Erasing all schools off list. Help create new list.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I think I'm approaching finding a fit for a school in the wrong way. I feel like I'm not including schools that I should be. I don't know quite where to start. Help me find some schools that include:</p>

<p>-Some drinking, not crazy hard parties.
-Big focus on academics with great classes. Non competitive. I like stress, but not crying in the corner because of all the weight type of stress.
-Small to mid size with community feel. I think a LAC is best for me.
-Quirky is good. Weird, insane and different are great.
-Politically active.
-Job placement and internships are high.</p>

<p>Is there anything in the world out there like that? Or am I just kidding myself?</p>

<p>Stats:
UW GPA: 3.89
ACT: 30
EC's: Okay-ish, nothing amazing.
Good essay and lovely recs.</p>

2

<p>Here's the thing: many of your requirements, for instance partying and political activism, can be found in certain pockets of many student bodies. It is going to be up to you to get involved/go out.</p>

<p>Wesleyan loves to brag about being 'weird', it's an LAC.
Reed is very weird, but academically competitive/strenuous in that the environment is very intellectual.
Kenyon might also be a good fit.</p>

3

<p>First problem: you're focusing on the smaller details of college before other more important ones. Ask yourself the big ones: where do you want to go to school? Do you prefer public or private? How big do you want the school to be? etc.</p>

<p>Try starting here:</p>

<p><a href="http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Based on what you've described, it seems like University of Chicago might be a good match.</p>

4

<p>Look at Loyola New Orleans. I agree with Reed and look into Bennington(VT)and Oberlin.</p>

5

<p>Second the suggestion of U of Chicago. It is like a top notch mid sized liberal arts college [4000 students] surrounded by a world class university. My son can't wait to get there next month.</p>

6

<p>Wesleyan sounds perfect for you--I say in my completely unbiased option ;) (But seriously, if does fit all of your requirements). Some other reaches that might work for you are Brown, Vassar, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, Haverford, Grinnell and UChicago. Barnard if you are a girl.</p>

<p>Some schools that would probably be closer to high matches/matches: Oberlin, Reed, Bard, Colorado College, Bates, Macalister. </p>

<p>Some that might work as low matches or safeties: Sarah Lawrence, Bennington, Skidmore, Lewis+Clark, Evergreen State, Pitzer, Kalamazoo, Hampshire, Goucher </p>

<p>Note that those categories are very rough and I'm not that knowledgeable about the stats for some of those schools (or about job placement/internships, though I'm sure they are decent everywhere, esp. at the reach schools). But anyway, they all might be a fit in terms of atmosphere, even if I'm wrong about where they go as a reach/match/safety, and are worth looking into, given your criteria.</p>

<p>ETA: Also, what about the New School (in either NY or FL?). Or, for something REALLY weird and academic, St. Johns?</p>

7

<p>Have you looked at Tulane?</p>

8

<p>Bennington seems to fit all of your criteria, especially the internship part. The annual Field Work Term gives you all kinds of experience out in the world.</p>

9

<p>Vassar or Wesleyan. If I were you I would ED Vassar.</p>

10

<p>Slipper: Why Vassar over Wes? They both seem like good fits, and Vassar in fact has slightly less of a reputation for being totally weird, and slightly more of a reputation for drinking.</p>

11

<p>Wow thanks for the input guys. I realy do appreciate it. Please keep it rolling.</p>

<p>kyledavid: You raised good questions. I think most LAC's and smaller schools similar to what I would like are private. As for where; someplace where it snows. So far the schools I've been rec'ed here have that.</p>

12

<p>And as you're searching, you should be researching the college cultures. What is the student body like? Will you be comfortable? The least thing you want is to be stuck in a small school with people you abhor for FOUR YEARS. These schools all have great academics. Now you have to concentrate more on student life, campus culture.</p>

13

<p>When I read this, I hear Chicago. Again, I have a one-track mind :-)</p>

<p>Reasons why:</p>

<p>Some drinking, not crazy hard parties That pretty much describes the social scene here. Like any college campus anywhere, alcohol is easy to get ahold of, but it's not going to be left, right, and center. Drinking and partying is allowed, even encouraged, in the dorms, and there are plenty of 21-and-over students in the dorms to help out with runs to Kimbark Liquors. My house once had a particularly raucous party in a suite right above where the chair of the comparative lit dept. lives. Instead of yelling at us or telling us to be quieter, he comes up to us the next day and goes, "So, how was your party?"</p>

