<p>I want to attend a small college or university (with anywhere from 700 to 5,000 students). Primarily or exclusively residential. West Coast or South preferred, but open to other regions. </p>
<p>Here's the tricky part: </p>
<p>1.) I am agnostic, liberal, and bisexual. I would not feel comfortable attending a highly-religious college. </p>
<p>2.) At the same time, I am not interested in the drinking, partying, pot-smoking culture found at most colleges. I don't judge those who want to partake. I just personally find it extremely boring. </p>
<p>3.) However, I am also not going to college just to study. Schools where students spend 99% of their time in the library or their dorms with their heads in their textbooks is not for me. I'm very outgoing and social, and I want to get involved with many different aspects of campus life (studying, yes, but also student government, maybe newspaper or yearbook, sports, etc).</p>
<p>Basically, I'm looking for a college that is open-minded/at least moderate or liberal, not a study-obsessed "geek" school, and with an actively-involved student body that finds most of its fun in activities besides drinking and partying (and does so genuinely, not because the campus is just "strict").</p>
<p>Does this college exist or am I going to have to make compromises somewhere?</p>
<p>I’m not sure it offers the sort of academics you are looking for, but have you heard of the Evergreen State College? It has just under 5,000 students, is located on the West Coast (might be a little too far north for your liking), it is known for offering a style of education that is more alternative and less “by the books”, and it has a very progressive, liberal student body. </p>
<p>On the downside, the perception is that many of the students use marijuana recreationally. Although I’m sure you could find plenty of students who don’t.</p>
<p>What is your gender, and what are your stats? A women’s college might be a good fit if you are female (often less partying). They are outside your preferred geography, but what about Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, or Smith? Scripps is in the Claremont consortium (if you don’t have the stats for Pomona).</p>
<p>Try any of the colleges in the Claremont Consortium… Great academics yet not as intense as many other top schools… Pomona is the one I would personally find most appealing</p>
<p>Check the list at Quaker.org/colleges. Not all are still formally affiliated ith any of the Quaker religious groups, but even those that still are will be very tolerant and reasonably sober.</p>
<p>Reread my post. I said I do want studying, just not a campus that is all about studying 24/7. Since when is wanting to explore interests and activities at college a sign that I shouldn’t attend one at all? </p>
<p>Anyway, to those who offered real suggestions, thank you. </p>
<p>To clarify some things:</p>
<p>1.) I’m not at all “tempted” by partying/drinking/drugs. I just have no interest or desire, and I don’t want to be surrounded by people who think the only way to have fun at college is to partake in those extremely limited activities. People who think it’s one of the ways? Sure. That will be at every college campus. I drink sometimes myself, though only very lightly (say one glass of wine or one beer some nights). I merely seek a college where students are open to a variety of fun experiences and whose social life is not centered around the party scene.</p>
<p>2.) I am definitely considering women’s colleges. The ones I will definitely apply to include Smith, Sweet Briar, and Mount Holyoke. I am also highly considering the lesser-known Meredith and Hollins which also seem to fit my criteria very well. This being said, I want to apply to at least a couple co-eds so I have options.</p>
<p>3.) My stats are very good. By the time I graduate, I will have taken 5 AP’s (and have gotten 5’s on all the tests thus far) and many more honors classes. I have a 3.9 GPA right now, UW. Ranked in the top 1% of my class. 2150 SAT score. Blah blah blah. </p>
<p>4.) Academic interests…undecided. Something in the humanities though. I want to work in the TV industry post-graduation but most LACs and similar colleges don’t offer that major, and that’s fine with me. </p>
<p>5.) Financial constraints. Well, I come from a lower-middle class family. We will definitely need merit scholarships or need-based aid to make it work. </p>
<p>Thanks again for the suggestions. I’m going to look into all of the ones recommended. Keep 'em coming.</p>
<p>I’ll second the suggestion of Smith. Other than the region, it seems like a great match for what you’re looking for. While there are certainly students who party, it’s not a party school. There a lot of students who do other things for fun. The school has a lot of resources and is in a great location (Northampton).</p>
<p>You can try the net price calculators at the various schools to see what need-based financial aid is like. The schools with the best need-based financial aid tend to be more selective schools (or in-state publics in some states).</p>
<p>University of Minnesota - Morris and Truman State (Missouri) are small public LACs that start out relatively low price, and are known to give merit scholarships. No idea on the party / non-party scene, though. Truman State does include automatic merit scholarships in its net price calculator.</p>
<p>Rice works with your list, although a lot of people drink there (Beer Bike Race, etc). Rhodes college in Memphis might also work for you. They have a pretty large greek system, but it is all non-residential.</p>
<p>Maybe Whitman? I don’t know much about this school, so you would have to do some research. But from what I know about it, it seems to match with what you want in a school.</p>
<p>Look into Occidental College or possibly LMU which although it’s a Jesuit institution is not at all religious. LMU supposedly gives good aid to the best qualified students. Other schools you might want to consider which give preferential financial aid are Lewis & Clark, Colorado College (block plan), and possibly University of Puget Sound. All have a reputation as somewhat of stoner schools, particularly L&C and Colorado College, but there are PLENTY of other things to do besides drugs</p>
<p>Do take a look at Whitman. Liberal, GLBT friendly, and loads of interesting stuff going on, including rigorous academics. Drinking and, to a lesser extent, drugs are present but from what I understand are easily avoidable. There are frats that like to party but the social scene does not revolve around them. It’s in a small charming town and the students are embraced by the community.</p>
<p>I lived within easy walking distance of Soka, so I’m familiar with the school. Based on the OP’s descriptions, Soka would probably be a horrible fit. Most of the students I’ve spoken with, including a girl from my high school who attends there, say that although it’s not officially religious, it has very heavy ties with the Soka Gaokki (sp) sect of Buddhism, socially, academically, and culturally. Many of the students are extremely religious which the OP clearly indicated she doesn’t want. </p>
<p>Although it lacks a party scene, the aforementioned high school friend (who chose it because it was free) claims that social life, of any kind, is extremely limited. Again, not what the OP wants. Finally, and this might not be a concern to the OP, but the surrounding city of Aliso Viejo isn’t what I would consider a college town. Other cities around Aliso Veijo, including Laguna Beach, Irvine, and Los Angeles are good, but getting to them requires a car. Public transit in South Orange County is terrible.</p>