My son unexpectedly really liked the feeling at Kenyon – strong community, collaborative, intellectual yet a bit laid-back – but prefers the East Coast. What smallish liberal arts schools might we have missed? (He also liked Bard and Vassar.) We were avoiding rural due to his preference but now opening up the search a bit. Not too sporty/preppy. Thanks!
Haverford sounds like it might fit your description. I’d look into Hamilton too.
Look at Skidmore and Dickinson.
Bates? Wesleyan? Haverford? Tufts (bigger)? Connecticut College? Skidmore?
None are particularly easy to get into. Earlham might also fit the bill.
Not East Coast, but my impression is that the students at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado are similar to Kenyon College students. Fairly preppy & upper middle class / upper class economically.
Agree with @Aspiringacademic with respect to Haverford College.
Haverford not sporty or preppy?
Earlham is even farther from the East Coast than Kenyon.
Hamilton, St Lawrence , Union, Colby, Bowdoin. Any number of LACs that are in remote areas.
There’s certainly sporty and preppy people that go to Hamilton. But there’s also a large contingent of more artsy people, or even those who don’t fit tidily into any category. At least that’s what my brother says, who is an enrolled student there.
In roughly ascending order of selectivity: Clark, Sarah Lawrence, Conn College, Dickinson, Bates
Thanks, for some reason he didn’t love Haverford…I think it felt less artsy and relaxed to him. Will check out some of these others – he’s very liberal and not at all preppy so I avoided all the Maine schools but maybe should take a look.
@bklynkids : It is a bit confusing because in your earlier threads you stress a desire for artsy, liberal LACS & do not want sporty or preppy, yet liked Kenyon College.
In my estimation, Kenyon College, Colorado College, Bowdoin College, Hamilton College & Haverford are quite different than Bard College & Wesleyan.
Skidmore College is between Bard & Kenyon, in my opinion, but is not in a city.
Seems like Vassar college might be a good option to consider.
P.S. Again not quite an East Coast LAC, but Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon might be the answer. (If he insists on East Coast, just tell him it is in Portland.)
If he likes the liberal, artsy schools, I’ll second Sarah Lawrence. Wesleyan might be a good choice too, though it’s very difficult to get into. A more heterodox option is Fordham university’s Lincoln center campus: it’s right in the middle of manhattan so the student body is very liberal and cosmopolitan.
@Publisher, we almost didn’t visit because the Kenyon reputation was not artsy/liberal, which is what he’s been focused on. So I was really surprised. But he loved the feeling there. He’s all about warmth and community ultimately, and I think that’s what he felt.
Wesleyan and Vassar are still his top choices, I think-- I think Vassar might have more of that cozier vibe than Wesleyan – and he also felt he could be very happy at Bard (thankfully, as it’s easier to get into), Oberlin, and Pitzer, so we’re just trying to follow along. I liked Skidmore for him a little more than he did. Lewis & Clark is a good idea, might try to catch it over the summer. Thanks.
If I had to describe Kenyon College in a word, it would be “cozy”. If given a second word, it would be “beautiful” (as in beautiful campus).
I really encourage a West Coast visit if feasible. Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon may surprise & delight your son. Almost 2,100 full time students. Most popular majors are social sciences 23%, biology 12%, psychology 12%, foreign languages 8%, & visual & performing arts 6%.
Lewis & Clark College is among the most beautiful campuses in the nation. About 42% male & 58% female.
Portland, Oregon is a great city for students & young professionals who are liberal & into the arts.
P.S. What does your son plan to study ?
@Publisher ha, I think we crossed emails on “cozy” – that’s it, what he’s looking for, I think. So that changes things a bit. I personally think Skidmore seems pretty cozy… Lewis & Clark does sound great though he’s skittish about being somewhere with not so many New Yorkers (provincial kid, I guess). Also, there’s that risk he’d move to Portland permanently…
Also, I don’t actually think Wesleyan is that cozy…
It is quite difficult to extract young professionals from Portland, Oregon & from Seattle, Washington.
Only 12% of the students at Lewis & Clark are from the state of Oregon.
Other colleges in Portland, Oregon are Reed College, an LAC, and Portland State University which is large (about 14,000 fulltime undergrads & about 7,800 part time undergraduates). Also, the University of Portland has about 3,800 students.
Yes, we ruled out Reed (too intense, though good in other ways). He wants to study sociology, music, history, social justice, education (doesn’t really know).
The best undergraduate education major in the country may be SESP at Northwestern University which is located in an upscale Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois. (Also not East Coast.)
SESP is the School of Education & Social Policy. Is a small school within a middle size university setting. Truly cozy school set within Northwestern University. Can double or triple major with the liberal arts school at Northwestern (Weinberg).
One can blend sociology, education & social justice within the SESP curriculum.
But for the absolute tops in coziness, Lewis & Clark. I believe the college president has students over for dinners.
Strong community, collaborative, intellectual but laidback: definitely look at Hamilton as that about sums up the vibe there!
Willamette? (Sorry, I do see you said east coast, though) Agree that Haverford has that strong community vibe. Someone mentioned Conn College - I don’t see the vibe as the same as Kenyon.