college suggestions for introverted potential philosophy major

Parents Forum
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<p>Hello wise parents. I've been searching the forums but haven't yet located the advice I need, so I'm hoping someone here can point me in the best direction.</p>

<p>I'm trying to help my daughter put together a list of colleges to consider, some of which we may visit during Spring Break, which occurs before we get her ACT score. She's a high school junior with a 3.5 GPA. The pre-ACT predicted a range of 22-26. My son's upper range was predicted at 28 and he nabbed a 33, but my daughter has huge test anxiety, so I'm not optimistic she'll exceed expectations. </p>

<p>Those are the numbers for the purpose of eliminating schools to which she is not likely to be admitted. The bigger challenge is identifying schools which may suit her personality, learning style and interests. She's an introvert who has always preferred the company and conversation of adults to that of her peers. (Consequently, she doesn't have a lengthy resume of extracurriculars, only a few non-impressive activities.) She gets along well with other teens, and she enjoys socializing with them on a limited basis. She stays home most of the time. Despite her need to frequently be alone, she believes she will enjoy living in a dorm with a roommate.</p>

<p>Her primary academic interest is philosophy. Isn't that what every parent wants to hear? :) She "hates school" but will watch academic, philosophical lectures online as a fun hobby. She loves movies, particularly those by Woody Allen (yes, I know!), The Simpsons and humorous current events shows. I think her dream job would be to work for Bill Maher. She doesn't have ambitions for wealth or prestige; she wants to be able to eat and enjoy her life.</p>

<p>She's quite gifted at math but my efforts to steer her in that direction have failed. In 9th grade, a math teacher told me, in front of her, that she was his most gifted student ever. She delighted in the praise and immediately lost all interest in math. The same thing happened with science in elementary school. She wanted to grow up to be "an every kind of biologist" until she won an award for a project and was praised enthusiastically by the school principal. She beamed, and promptly abandoned science. The same thing happened with music and writing. I suppose if I want to squash the philosophy interest, all I need to do is find someone to tell her how awesome she is at it, but I think I should not interfere.</p>

<p>She's shy and not assertive. She prefers to listen in class and doesn't often speak up. This has had a negative impact on her grades as she would punt on an assignment rather than ask for clarification. She's getting better about this, which makes me think it won't be as much of an issue in college, but the GPA certainly limits her choices.</p>

<p>She's oblivious to fashion and appearances. She would not feel pressure to conform at a style-conscious campus; she would simply ignore it, if she noticed at all. However, i suspect she would have more opportunities to make friends and find her tribe on a campus where the lack of fashionable clothing does not mark one as an eccentric.</p>

<p>She does not like to multi-task. I think the one course at a time model of Colorado College or Cornell College would suit her well. Those are on the list. A school on the quarterly system, with three classes at a time, would be preferable to semesters. </p>

<p>Her previous guidance counselor suggested Brown as the ideal school for her due to its open curriculum and pass/fail options. He was very knowledgeable, but I can't imagine how he thought she would get in there. Others have recommended Reed, and she has been on the Reed website and thinks she would like it very much. She told me she chose Reed to receive her ACT scores. However, I'm hesitant to encourage her or even to arrange a visit because it seems like a big reach.</p>

<p>Suggestions? Thanks in advance.</p>

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<p>Maybe Bard as a safer school than Reed? I like the educational philosophy, small classes, and thesis requirements. I don’t like its location in the middle of the woods. Brandeis is another possiblity. Mt. Holyoke and Barnard if she’s willing to look at women’s colleges. Another more out of the box idea is the great books program at St. John’s.</p>

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<p>Brown is highly unlikely given the GPA/class rank and probable test scores. Unless she scores a 34, not sure I’d even suggest that she apply.</p>

<p>Some of the great philosophers were also mathematicians, so I can understand that connection.</p>

<p>I would recommend liberal arts colleges, without a greek scene and without a focus on sports.</p>

4

<p>In the midwest, Kalamazoo College with the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership might be a good one to look at and could potentially be a match on her list for both fit and major. <a href=“Philosophy Department – | Kalamazoo College”>Philosophy Department – | Kalamazoo College;

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<p>Would she be comfortable far from home? Or would it be better to keep her close? </p>

<p>Not too long ago there was a good discussion of what works best for introverts on CC. A parent whose introverted daughter had gone to Sarah Lawrence, thinking it would be perfect because it was small and idiosyncratic, reported that the girl was happier at a large school because she preferred the anonymity to everybody knowing her name. </p>

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<p>The kid in real life that I know who is most like your D from your description is at Goucher and loves it.</p>

<p>If I were you, I wouldn’t over- think the philosophy major. I think all this tells you is that your D isn’t interested in applying to nursing school or wants to become a symphony orchestra conductor. It might be philosophy, it might be anthropology, it might be linguistics, it could be political science. So don’t go too far down the “what’s good for my major” path since she’s likely to have found something else a year from now.</p>

<p>Focus on a good academic and social fit, and as long as it’s not a teeny tiny school, she should be ok.</p>

<p>Rhodes? Beloit? I think of these as “learning for learning’s sake” kind of schools.</p>

