I posted something similar a few years ago for my older daughter. She ended up applying to and happily attending St Olaf - a school she hadn’t thought of until one of you recommended it, so I thought I’d try again for my high school junior, who is just starting to get serious about her college search. She basically likes everything about St Olaf, but is interested in finding her own path rather than follow her sister to college.
-Plans to major in science, wants to work in environmental science
-Wants a highly residential LAC, preferably no smaller than 2000 students (though she’d consider smaller if it wowed her)
-Wants a fairly even male-female ratio
-Geography isn’t terribly important, she’s excited to broaden her horizons and we’re okay with that (we are in New England)
-Wants a school where there is an active social life available for non-partiers and non-Greek students
-Fit is extremely important. She wants a school where kids are excited about joining in, warm and accepting community, fun activities etc. She is very service-oriented.
Parent requirement: Must be a solid merit aid match for her stats. Took the ACT cold with no prep and got a 31, and is now studying now for a retake to see if she can improve. She’s not an overachiever, but has a nice activity list which shows sincere interest in a few things (she’s an inch wide, mile deep sort of kid.) She’ll have 3 AP’s when she graduates and probably about a 3.75 from a highly competitive high school.
I’d share her whole working list, but it is full of inconsistencies which I think would obscure what she wants. But, she is thinking about Gustavus Adophus and Luther College, which she heard about through friends of her sister at St Olaf. She is turned off of Gustavus primarily because the science building is outdated.
If you have any schools to suggest, I would be very grateful! And if anyone has any questions about St Olaf, I’d be happy to answer them from a parent’s perspective.
We won’t qualify for much need-based aid, but are, of course, interested in keeping costs down. Encouraging her to target schools with good merit aid for her stats.
HeavyLidded, I don’t think she has thought about College of Wooster – thanks very much!
There are a lot of wonderful suggestions above - I would add any of the Claremont Colleges in California: Pomona, CMC, etc. - also Reed or Colorado College.
I can’t see her at Gustavus (have you visited)? The kids are quite nice but it is way more provincial than St. O with most kids from MN and ND it seemed. The science building is, indeed, outdated and the rest of the campus and town are not that attractive. D looked at it when we were in the area and it felt nothing like StO although it kind of seems like it on paper.
If you are open to MN, Macalester? The right size, service oriented. Not primarily a science school, but enough science, and more of a science in the nation’s service kind of place.
“wants to work in environmental science” - This can mean a lot of things. Encourage her to research it a bit. If she can refine that, it may help. (If not, that’s OK too).
Far from home, but has she thought of Whitman College in Washington State? Awesome environmental science program, smart, happy, friendly kids and lots of outdoor activities. Good service opportunities as well.
I second the Muhlenberg College suggestion. Great reputation for the sciences. Involved students. Great dining services. Just made a big commitment to bump up merit aid. Caring faculty and employees. Impressive support for a student body of about 2,200. Best of luck to you!
I second looking at Grinnell, Whitman, and Colorado College. Also consider Lewis and Clark in Portland as the possibilities for securing merit money are stronger there based on her current stats…
Lewis and Clark struck me as much less cohesive as a campus. Out tour guide said that most kids either move off campus or study abroad junior year so the community really breaks up. It’s also pretty small. It doesn’t have that “intensely residential” feel that StO has and OP said her daughter wanted. Whitman is much more that way because of the isolated location.
^^ Agreed, but Whitman is more selective than Lewis and Clark. It is by no means a safety for OP, or at least one that can safely give her merit money. Lewis and Clark can be pretty generous with merit aid if the applicant is in that top 25% stat range.
Ditto - it isn’t as cloistered and residential as StO or some of the more remote campuses, but agree that D liked it much better, felt more at home with the students and the merit $$$ were excellent. They also do an early action to have one in the bag which is nice.