No LACs. Well, for research unis, I wouldn’t put too much stock in this notion of free-spiritedness or quirkiness. You will find plenty of like-minded students at larger schools. Don’t rule out a school like Stanford because you heard/read that students can be this way or that way or whatever. (Many review sites, for example, attract people with an axe to grind.) It’s necessary to search for a school that fits you well, but you can find a few free-spirited friends almost anywhere.
Brown is a school most people would agree on, but generally speaking, you’ll get a ton of argument trying to pin down a “quirky” research uni. I thought of Chicago, too, but like another poster suggested, free-spiritedness can go out the window in a highly intense academic environment.
You’ll get more mileage searching for other factors that attract you, for a research university.
So… this would be a pretty rare student. Highly unusual for a Mudder to live on one of the other campuses (it CAN be done, but isn’t very often). And a student who doesn’t want to be a STEM major for sure should not apply to Mudd. Yes, students definitely get to pursue some other interests, but the core STEM curriculum is hard-core. A student who isn’t sure if they want STEM should pick a different school. That said, the OP might find a great fit at one of the other colleges. Pitzer is really “free spririted”, and I think the same can be said of lots of Scripps students. Pomona (if you have the chops to get in) is welcoming of free spirits as well. And all of the schools offer STEM coursework and some STEM majors, and a student can still take some classes at Mudd from the other schools. So I actually agree that there are some good choices for this student in the consortium.
@diane11 - You might want to check out Tufts, its kind of a unique environment.
It is known for the same “quirky” admission essay questions as U of Chicago but more “playful” and it may have been the first to encourage videos when applying.
Attracts similar type of personality but the academic environment is less intense - less time grinding out coursework, so there is more time for reflection.
More of a “explore and find your passion” than a “work hard, play hard” culture.
No “Common Core”, but extensive distribution requirements
- Breadth of knowledge & interdisciplinary perspective is considered important.
- Strong foreign language/culture requirement intended to promote better understanding/acceptance of cultural
differences (engineers are exempt, but they have strong liberal arts distribution requirements).
During the 1960’s when the more liberal colleges were challenging the standard curriculum, Tufts chose to go in the direction of an “Experimental College” (like UC Berkeley, Oberlin and others) rather than an “Open Curriculum” (like Brown, Amherst and others). Berkeley closed their Experimental College in 1969, but Tufts’ Experimental College is still an important part of the curriculum.
Has a large population of artists - Visual Arts is the third most popular major. Partnerships with the School at the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the New England Conservatory.
Culture tends to be more welcoming, non judgmental and non competitive than other New England schools. The culture harks to its the founding by “Ultra” Universalists (the most liberal Protestant theology) after the second “great awakening”. There was a Universalist seminary on campus until 1960.
Has a “LAC-like” feel with a focus on undergrad teaching for both liberal arts and engineering and a strong linkage between the two schools. The Fine Arts Department was started by an engineering professor and there are majors and minors that span the two schools. Started building out research capability in the Health Sciences in the 1980’s around the concept of “one health/one medicine” (close linkage between medical, dental, veterinary, and nutrition schools). Started building out research capability in Engineering about a decade ago.
Lots of STEM opportunities (not just S&M) and a culture that might be a good fit for you.