Pitzer’s commitment to xeriscaping indicates the strongest sensitivity to environmental concerns, in my opinion.
One more thing that I thought that I might want to add.
Your daughter is in 9th grade. There is a long way to go between now and sending in university applications. However, your daughter does not need to maintain a 4.0 in order to get into a very good university and to do well at a very good university.
As one example, I mentioned above that UVM seemed like a good fit for what you were asking for (strong Environmental Sciences program, LGBTQ friendly, medium sized, beautiful location, outdoorsy, mountains nearby, liberal state, …). You do not need a 4.0 to get accepted to UVM (whether out of state or in state). You do not need a 4.0 to get a very good merit based scholarship to UVM.
One daughter got her first (and so far only) B in a history class in high school. I was thrilled that she finally got a B. This allowed her to learn something very important (actually more important than the history class): You do not need to be perfect.
Our students are under way too much stress in the US. There are too many high school students in the US currently being treated for stress related illnesses.
If your daughter gets a B at some point, then I would suggest that you do what I did when my youngest got her B: Take her out for ice cream and point out that this is not a problem. She’s a strong student. She will do well.
Do not expect your daughter to maintain a 4.0. This is too much pressure for most kids, and it is not necessary to do very well in life.
I agree. I already worry that she feels that she needs to be as “good” as S22.
If she’s a D25 isn’t that 10th grade? Kids who are seniors this year are 23s.
Anyway, all this?
Warren Wilson College near Asheville NC has got you covered. It’s very small, very outdoorsy, very very LGBTQ, no Greek life at all, and NC still has legal abortion. Also has great environmental programs. My D22 is headed there in just a few weeks.
Salisbury would be a great safety “sleeper” school. Great Envl offerings, both studies and sciences. Great outdoor opportunities if you like the water (fresh and salt).
I know, the abortion issue … but Oberlin is a really obvious school to at least consider. It ticks off every other box. Many consider it the best Envl Studies in the nation. As LGBTQ friendly as it gets. No greeks. Small, with a nearby campus arboretum.
Check out Colorado State. The U isn’t small, but the living learning community for the Warner College of Natural Resources is filled with students that love hiking and all things outdoors. And the Warner community shares a dorm with the All Gender and Open Housing (which was created as a safe space for LGBTQ–particularly T), which is a pretty good indication that the Warner kids are LGBTQ friendly. The living learning communities can make a big school small. My friend’s D moved into the living learning community in Warner and within a week had friends to go backpacking, hiking and birding with. Also combined it with Honors College, so she’s surrounded by smart folks who care about the environment.
I’d add Oberlin. Yes in a red state but super progressive town and school. My oldest is LBGTQ and loves it there. They are studying environmental studies and geo sciences.
Washington college in Chestertown, MD has a great environmental science program, very LGBTQ friendly and has green life but it’s not the center of social life. It’s a small school, so it often gets overlooked but they are very hands on (often in boats or in waders in the water). And the professors are great. ‘MY child started as an enviro science major and loved chemistry so much at Washington that her professors suggested she double major. She is now a double major and the professors sat down with her to work out her schedule. They also have GIS internships for the students right in town and a “Chesapeake semester” you should check out. Oh, and a 3-2 program with Duke to get a masters in envir policy from Duke after 5 years. So a lot of options. It definitely checks the other things you mentioned.
Okay, D25 is almost done with sophomore year. She is going to ESSYI at Hobart and William Smith this summer. We might try to visit a few other schools while on vacation, but haven’t decided where yet.
4.0 at competetive public high school
1340 on PSAT, I’m guessing it will go up junior year but not to NMF level
In Missouri but not considering any in state schools
Still looking at environmental science/studies, but would like psychology and some sort of gender studies offered
LGBTQ friendly is a must
Prefer blue or purple states
She wants to know if there’s are any schools where she could pole vault but not on a team lol
We went to a big college fair yesterday, but most of the colleges on “her” list were not there. She really liked Macalester after talking to the rep. She liked the smaller size, the fieldwork possible in ES, and how LGBTQ friendly they are.
Based on that what other schools would you recommend? These are some of our current possibilities. Anything that should be a definite no? Any not huge safety schools you recommend? Thanks.
Bates
Bowdoin
Carleton
Colby
Cornell
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Macalester
Middlebury
Mount Holyoke
Pitzer
Pomona
Scripps
St Olaf
University of Minnesota
University of Oregon
University of Vermont
University of Washington
Washington College
Weslyan
Willamette
I would look at Lawrence in Wisconsin. It has Environmental Science, Environmental Studies and Gender Studies. Not sure if I would call it a safety, but is generally a little easier than many of the schools you have listed. It is also respected in the sciences.
My D23 is an environmental studies person who’s also interested in American studies (which has a lot of overlaps with gender studies), so we’ve visited/talked about many of the schools on your list. She applied to, and was admitted to, many of them, as well – and rejected from some, too (final choice: Bates). Anyhow, lots of overlapping interests, so maybe what we’ve learned will be of interest.
For Pomona, Pitzer, and Scripps, the Environmental Studies major (called Environmental Analysis) is essentially a multi-college major – it’s a major shared by the five-college consortium regardless of which college a student attends. Not sure about gender studies, but there’s sure to be a lot of overlap in courses, too. Scripps and Pitzer are both outstanding in both of these areas (Pomona might be, too, but D23 didn’t apply so I’m less familiar with it). Worth noting that these schools have somewhat different acceptance rates (all reachy, but not all to the same degree), but you could have a very similar academic experience regardless of which one you attend.
Your kid is in 10th grade now (right?), so watch as interests change or become better-defined. Some schools have enviro programs that are more science-oriented (like Occidental), some have truly interdisciplinary programs that include humanities, arts, and social sciences, as well, so you’ll want to look closely at majors. Skidmore has a “studies” major and a “sciences” major. Others have a single interdisciplinary major with different tracks. For some (like Wesleyan) environmental studies is a concentration that can be tacked onto or linked with an existing major (which could function like a focus within the major or a linked minor).
For less reachy schools to add to your original list, consider Lewis and Clark, Oberlin, Bard, Dickinson, and Whitman. For super-reachy schools that would work really well for these academic interests, look at Brown and Williams.
Have you looked at Union or URI?
URI would be a safety but the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) is very strong. Top notch marine/ocean focused programs too.
SUNY ESF? Could be another safety. Only when/if your D is certain about studying Environmental Science.
Brandeis? Would be environmental studies though. Strong in psychology and gender studies as well.
For a true safety, Salisbury University. about 7,000 students. Strong environmental offerings (vibrant environmental studies department with its own faculty - not just donated classes from other departments -, strong geography/earth science, strong GIS, strong biology, field house on the Nanticoke River, etc) one of the Princeton Review’s top 50 green colleges. Also has gender studies, big psychology department, summer research funding, etc.
In 2022, was nation’s top student Fulbright producer among Masters level universities. Active Honors Program. Beautiful region of the mid-Atlantic.
Eckerd College ticks many of your boxes. The city of St. Petersburg is very progressive.
A few more midwestern colleges to consider. many of them would be match schools.
Kalamazoo
Carleton
Earlham
Denison
Grinnell
Occidental and UNC Asheville shows a minor but it makes many lists. So it might be combined with another major. And you won’t find any more accepting LGBTQ cities than Asheville.
Carleton, Denison, and Grinnell – all great schools – are reaches for everyone at this point.
Posting over here as more expert eyes may see this than on the 2025 thread to give their thoughts on the schools: