<p>St. John’s is so tiny though, that you won’t feel like you are with strangers. You have to buy into the curriculum and also you can’t take a semester off - it’s a full year or nothing. My nephew went there and loved it, but it’s not for everyone. I think it sounds like torture!</p>
<p>Thanks again for so many suggestions! Warren Wilson is a must-visit, and I think we will try to get to St. Mary’s of Maryland during spring break. I’ve been aware of St. John’s for years, and if I could return to college, it would be my top choice. I’ve had an ambition of beginning an independent study with St. John’s 4-year reading list, but I keep getting distracted by novels. I didn’t think it would appeal to my daughter because, despite her intellectual interests, she’s not a big reader. She’s more of a visual learner. But, when she read these comments, to my surprise, she didn’t rule out St. John’s. We’ve been checking out some of these suggestions on Unigo and other sites. She wants to take a look at Bard. Goucher also was appealing, but the requirement to study abroad is daunting. She thinks she would like to do that, but she doesn’t want to be forced to do it. </p>
<p>As I was reading the OP, before I reached the last paragraph I was thinking Reed would work for her. Then I read the last paragraph, and I think they’re on the correct track. Confession: I’m a Reed graduate from way back. I went on to earn a PhD and made my career in academia.</p>
<p>To the OP, there’s a reasonable chance that in the right environment your daughter is going to rediscover the relevance of math, even perhaps in the context of philosophy (logic) but also as she works through her thinking about possible careers.</p>
<p>But Reed isn’t the only prospect. Some others have been mentioned. Bard, for example, or Beloit or Kalamazoo. She might also consider Bryn Mawr (a niece of mine attended and thrived there) and Grinnell (I’ve known several Grinnell grads). These are all schools in which a student can explore, where it’s safe to be a thinker, but where there will be some reasonably diverse intellectual challenges. K-college is also known for its international programs.</p>
<p>@saffrona. if you’re going to visit Warren Wilson, take a look at UNC-Asheville. It’s a relatively small college (3500 students) that’s more like St. Mary’s than Chapel Hill. </p>
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<p>This would make a great list thread - Colleges where it’s safe to be a thinker… Every year people seem to be searching for this “list”. </p>
<p>Re Warren Wilson, I knew nothing about it until a couple of years ago. Then an old acquaintance of mine was named president. I investigated the school, gave a donation in honor of my friend’s inaugural. It appears to be a very humane and sane (and progressive) place, in which academics are core. Worth exploring for sure.</p>
<p>I second or third St. John’s. The Great Books curriculum might be just the ticket for her. Alternatives to Reed in the Pacific NW might include Willamette, UPS, and Pacific. </p>
<p>How about Earlham, or Hampshire?</p>
<p>Just visited Goucher with my HS junior and they have many ways to do study abroad. You do not have to do a full semester. You can take a course on campus and then spend 3 wks abroad with that class dealing with the specific issue. They also work hard to integrate kids back into the college when they return from abroad. We plan to go back so son can sit in on a philosophy class, would be interested to hear your daughter’s reaction.</p>
<p>Thanks, SlackerMomMD, we will definitely check out UNC-A while in the neighborhood. </p>
<p>mackinaw, it’s my fervent hope that college rekindles her passion for math. Reed looks ideal to her (although I have some reservations about the academic intensity, knowing her difficulties with stress). Still, if it weren’t for the sticky problem of the college she chooses needing to also choose her, we might be on a plane to Portland and done. </p>
<p>Warren Wilson definitely looks like a strong contender. We visited Grinnell when her brother was college shopping, and I loved it. I thought at the time it would be a great college for her, but I have the same worry there as at Reed, that it may be too much of a reach. Of course, it doesn’t really matter what I think about it anyway since so far she has rejected considering any college to which her brother applied or even visited. Sibling dynamics!</p>
<p>Earlham and Hampshire look possible.</p>
<p>And thanks for the update on study abroad at Goucher, mom24boys. I’ll see if that changes her mind; we could visit there during spring break.</p>