I am an intl. student, my first choice is Smith College, and I will most likely apply ED, but I am struggling to find other colleges with the same kind of “personality/vibe”. I am looking for colleges in which people are politically active and engaged with current issues, I do not want to have the typical American university experience (which means, I am not really interested in parties, alcohol and fraternities/sororities. Although I do not mind it, I dont want it to be something for which the school is known for). I will most likely study Women and Gender studies, Intl. Relations/Politics/Human Rights and/or education/child development. My list right now includes: Smith, Bennington, Wellesley, Swarthmore, Pitzer… Is there any other college I should look at???
I’d add any of the other Seven Sisters schools, but particularly Vassar, Bryn Mawr, maybe Barnard. Look at Mount Holyoke and Amherst when you are touring Smith since it’s right there.
Lots of LACs would fit your needs. Without knowing your stats, I might add Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Bates. Brown for Ivy League.
Since you like Pitzer and are open to women’s colleges, add Scripps.
If you’re willing to consider the Midwest, maybe Macalester.
Definitely Vassar. Maybe Skidmore too.
St. Olaf
Earlham
Carlton
Grinnell
Hampshire (part of the 5 colleges; you should tour them all)
Oberlin
Reed
Haverford
Sarah Lawrence
Wesleyan U
Wheaton in Mass
Agnes Scott
Mills
Lewis and Clark
Simmons in Boston
Bard College
Great responses so far. Although mentioned above, I think that Vassar College should be added to your list.
P.S. As an international applicant, it is important to know whether or not you need financial aid as many colleges & universities do not offer financial aid to internationals.
Mt. Holyoke and Bryn Mawr offer Int. FA
I think Wheaton in Mass also does.
Great recommendations above. I’d second Reed College in Portland, OR and Grinnell in Iowa. Portland is a great, funky city. Grinnell is very much the kind of school you are looking for. It is in a rural location. We love Northampton (Smith College) as a college town also.
The references above are to the Five College Consortium, which includes Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst, and U Mass Amherst. Students can take some classes and take advantage of opportunities at the other schools.
Clark University
Just to clarify on financial aid to internationals:
As in US admissions, internationals may be eligible for two types of aid: need-based aid and merit scholarships. Most colleges offer need-based aid to internationals, though the amounts offered may not cover full demonstrated need.
Only a handful of schools are need-blind in admissions. The rest are need-aware, meaning that financial need is a factor in admissions. Though very few schools breakdown international admissions statistics, it is generally understood that the greater majority of admitted internationals did not apply for financial aid.
For example, Wesleyan (which shares international statistics) only admitted 4.6% of international applicants seeking aid. They did however admit 19.2% of international applicants who did not seek aid.
http://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/informationfor/international.html
Merit scholarships are available for internationals but they are rare and in most cases highly competitive and hard to predict.
Internationals seeking need-based or merit aid do get admitted and do get aid, sometimes generous amounts; however, unlike US admissions it’s difficult for internationals to know what to expect financially.
@luvice, I would recommend Wesleyan, Mt. Holyoke, Grinnell, Macalester, Skidmore, Oberlin, Bryn Mawr.
as small liberal arts colleges that have some degree of cultural overlap with Smith and also enroll a comparatively high number of internationals.
I believe that internationals are able to get a general sense of the financial aid that may be available to them by looking at a college’s common data set. For example, Smith College’s 2017/18 common data set shows that about 14% of its students are internationals (350/2521). 154 of the 350 received financial aid with the average award being $56k.
Compare that to Pitzer where 11% (117/1089) of its students are internationals. Only 13 of those 117 received financial aid with the average award being $56k. Others: 8% of Vassar’s students are internationals (192/2353). 77 of the 192 received financial aid with the average award being $61k. 12% of Wesleyan’s students are internationals (359/2976). 98 of the 359 received financial aid with the average award being $62k.
Definitely Wheaton Mass.
Definitely Oberlin
Kenyon