Colleges most like Duke TIP?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Or CTY, etc. </p>

<p>DD is in the throes of college search. Looking for most selective schools, yet ones that have a fun, tight-knit community, and if not wholly unrealistic, reminiscent of her summer studies at Duke TIP. I understand that Johns Hopkins CTY is similar to TIP in its subculture and traditions, and that the kids who attend it treasure deeply as well. </p>

<p>As background, DD is very gifted and has top test scores and grades, average activities (but depth in them - they're time-consuming), and most importantly, a very nice kid (recommendations should be excellent). Seeking top schools, but fun schools. </p>

<p>We're quite aware of how many top students the Ivies turn away each year simply because they can't take them all. That isn't a major concern, as we can't really control that. That said, Yale has been the most appealing place for some time. It's the list after that - preferences #2 and down - that is proving a bit hard to nail down, and with fall break visits/tours approaching in a couple months, we'd like to prioritize our travel time. </p>

<p>Geographically, northeast or north central is preferred, but not a must-have. </p>

<p>On a prior trip, we've seen Columbia, Yale, MIT; glanced at Harvard, Northeastern, Brown. She did not like MIT; loved Yale; Columbia was OK. Brown looks good but rep for prevalence of drugs gives her significant pause. We did not get a chance to see some of the many other good ones: Middlebury, Williams, Tufts, Amherst, .... </p>

<p>We have not yet been to Carleton/Macalester/UChicago/Northwestern. Carleton looks really good to her as far as the fun/community aspect; Macalester - same concerns as Brown, otherwise OK. UChicago - "where fun goes to die" - looks academically good but socially dreadful, but she does love Chicago as a city; Northwestern - no opinion yet. But that area is a potential trip. </p>

<p>On a short trip to OH, we did get to see Kenyon and Oberlin. She liked Kenyon a lot; did not like Oberlin at all (long story). </p>

<p>The other main potential destination for fall break is the Philly area: UPenn, Swarthmore, and then further afield, Princeton. Only concern on latter is that it may be a bit too much of a pressure cooker. Of course, we could instead visit New England again and hit the places we missed before, but I think we want to break new ground geographically. </p>

<p>West coast is out. Southeast may be limited to Duke, possibly UNC CH, Vandy, UVA, Wake. She's done summer programs at 3 of those and visited the others, so is familiar with them to some extent. Generally, tiny and giant schools not preferred. No idea what she wants to study yet - except that she does not plan to apply to a specifically-engineering school right out of the gate. </p>

<p>That should give you some idea of what's on the radar. Do any of these schools foster that kind of devotion, community spirit, and fun that is found in things like Duke TIP or JH CTY? How about some others? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any suggestions.</p>

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<p>I’ve visited most of the same schools, and the ones that really stood out to me in terms of community and fun were UNC and Swarthmore.<br>
More than anything, Chapel Hill seemed to stress the community aspect, and I really got a sense that there’s a welcoming community there. The fact that everyone bonds over football/basketball games doesn’t hurt either. The surrounding area is also very nice, and Franklin Street alone has more than some college towns.<br>
Swarthmore, while not in the most happening area (30 minutes from downtown Philly though), hit the fun/noncompetitive/academically rigorous nail right on the head. The students seem very active both on and off campus, and that creates tons of community and friendships. The fact that all events on campus are free doesn’t hurt either. The engineering program at Swarthmore seemed somewhat limited, however. The tour guide said that there were only about 15 engineers in his year.
Other thoughts: Don’t be scared away by Johns Hopkins’s reputation as a workaholic school. It seemed much more well-adjusted and normal than the reputation, and the people I know who go there all manage to find plenty of time to enjoy themselves. Also, even though I don’t know much about it, Washington University in St. Louis seems like it would be a good fit as well.</p>

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<p>Having had a D graduate last year from Carleton, I can definitely vouch for the tight-knit, fun-and-tradition-loving atmosphere there, coupled with intense academics (trimester system). It’s small, though, at 2000-ish students. She liked the town of Northfield and the relatively easy access to the Twin Cities, 1/2 hour to 45 min. away.</p>

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<p>Thank you both for the replies! Regarding Carleton, it’s interesting how, like Kenyon, it about the same distance from the nearest decently-large city. From what they’ve sent, they look very inviting. Academically rigorous but cooperative/collaborative, and fun. There was even something about baking cookies in there (I forget, as a study break during finals or something). It just struck the right tone with her … so much so that I once asked a guide (with tongue in cheek), “what’s your policy on cookies?” </p>

<p>Johns Hopkins - I hope I didn’t confuse. She is not put off by any rep of JHU for workaholism. I only mentioned it to reference CTY, and its similarity to TIP in terms of the kind of social experience she desires in addition to excellent academics. For whatever reason, she is not considering the Balt/DC area for college.</p>

<p>I’m a bit surprised with your UNC comments, as it seemed large to have that kind of togetherness; maybe we’ll have to take the official tour there. We did a drive-by, but I’m also somewhat familiar with it, having gone to school down the road in Durham (!). Glad to hear good things about Swarthmore … that makes a Philly area trip even more worthwhile. </p>

<p>Any feel for Colgate? She gets a lot of stuff from them. They seem to have a party-school rep in some of the college guides but I never felt that way. It is really out of the way, though, for a visit.</p>

