<p>MIT - the only school that intimidates Harvard
CalTech - smaller version of MIT and probably not as good for economics, linguistics or the few closet humanities majors who get into MIT
Harvey Mudd - the Haverford of tech schools; widely reputed to be the quirkiest of the Claremont colleges (which says a lot about the Claremont colleges.)</p>
<p>Can you add Davidson?</p>
<p>Davidson - a teacup version of UVA, their number of Pell grant recipients seems to mirror the size of the basketball team.</p>
<p>How about Georgetown, Notre Dame, BC, Fordham and Villanova?</p>
<p>I know they are not LACs!</p>
<p>Can we please all clarify whether these comments are based on PERCEPTIONS / rumors / hearsay, versus actual, live experiences with the students at these schools? Because perceptions and rumors aren’t really of much use to anyone.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>To clarify for me: I go to Wes, so my perception there is pretty first hand :P. Other than that, I’ve visited and/or have friends at Vassar, Carlton, Oberlin, Bowdoin, Amherst, Reed. The rest is based on what I’ve picked up from the boards or other people’s visits.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for artsy, outdoorsy LACs, you might want to look at Whitman or Colorado College as well.</p>
<p>"hinderpanda: Wesleyan! It’s a LOT like Vassar in terms of artsy/hippy/hipsterness, and very engaged students. Oberlin also fits the bill.</p>
<p>You might also want to check out Carelton, though it’s less artsy, more quirky. "</p>
<p>wanna elaborate on what you mean by quirkiness? i find the whole hipster culture more attention-seeking immaturity than “artsy”
xD</p>
<p>and are you enjoying your time @ Wes?</p>
<p>“MIT - the only school that intimidates Harvard”
hahaha, the person who said you have a knack for caricatures is right, this is really funny. xDDD</p>
<p>Washington & Lee?</p>
<p>this is a great quote:</p>
<p>“MIT - the only school that intimidates Harvard”</p>
<p>These are just off-the-cuff thoughts, unfiltered for don’t-offend-alums.</p>
<p>Amherst - preppy but reasonably successful at diversifying, science center needs renovation, spread-out campus (relative to LACs), open curriculum</p>
<p>Bard - hipster, artsy, musical (new conservatory), interesting Instant Decision Days</p>
<p>Bowdoin - preppy but more fundamentally traditional (reflected in course offerings), one of the highest % of varsity athletes</p>
<p>Carleton - quirky, laid-back, happy, active, 80% play a sport (including intramural)</p>
<p>Colgate - preppy, Greek, athletic (D1), geographically isolated</p>
<p>Colorado Coll - mountain preppy, outdoorsy, active, OCAAT (block) curriculum</p>
<p>Davidson - Southern preppy, Greek (not as much as Colgate), only 4% Asian, highest-ranked LAC to offer merit-based full rides or any merit aid at all (Swarthmore’s region-limited full tuition scholarship doesn’t count)</p>
<p>Grinnell - laid-back, humble, quirky, gingko trees supposedly have a strong scent, open curriculum</p>
<p>Hamilton - divided between preppy and artsy (“light” and “dark” sides of campus, physically), geographically isolated</p>
<p>Harvey Mudd - unique math/science/tech LAC, walking-distance Claremont consortium, majority male but literally across the street from all-female Scripps</p>
<p>Haverford - Honor Code (community > individual), strong lab science (bio/chem), close academic/social relationship with all-female Bryn Mawr (Bi-Co consortium), 70% play a sport (including intramural)</p>
<p>Macalester - international, activist, urban, possibly the least selective LAC with a linguistics major (not that anyone cares)</p>
<p>Middlebury - granola preppy, spread-out (but shiny, as in new) campus, beautifully designed library-as-social-space, international</p>
<p>Oberlin - quirky, activist, musical (world-class conservatory), womb chairs in orange-painted library</p>
<p>Occidental - laid-back, worldly (unique curriculum requirements, similar to Pitzer’s)</p>
<p>Pomona - laid-back, outgoing, happy, walking-distance Claremont consortium</p>
<p>Reed - quirky, intense, academic (as in PHDs), activist, core curriculum (Hum 110), got some public flack for being openly need-aware</p>
<p>Smith - quirky, outspoken, intense, inexplicably gets more “lesbian” flack than the other women’s colleges</p>
<p>Swarthmore* - quirky, intense, academic, social justice (Lang Center), exceptional racial diversity, exceptionally broad academic offerings (e.g. linguistics), Tri-Co consortium with Haverford and Bryn Mawr but more standalone than Bi-Co, stately campus</p>
<p>Vassar - artsy, hipster, formerly all-female, creative writing has suffered from budget cuts, larger than most LACs</p>
<p>Washington & Lee - very Greek, Southern preppy, politically conservative (a rarity among top LACs), great merit full-ride program (Johnson Scholarship)</p>
<p>Wellesley - pre-professional (relative to LACs), beautiful campus, all-female, lesser-used consortium with MIT, Boston social life, Greek-ish societies</p>
<p>Wesleyan - artsy, quirky, activist, larger than most LACs</p>
<p>Whitman - active, outdoorsy, laid-back</p>
<p>Williams - preppy, active, outdoorsy, athletic, artsy subculture, main library needs renovation, geographically isolated</p>
<p>*Full disclosure: Swarthmore was my first choice and I’ll be attending in Fall 2010.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee is fascinating. It has a very strong honor code, so (or so they say) you could leave your ipod in the dining hall and no one would touch it. VERY Southern, old-fashioned, conservative, fratty. Charming little town with lots of VMI cadets walking around it. Lots of ma’aming and sirring. Convocations in a chapel where there is a very large marble statue in front of Robert E. Lee lying semi-recumbant with a blanket over him–he is buried in a crypt underneath which you can visit, and if you walk outside, you can also pay your respects to his horse. Plus, if that isn’t enough Confederate Horse stuff for you, you can go to VMI in the same town (very bizarre fortressy place) and see Stonewall Jackson’s horse, stuffed, in a free museum right on the VMI campus. And Stonewall Jackson’s raincoat with the hole from the bullet that killed him. There are tons of frats and some secret societies, like the Cadaver Society, where people dress up (men, I guess) in capes and skeleton masks and make mischief at night. It’s a whole other world!! Great academics and advising, I believe.</p>
<p>Skidmore, very artsy.</p>
<p>Endicott - spot-on about Washington & Lee!</p>
<p>Reed = hippy = very intellectual stoner types… can get contact high just walking through campus.</p>
<p>are LACs generally more preppy b/c of their cost or something?</p>
<p>also, which ones are considered the most “not jock-y”/“artsy” ones?</p>
<p>hinder, the majority of the LAC are in the East, which is where the majority of the preps schools are based, hence the “preppy” comments.</p>
<p>Williams is probably considered among the most Jock-y LAC’s…</p>
<p>most artsy: Vassar, Bard, Skidmore, Sarah Lawrence, Wesleyan, Oberlin… Carleton and Grinnell, but then you’re getting more into laid-back quirkiness.</p>
<p>Son recently back from the accepted stuents days at Colorado College, and found it to be on the hippie side of the hippie/preppy continuum.</p>