So glad to hear that your son is so happy there. I think it’s worth a serious look for my daughter. She may ultimately decide against applying, but it does seem worthy of consideration. She did like Occidental, which would definitely not be a big school experience.
Yes, she’s not set on business, and may ultimately choose not to go that route. It’s just a possible interest at the moment.
Agree - Wake Forest is likely more accurately categorized as a reach, assuming she applies there regular decision. If she were to decide to ED there - it might be more of a target.
lots of Illinois kids at Alabama, decent business school, football, etc. Some other interesting programs such as Blount Liberal Arts if she was interested in a living learning community around that…
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Our D21, also from a Chicago suburban high performing high school, had some similarities with your D’s list. Very similar rigor and GPA. She did not send scores. Lots of leadership in her ECs (preprofessional ballet, yearbook, and more).
Accepted to LMU with big merit ($30k/year), accepted EA at Richmond, accepted RD to Lehigh and Boston College. Waitlisted at Wake in RD.
I can see the common traits of the schools on your D’s list. Our D wanted small/medium college with lot of access to professors from day one and more of a D1 social atmosphere. Wasn’t interested, though, in super urban areas unlike your D. Midsized schools were generally more difficult for her to choose since many are Catholic or Jesuit and we are not religious so she struggled with choosing those.
Schools she applied to that aren’t on your D’s list: Denver (accepted EA with merit), Santa Clara (accepted EA with merit), Furman (accepted EA with merit), Davidson (accepted RD) and Colgate (accepted RD). She’s at Colgate.
Feel free to PM me if you want to chat privately…
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I think it’s best to see Wake when kids are on campus. And, if you can, have her talk to students from her high school who go there. Short of that, she needs dive deep into the vibe there. By the time D got her WL answer, she wasn’t interested in putting her name on that list. It’s a great school in so many ways but not a fit for D. If your D isn’t not into Greek Life, she might not like Wake. Or SMU for that matter.
Vibe is way different at Wake and SMU than ND or BC.
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I agree with these but not Pitzer. That one is out there. Not a match for someone who likes BC and ND.
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But SMU is VERY Greek heavy for social life. We know students there from our Chicago suburb. Moms “had” to go down there and LIVE near campus during rush. It’s what all of the TX moms did. Made sure the girls had the right clothes and hair and nails done etc. Stayed for the entirety of rush to support them. That was a no go for our suburban Chicago D and she’s not even against Greek life. Just thought that was way over the top.
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Ha ha! Shows my vintage!
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Pitzer as a way in to the whole Claremont consortium.
UMiami jumped out immediately. Emory too. Emory would be a reach but I’d think Miami would be a match.
U San Diego? Beautiful campus. I would think a target school. Santa Clara?
My S21 is at FSU. Pretty, walkable campus. Top notch film school. My son isn’t in the film school but is always helping and acting. There is an artsy element there. They have their own circus tent on campus. Tally isn’t a metropolis but enough to do, especially with a car. With the OOS tuition waiver it’s a bargain. Happy kids.
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It can be, but I noted (to myself) that the OP did not say her daughter did not want greek life.
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I think Elon is a definite likely, but pretty greek if you are looking to avoid that. Folks who love it seem to love it, though. Not in a city. Minor sports scene overwhelmed by the big schools in the area. I think greek life is dominant from what I have read, which I noted you said might be too much with regard to Washington & Lee.
Since you are familiar with Richmond, any thoughts on VCU? I really loved the area when my D22 and I did a walkabout over the summer, but COVID scrapped any tours for us. My D22 decided she didn’t want a school that big. It would be a shoo-in for your D22 and she would be a good candidate for merit if she applied TO.
In NC, maybe check out Appalachian State. I think she would have a good chance there. In state she would be in for sure, but OOS it might be more of a Match rather than a Likely just because NC has a tight lock on the number of OOS students at all state colleges. App State is a huge football school, so it’s got that going for it. Boone is a fun college town.
I agree Wake Forest is a Maybe or a Reach instead of a Match.
If you can get her to look at a women’s college I loved Agnes Scott College. You can take some classes at other schools in Atlanta. Emory is close by. Decatur is fun and walkable from campus. Beautiful campus, btw. It is a Safety/Likely and she would get big money. They give everybody big money. (At least $22K).
College of Charleston is a good suggestion.
If you haven’t already done so, do a search on the “Common Data Set” and the colleges you are interested in. That can give you a good idea of her chances.
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Agree that Wake - like most schools - is better to visit when you can see the students. But I don’t think Wake greek life is like SMU greek life or like big SEC school greek life, although it is important at Wake. I see overlaps with BC and Richmond, Wake was a no for d20 because of location and too many people from the area. Not sure if she would have felt the same if it was in a different location.
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I’m not totally sure how strongly she feels about Greek life. She’s indicated a slight preference against Greek, but also mentioned that if she went to a school with significant Greek life she’d probably rush. But, at the same time, I’m pretty sure she’d run screaming from @homerdog’s description of SMU Greek life (as would I)! I think she just needs to look at some schools with Greek life, and talk to students who are involved, to get a sense for it. I’m no help on that, nor is my husband as we both went to colleges with no Greek life.
I personally love VCU - my dad was a professor there many many years ago. It’s in a great part of Richmond. But, I haven’t been down there in awhile and not sure if it has a “campus” at all. My daughter realized that was a deal-breaker when she toured NYU - a school she was very excited about right up to the tour.
I’ll check out the Atlanta schools - not sure if I can talk her into considering any other women’s college other than Barnard, though. I don’t know much about Decatur but it sounds great. I like Emory for her, but it’s yet another reach, and I’m trying not to add any more of those.
I’ve been checking out the Common Data Sets for the schools that are definitely on the list.
Thanks!
I’m not super informed about Greek life but my impression from reading is that there are degrees of intensity and also fundamental cultural difference in the Greek life culture. I think my daughter would be OK with mild to possibly medium intensity Greek life. W&L makes all kinds of lists for being one of the most “Greek” schools, based on it’s small size and the sheer number of students who are in fraternities and sororities. That’s why I eliminated it, and why maybe SMU wouldn’t be the greatest fit. But, we’ll have to see how she feels once we visit some of these places!
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What was the deal breaker about NYU’s lack of campus? I’m not familiar with it at all so can’t compare to VCU. To me VCU’s campus was urban, but not big city urban. There is a fair amount of green space, but the dorms seemed to mostly be all high rises. Walking around in the dystopian summer of 2021 it felt like being on a college campus with no people around, but we never did get back there when students were there.
@Illinoisparent12 I happen to have sons who went or are going to SMU and W&L, and both joined fraternities. (And, I and my boys, are very very liberal!). The feeling is very different at both schools. W&L paradoxically has a less intense greek community. That’s because-- I think – kids who aren’t the frat “type” decide to join, and rather than the fraternities turning them into Animal House men, they turn the fraternities into more open/liberal/sensitive places. Not to say W&L should go on your list, but it’s a school that benefits from more than a surface look to really understand it. Also, there’s a huge amount of oversight, and zero tolerance for hazing.
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That’s a great question. I didn’t actually ask my daughter but I think if I had to provide an explanation for what she didn’t like, it’s that there was no physical outdoor space that “belonged” to NYU. She wants to be able to “enter” a campus and feel likes she’s in a physical space that is her college. My memory of VCU - and admittedly it’s been awhile - is that it’s more of a collection of buildings in a neighborhood. Which is what NYU is, as well. Even Barnard has a tiny campus with a small quad and some green outdoor space. She doesn’t need 500 acres and multiple quads with people playing frisbee - but at least some small space that makes her feel like she’s in a college.
Really interesting @cinnamon1212. I had no idea and it just goes to show that it’s always better to talk to people who actually attend the schools as opposed to reading about them! I still think W&L is a no-go for my daughter for other reasons (she wouldn’t like Lexington, and not really looking for small LAC) - but maybe my older S21 shouldn’t have eliminated it based on his/my impression of the Greek life. He did like Lexington and was looking for a small LAC.
Glad your son likes it!
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To me VCU felt like a campus, but that is in the eye of the beholder I guess. If you end up down in Richmond might be worth dropping by.
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