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<p>

Your impression is correct. I am immensely fond of UNC, but I would not say it’s like TIP/CTY at all. Duke (my alma mater) and Wake aren’t very similar to them either. In NC, I think Davidson is the best bet - though even that is a bit iffy.</p>

<p>It’s a pity the west coast is out. Reed is definitely the first place to come to mind, and I think she’d do terrifically well there. Lewis & Clark as well.</p>

<p>Perhaps Wesleyan and/or Vassar? If she’ll open up to other colleges in the southeast, Rice might also be worth a look.</p>

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<p>WashU in St. Louis is another midwestern school to consider. My son who went to two CTY summer programs is a happy student there.</p>

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<p>Ah, I was putting that out there about JHU because I assumed that was the reason you were not considering it. I personally love the Baltimore-DC area, but if she doesn’t like it, it doesn’t exactly limit her options too much.</p>

<p>I think going on a tour of UNC would be a good idea, especially if it’s not too far a trip, as it seems not to be. The main reason I don’t think of it as that large is that they seem to do a very good job not only keeping class sizes small, but also creating a community of high-achieving students through the honors and scholarship programs. I’d look into the Morehead-Cain and the Robertson scholarships–they’re excellent programs and your daughter sounds like a good fit for them.</p>

<p>I don’t have a great feel for Colgate–it’s too “in the middle of nowhere” for me–but if she doesn’t mind the cold it’s worth researching more.</p>

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<p>Look at Davidson and William & Mary for fun, tight-knit, community. Also, much better weather than your other schools. Not a factor that should be overlooked:)</p>

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<p>Thanks again, all. Yeah, the west coast is just too far for her preference. She’d like to go north or northeast if possible, that’s just her geographic preference. All of those schools are really good, and among those and other really good schools, we hope to find a group of them with top-notch academics and where (most of) the students are clever enough to have serious fun without getting besotted or baked. </p>

<p>Warblersrule- I’m a Blue Devil myself ('89), married to a Demon Deacon. </p>

<p>I agree on the honors schools, and I’ve encouraged her to look at those at UNC and UVA, especially. Haven’t heard her mention Vassar, not sure why. I used to live near Wesleyan, and it’s nice, but not sure it’s as selective as she is aiming for (and it’s a bit smoky, or was). </p>

<p>As for weather, some might argue, esp. this time of year, whether southern weather is better. Yes, I know that the school year usually excludes the summer, but I think she sees a change in climate as one of the many valued changes that one gets when they “go away” to college. Anyway we’re getting away from the point of the thread - she has a lot of other considerations as well, but I hope to zero in on a particular quality that would probably mean a lot to her.</p>

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<p>If Yale is her top choice, Rice should definitely be on the list.</p>

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<p>Dorian_Mode: would you care to elaborate? She’s gotten a fair bit of stuff from Rice, but as you must know well (based on your Location field), Rice is not anywhere near her preferred geographic regions of north-central to northeast. It is, however, of the kind of size and selectivity she likes, and IIRC there’s a residential college system. But what would you like to say about it - why do you think it’s a college like Duke TIP or JHU CTY?</p>

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<p>I’m not at all familiar with Duke TIP or JHU CTY, but I know a decent amount about Yale because my father went there and it was one of my top choices (along with Rice) back when I was doing my college search. The residential college system is central to campus life at Rice, which makes it very similar to Yale, and I really can’t imagine another school fostering such a wonderful sense of community. I would encourage you to browse the Rice subforum on this site a little bit, as there are a number of active alumni and current students who have done a great job of explaining the Rice experience every time a prospective student has a question.</p>

<p>Houston is definitely far outside your daughter’s preferred location, and I can understand not taking much interest in Rice due to travel expense or climate-related reasons, but if she’s worried about culture shock coming from the northeast to Texas (which is a frustratingly common worry among posters on this forum), I’d strongly encourage her to give it a chance anyway.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your reply, Dorian_Mode. </p>

<p>While it’s true that she’s ruled out the West Coast due to distance, her north central to northeast preference is not because we live there; we actually live in the southeast US. But it’s still a heckuva lot closer. </p>

<p>I agree with your comments on culture shock being a common worry. But there are sometimes understandable reasons for that, e.g., [Texas</a> Conservatives Win Vote on Textbook Standards - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html]Texas”>Texas Conservatives Win Vote on Textbook Standards - The New York Times)</p>

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<p>Texas definitely has its share of ultraconservatives, but they’re more prevalent in the suburbs and smaller towns. Houston is a very metropolitan city; in fact, its current mayor is a lesbian (and a Rice alum), so I feel like it’s my duty as a Rice grad to make sure people realize it’s not in some terribly backward location.</p>

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<p>If she’s looking at midwestern LACs, then she really should think about Grinnell. They offer merit aid, if that’s of interest.</p>

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<p>SDonCC, thank you for your reply, and yes, merit scholarships are always of interest. What can you tell me about Grinnell and the ways in which it is like Duke TIP or JHU CTY? Do you think it’s very similar to Carleton, and what advantages do you think it may have to Carleton? </p>

<p>Dorian_Mode, we are at least going to see Rice on the road in Nashville on Thursday, with the Exploring Educational Excellence group.</p>