li>
<li><p>D3 is not gung-ho for women’s colleges; she understands, however, that they represent a stellar academic value (top-drawer academics, but less compet admissions than co-ed schools).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Have you checked out Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA? It is not a huge city, and your D would certainly be a good fit grade wise. We have a friend there and she absolutely LOVES it.</p>
<p>Does anyone ever look at Converse College in SC? It is never on anyone’s radar!
It does remind me of Simmons from its academic offerings, etc.<br>
Music seems to be very big at Converse. </p>
<p>So many of these women’s schools these days have gone co-ed, out of necessity:
Wells, (NY) Hood (MD) Bennington (VT) etc. Maybe Bennington was quite a while ago! </p>
<p>Colby-Sawyer (NH) & Cazenovia (NY) were once all women’s schools I think.</p>
<p>Mercyhurst in Erie, PA, Concordia or Dominican in River Forest, IL–very nice walkable town and close to Chicago, North Central College in Illinois-- right in a small city and on the Chicago train line, Muhlenberg in PA.</p>
<p>A couple of my friends from high school went here & really enjoyed it.<br>
They seem to have expanded their offerings & have other schools in Albany area & so have a consortium of “Sage Colleges”. </p>
<p>With RPI very close by, there is no shortage of male students either.</p>