If your D likes contained campuses, I could see why she’d like Mac! Family nearby is a bonus.
My D did not find Wooster “cerebral” enough, FWIW. But it is a lovely campus.
Has she considered Kenyon? They do offer merit. Lovely small school with a gorgeous campus in a teeny tiny town. Liberal but not as much as Oberlin is purported to be. Some Greek life but I am pretty sure it’s integrated into residential life, not free standing houses.
Eckerd College is a member of CTCL schools. It could be a good safety for her. She would be eligible for the highest merit award. They are opening a new arts building this month. The class sizes are small and they are known for their wonderful professor/mentor relationships. She would be able to become involved with research as a freshman. They offer study abroad programs during a 3 week winter term as well as semester, summer, spring break and spring into summer trips. Take a look at their International Education department and list of past trips, I think she will find many of them quite interesting. They also have a very strong and collaborative student services center.
For what it’s worth, my D17 (full disclosure, not an Aspie) was adamantly opposed to a smaller school, adamantly opposed to a women’s college. Had her eye set firmly on our large and co-ed state flagship and since she is very strong minded was not very open to anything else. We visited Smith, mostly because I thought she should take a look and not because she especially wanted to. She liked what she saw and heard, and when all was said and done it had become her first choice by far. Visiting the school, and then talking to Smithies past and present about the pros and cons of an all women’s college, completely changed her mind.
Since a few a suggesting Denison and you mentioned your daughter’s love of farming I thought I’d share this https://homestead.denison.edu/community/
Youngest son is not dissimilar to your D, OP, standardized score-wise and art interest-wise. You acknowledged that with some kids, keeping them in school is as important as getting them in.
DS is a rising sophomore at Skidmore. He might have been a candidate for a “higher tier” school, but we think he’s at the right place. They have a very supportive learning center that deals with the issues that are bound to arise. IMO, and admittedly not knowing either you or your D, I think it’s important to take the long view.
@IxnayBob My brother and SIL both went to Skidmore and really liked it (eons ago, of course). She was not interested by what she read in the college guides, but I’m going to encourage her to consider it.
Keeping them in college is HUGE.
Re the Denison suggestions, I think we will definitely put more thought into visiting there - thanks all!
@twobugs I think I may insist my daughter look at Bryn Mawr, not only because she’s interested in Haverford and it’s part of the consortium, but because she really needs to visit an all-women’s college.
@blossom good point re adjusting size for non-integrated graduate programs. For my daughter, though, perceived size (it’s hard to explain) is really, really important. She knows when she gets on a campus if it’s too large (like Brown felt to her). It sometimes has more to do with how comfortable she feels in the space and how navigable the campus is.
@rwmannesq My D18 is the middle child in our family, and honestly doesn’t rely on siblings for any stability/support. She more relies on me (although she would be loathe to admit that). Which is a huge concern for me when she goes off to college. With her entering her senior year I am going to try to “wean” her off my help, organizationally and otherwise. Problem is, I did that when she entered high school. She did just fine her freshmen and sophomore years, and then got to a difficult point in junior year when I felt I had no choice but to step in and help her dig out (organize her). Ergo my concerns. I’m not fooling myself that the transition to college won’t be challenging and potentially overwhelming for her - she does NOT transition well. Sigh. The college search is difficult enough, but when you have a child with special needs of some sort, well, it’s a whole new level of difficult.
She did learn some things about herself this past year, challenges and all, that were invaluable. One is that no matter how intelligent and capable you are, people learn (and transition) in different ways, and sometimes it’s best not to take the most challenging course available just because it’s offered. She’s realized that in certain subjects she learns at a slower pace (although learns everything quite well eventually). And she’s learned it’s okay to slow down in a subject sometimes. An invaluable lesson for everyone, really.
Agree that BMC could be a good one to see. Smart is cool there as is quirky,. My sense is that there are also enough eyes to see someone who may be falling through the cracks although I don’t have first hand evidence of this.
If the physical size of Brown, which I think feels pretty small, was not her cup of tea, then I think she may not like CMU or Rochester. I haven’t visited CMU, but it’s big, with 13,000 students. Rochester has a very “university” feel to it and despite being reasonably small for a RU, it feels larger. Bates has a lovely compact campus.
I wonder if she would like Lesley in Cambridge. Very supportive environment, great location, interesting programs.
@Momtothreegirls - in reading your OP and skimming the thread, a comment on Haverford and roommates. 2/3rds of Haverford housing is singles. Their orientation program organizes kids into groups of 10-12 that (from what I can gather) often forms very tight long term bonds. The program is called “customs week”, and I remember hearing someone mention that her customs group meets every Tuesday for dinner at Bryn Mawr…all 3 years so far (because they have better food).
When the majority don’t have roommates (appreciating many upper-class members are choosing to live with roommates they choose), I don’t think it feels the same as when you’re the one living alone on a hallway of doubles and triples. Having seen the detailed housing questionnaire at Haverford, I would assume with your daughter’s medical concerns they would accommodate your preferences.
Have you looked at Brandeis? It’s a serious research university but not much larger than the bigger LACs. Not a party school at all. The kids there tend to be nerdy and quirky. The science departments are great. There’s a very well respected art museum. Serious but not cutthroat. I could see a serious student with social challenges doing well there. Plus, it’s just outside Boston, which opens up all kinds of opportunities off campus.
Not sure if Vassar is actually such a great place for someone who isn’t socially adept. It’s not a party school by any means but the student body tends to be very sophisticated (some might even say pretentious). It’s academic and artsy but the social aspect of the place would worry me for an Aspie.
Just spoke to a friend whose child is on spectrum. The family has had an excellent experience with RIT - apparently they have a great support program https://www.rit.edu/~w-ssp/ that sealed the deal for them (along with the technology-oriented major). I have visited the school myself and was very impressed with the facilities, course selection, small class sizes (given it is a medium sized school), and overall vibe. I also love the coop experience. The child is very happy there.
It is great that you are considering your child’s needs. Looks like grades are not an issue, but outside of the constructs of home, it is worthwhile to dig deeper into aspects of the experience that will help her thrive.
@Momtothreegirls: Know the dance for the delicate balance between independence and need for assistance well. A lot of the others have pointed out excellent schools for consideration and I’m optimistic you’ll find the right fit for your daughter.
I wouldn’t recommend Davidson; it’s very preppy, and seemed to have a homogeneous, conformist student body. It is the only college I’ve ever visited with a team-sport participation requirement. It’s perfect for some students, but I think it would be a disastrous fit for someone like the OP’s daughter. What about New College of Florida?
Did anyone mention Rochester Institute of Technology Spectrum Support program? https://www.rit.edu/~w-ssp/
@Momtothreegirls if she has difficulty with organization, would an ADHD or organizational coach be an option? My daughter with ADHD has major organizational issues and we have found a coach definitely helps. I helped her stay organized in high school but now she is in school 3,000 miles away.