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<p>Yup, I thought of Beloit also for learning for learning’s sake, which is a great way to put it…, but I think the philosophy department along with the Arcus Center for social Justice made Kalamazoo stronger. I would presume the OP would also be applying to their state public so that most likely would check the big school box. I like Colorado College also, but it’s getting pretty tough to get in with a 3.5/ACT 25-27.</p>

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<p>I don’t have any advice but wanted to tell you – OP – that i loved your letter.
(i will second Reed…i used to live near that campus and it would be a good place to attend)</p>

9

<p>Quest University in British Columbia is also on the block plan, and I think it’s a good place for independent thinkers.</p>

10

<p>State of residency? Cost constraints?</p>

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<p>Try her on a practice SAT. She may do better on that than on ACT; different kids do better on different ones. It’s all about preparation, once you find your better test.</p>

<p>And if you are in California, drop by UCSB. She might love or hate it, but social is easy there. It is ON the beach, and a gorgeous campus with friendly students. You would have to calculate her ‘UC gpa’ which is a very different animal from most and ignores 9th grade (and gives an extra point to APs). If her stats aren’t up to that UCSanta Cruz might be fun for her, if she gets in. It is in the redwoods near the beach, and you either love it or wonder at it. The student body is considered a bit off beat, but not in a bad way. The UCs are all good – possibly excepting Merced which has promise but is too young for me to judge.</p>

<p>I don’t know the LACs really, so I’ll leave those to others who know a lot more.</p>

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<p>I was going to suggest Bard but mathmom beat me to it. Except for the intended major, you could be describing my D2. I actively discouraged her from applying to large schools where she could hide in the crowd, and she ended up at Bard, where she really had to confront her preference to avoid participation. It was easier, though, because Bard has very small classes and teachers who (really) take the time to get to know their students. (I know every LAC claims this and it might be true, but at Bard each semester grade is accompanied by a personal narrative from the prof. I don’t think this appears on the transcript, but I’m not positive about that.) </p>

<p>Bard students are quirky and often not your typical “headed for the Ivy” type, although many of them certainly could handle it academically. There are no frats, not much of a sports program, but lots of people who like offbeat humor and thrive on discussing ideas (rather than fashion or celebrities) over lunch.</p>

<p>Bard has a four course load, so there’s multitasking but perhaps not as much as a school with a five course load. There’s a big emphasis on writing there, but they’ve been pouring resources into their math and science departments lately. </p>

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<p>All good suggestions, thank you! K-zoo is on the list, and my personal favorite because it is in Michigan, where we live, but admission is not certain so she needs to have some alternates. Plus, I think she wants to get a little farther away. She says she would like to be somewhere warmer, which basically eliminates only the state of Minnesota. Bard had been suggested to her by a friend, but she is not enthused about the northeast. I had not considered Goucher, and that would be a possibility for a spring break visit. Cost is a factor. My son did not qualify for financial aid, aside from loans, at our state supported schools. He had a strong application and received generous offers, merit and need-based, from the private schools, which turned out to be cheaper than the state schools. She won’t attract that kind of money, but that he did has kept most of our college savings intact. Still, we can’t manage $55k/year unassisted. </p>

<p>She definitely won’t be applying to Brown, despite her former counselor’s enthusiasm for it. Aside from the long shot, I doubt she would thrive under the pressure of even the most laid-back Ivy. She needs to keep the anxiety way down. I think she would be better off staying away from a top-ranked school, even if one would admit her, yet she needs more challenge than she would get at the local CC. Something in the middle for Goldilocks.</p>

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<p>Warm makes it a challenge, however, I might suggest looking at Eckerd and Centre in addition to the research on Rhodes and Beloit. In Michigan have you thought about Hillsdale? I can’t speak for finaid there but they create their own packages as they do not accept federal aid. It might be worth a visit to really get the flavor of the kids on campus since you are close. Sounds like your D would fit in great at K.</p>

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<p>I’m not personally familiar with Lawrence, but it gets good reviews from folks we know who have gone there and might also be a good match.</p>

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<p>New College of Florida? It may be a slight reach but they want OOS students.</p>

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<p><a href=“Warren Wilson College - Home - Warren Wilson College”>http://www.warren-wilson.edu/external_index.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I second the suggestion of St. John’s great books program. What about Hampshire? Another place to consider is St. Mary’s College of Maryland.</p>

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<p>I think St. John’s relies heavily on participation in small seminars and that wouldn’t be too smart to force that on her. Most small LAC’s will be expecting that to some extent, though. Hampshire is a good idea. I get the impression that Reed is a bit of a pressure cooker. I think a college with distribution requirements might be good for her so that she revisits all these areas she was/is good at in a college light, she might rediscover a spark.</p>

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<p>Ha! Your daughter sounds like a mini-me. I was a philosophy major. I went to Marquette but my favorite professor moved on to Georgetown. I thought I would have been happy at a Lawrence or an Oberlin. A small school for thinkers with professors who encourage a bit of autonomy. I took my philosophy degree to law school. Good luck to her!</p>