<p>At the same time, Chicago is not the party capital of the world. Understatement of the century :-)</p>

<p>Big focus on academics with great classes. Non competitive. I like stress, but not crying in the corner because of all the weight type of stress If you have a good stomach for academics, you'll be fine. I know more about my best friends' erotic tendencies than I do about their grades. I also find that students are in general not grade-crazy (though they might be problem set-crazy or essay-crazy) and I'd rather deal with a work-intensive environment than a grade-competitive environment.</p>

<p>Small to mid size with community feel. I think a LAC is best for me 4400 undergrad, with a residential house system that bunches students in groups ranging from 36 to 108 students. About half of the students who choose to come to Chicago were between it and another LAC (Pomona, Haverford, Middlebury, Oberlin, Vassar, Reed, etc). and about half were between Chicago and a large university (McGill, NYU, NU, etc).</p>

<p>Quirky is good. Weird, insane and different are great. We're nerds and we're proud of being nerds, whether it's our "I am Uncommon" common app protest t-shirts, Scav Hunt, or wayward conversations we have about cupcakes and hummingbirds. You'll find all sorts of people here, some nerdier, weirder, more socially awkward than others, but what we all share in common is a sort of devotion to academics.</p>

<p>Politically active. Not only politically active, but politically balanced. Big, divisive issues on campus include possible divestment from Sudan and possibly kicking Coke off campus.</p>

<p>Job placement and internships are high. Thank the CAPS career office and the city of Chicago for that one.</p>

14

<p>Hey Weskid,</p>

<p>I should have clarified. I think either Wesleyan or Vassar would be great fits but Vassar is probably more accessible with a 30 ACT. Frankly I would take the SAT if I were the OP. A kid in my school got a 30 on the ACT but a 1540 out of 1600 on the SAT. Never sent in the ACT. Got into Harvard.</p>

15

<p>Bates, Holy Cross,Trinity,Colgate.</p>

16

<p>No way par. </p>

<p>As for Chicago "non competitive" is not what he wants. I think the OP is looking for a hip, chill vibe (i.e. Vassar, Wes) not nerdy intense (Chicago)</p>

17

<p>slipper: you might be right about Vassar being slightly more accessible. Still, OP, I'd encourage you not to apply anywhere ED unless you are REALLY sure it's your first choice (since even between such similar schools as Vassar and Wes, there are reasons to like one more than the other). If you don't end up choosing an ED school, maybe you can find a school (perhaps a safety) that has EA, so you can be in somewhere, but still have a chance to apply and see where you get in at other places. </p>

<p>Also, I agree that the vibe at a place like Wes or Vassar is different than a place like UChicago. OP, which do you prefer? (Like slipper, I also thought you'd prefer the Wes/Vassar vibe, but I might be wrong). If you like the more intense intellectualism of Chicago, Swarthmore and Reed might be other really good choices, but those schools might not work so well if you want something more laid back (laid back still meaning smart, intellectual students and great academics, just with students being less hardcore about it).</p>

18

<p>I guess we could maybe make a differentiation between the Vassar/Wesleyan "laid-back" and the Reed/Chicago/Swat "low-key." </p>

<p>Both students love academics, but I think of the Vassar/Wesleyan kid as more likely to say "Let's smoke pot and play videogames for fun" and the Swat/Reed/Chicago kid as saying, "Let's reconstruct the discussion we had in class at the dinner table, talk about the problem set we handed in five days ago, and read over each other's essays for fun." These examples are gross exaggerations, of course.</p>

<p>And as far as Chicago being "nerdy intense"... that's only from an outsider's perspective and not from the perspective of somebody who would choose to attend the school. I find being at Chicago rather relaxing.</p>

19

<p>If you look New Orleans (as others have suggested), look at Loyola and Tulane together. They're right next to each other, literally.
However, as it is New Orleans, there is going to be quite a bit of drinking.</p>

20

<p>I love the thought of a core curriculum but when people make Tshirts that say "Where Fun Comes to Die" that gives me a few chills. Yes, I love to talk about academics outside of class, its a great feeling. But, I also like to be laid back and just hang out. Both are appealing in their own sense. </p>

<p>Which doesn't help does it? I suppose thats why I'm starting from scratch again so I can get a great list from both sides.</p>

<p>What are more of safeties/matches for me concerning Uchicago style and Vasser/Wes?</p>