While I had my heart set on some the prestigious schools like Stanford and Harvard, I realized that they don’t fit me. Now I am looking at colleges like UC Berkeley and Brown. They seem more free-spirited and “quirky” with less judgement from other students. What are other schools that have a similar atmosphere? I don’t really want to go to a liberal arts college. Also, I already have some in mind but I don’t know if they truly are the right atmosphere. Opinions on NYU, UChicago, and Rice?
I wouldn’t exactly call the UofC a place for free spirits.
Why do you say that? I thought Berkeley (and San Francisco near it) was a very “free spirited” town and I’ve just heard that from others. @boolaHI
My comment is placed towards the UofChicago, not CAL…very distinct institutions.
Oooookay thanks for the clarification and advice (just skimmed over the “UofC” part and saw it as UC). @boolaHI
Reed is non-conformist, and some would say free-spirited, but it a LAC.
I think free spirits do go to U of C. A lot of people there march to their own drummer! But you need to be ready for very strenuous academics, be okay with the core curriculum (different than a lot of colleges), and be prepared to battle out some tough coursework without a lot of support in some cases.
I don’t see Rice as "free spirited’. And NYU is sort of it’s own beast. Financial aid is poor at NYU if you need it.
SInce you mentioned Caltech on another thread, I assume you are a STEM major? As I said there, take a good look at Harvey Mudd. My D, who is a free spirit of sorts, is thriving there.
Have you considered women’s colleges? I think there are some that definitely cater to “free spirits” – visit a couple if you haven’t, you might be surprised. Bryn Mawr, Scripps, and a little further out there is Smith. Mount Holyoke is a little more on the traditional side, but not that much — my D still loved her visit there and strongly considered it after getting an offer with great merit aid.
In what ways are you quirky?
Do you mean that you’re just not the “preppy” type?
Are you OOS for Berkeley? If so, will your parents pay the OOS cost?
Reed
Hampshire
Evergreen
UCSC
Bard
Oberlin
Goucher
Wesleyan
It’s easier to identify a LAC with being “free spirited” because the smaller population tends to morph into a relatively homogenous culture. I’m sure there are plenty of free spirits at most larger universities, too. It’s just that the large population tends to smooth the edges and make the vibe less distinct.
So when you say, “I don’t really want to go to a liberal arts college,” what does that mean? Are LACs on the table or are they not?
Every kid I know who has visited Reed says it’s hyper-conformist – just in a leftier than thou kinda way. And these are kids who, themselves, are on that end of the political spectrum. YMMV, of course, but that’s definitely a school worth visiting before you add it to your list for campus-vibe type reasons.
Exactly what experiences have you had with getting judgment from Stanford and Harvard students?
If it helps you understand the UChicago comment, it is sometimes referred to as the place where fun goes to die. Consider Reed in Portland, Skidmore, Oberlin. When you say you don’t want to go to a liberal arts college, why?
I would not say Cal is free spirited at all. Sure, it’s super liberal, but it is incredibly intense academically and very competitive. Those aren’t things I would usually associate with a “free-spirited” college. The most free-spirited UC IMO is Santa Cruz, but that’s not really academically at the level of Cal.
@Wje9164be @Dunboyne As far as choosing a liberal college, I don’t want to because I am not sure of my major and would rather keep my options for a STEM major open by going to a university with more programs for STEM.
@mom2collegekids I want a school that is less traditional and that has a student body that is less judgmental. I know it is hard to generalize that about an entire school, but I still want to hear some potential schools.
Liberal arts colleges often lack engineering, but can be as strong or stronger than universities in sciences and math and may offer more opportunities for research.
I think the Claremont consortium sounds ideal for you. You can pursue your STEM interests at Mudd, while taking classes at some of the other campuses, and living in Pitzer dorms. What’s not to love? The disadvantage is that the colleges are fiendishly expensive. Have you considered College of Creative Studies at UCSB? You have a large research university’s facilities, but a tiny “free-spirited” community within it.
You shouldn’t generalize as you will find many so-called liberal and free-spirited schools incredibily judgemental. No kidding.
I was thinking the exact same thing. “Liberal” does not always mean “free-spirited”. One can make a strong argument that the most “free-spirited” schools would be large universities (U Wisconsin or UNC-Chapel Hill come to mine) because you can be anything within such a large eco-system of students.
I’m not so sure I would say Reed or Oberlin are “free-spirited”. Reed and Oberlin students can be quite judgmental in their own way. You need to make sure you’re free-spirited in the same way.