<p>I've read a few posts in the last few days on various threads/forums that mentioned how difficult it is for white females in the Northeast to get into good liberal arts colleges and am curious as to how much of an issue you all think that is and if there is anything that a member of that demographic group with a humanities passion (classics) can or should do to make herself stand out. With the caveat that this question is coming from pure curiousity (ok, fine, nosiness) because my female is only a sophomore.</p>
<p>I don't know. But if your daughter wants to be an engineer the world is her oyster.</p>
<p>Ha! Good one. I can only wish. Thankfully, older sister wanted to major in bio, demonstrated lots of passion and chose her school realistically. So I guess we got lucky once and can't expect the same again.</p>
<p>Hadn't heard that bit about white females. I have a sophmore girl coming along also....</p>
<p>Guys of all races have an advantage when it comes to LACs, many of whom have to recruiter very hard to get males.</p>
<p>Classics could make her stand out even as a female because it's rare to find people who plan a major in that field.</p>
<p>Remember that admissions gets more difficult each year, so it's possible that your younger D's rmatch schools will be what were your older D's safeties.</p>
<p>My two girls are night and day in terms of stats. younger has a (so far, of course) 4.0 in an IB program, really interesting ECS and a 195 on the freshman PSAT (required). Older girl had a 3.6 GPA, nice but unspectacular scores and ECs. She is now happily at one of those "A+ schools for B+ students." I think I may lose my mind over daughter two.</p>
<p>zooser, when I mentally review my son's white, middleclass [and upper middleclass] female classmates I have to say that the common thread is accomplishment -- they are all smart, of course, but they all had one more thing that made them stand out, that gave them an identity beyond grades, scores and rank. In meeting them, this wasn't immediately apparent as they tended to be modest, but someone else would say be able to give her a label that enhanced her personality, like shot-putter, dancer, political activist.</p>
<p>So my guess is that your #2's "really interesting ECS" will be what shines on her application. How she spends her non-academic time, next summer particularly will be defining.</p>
<p>There are lots of very accomplished youmg women, aren't there?</p>
<p>Zoosermom, my D is neither from the northeast, or white. However, she also has a passion for the classics, is in IB Latin now, and has already had AP Vergil and Lit. She was just accepted to Amherst Diversity open house, and her essay she turned into them was about her love for the classics. When asked to write her 200 word essay to them, that is what was conveyed. Good luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>anyone know when the babies of boomers surge is supposed to end? someone was talking about it last summer. I think it is after our sophs get into college.</p>
<p>"'... how difficult it is for white females in the Northeast to get into good liberal arts colleges..."</p>
<p>Since the LACs can run as much as 60% female, plenty of girls must be getting in!</p>
<p>Thanks GA2012Mom. Best of luck to your daughter. Sounds like a heck of a young woman!</p>
<p>I was VERY surprised to see that Amherst was 52/48 in favor of males! So was my D :(</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>if your daughter wants to be an engineer the world is her oyster.>></p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>DD will be majoring in engineering (will declare this year as a beginning sophomore. So far, the world is NOT her oyster. She is working hard, hasn't seen a nickel more financial aid (although she will apply for women in engineering scholarships this year). Even women in engineering need to show that they can succeed in the demanding course of study. Unless your female student is a stellar student in HS, with stellar stats to go with, indicating they want to major in engineering is only a edge at a few places. My daughter has proven herself in her college studies and will be making the change to the engineering program. BUT she would not have been accepted to it as a freshman. She did, however, gain acceptance to the college of arts and sciences at her college (not a major university, and not an LAC...something called a "masters college" by US News....however, it's more of an LAC type of school than a university.</p>
<p>It's true that LACs are all starting to lean (or lean strongly) toward a top-heavy female/male ratio. I think the numbers show that this trend is likely to get worse, not better.<br>
Geographic diversity can be your D's friend. She may find that schools in the mid-west and west coast love her more than closer ones. A passion in something unusual will help as long as it's well demonstrated through her stats and ECs. (She will also want to make sure her chosen schools offer other good departments since so many kids change their focus once they start.)</p>
<p>My d is a white female from the northeast, as were a majority of her high school friends. She was looking at LACs or small LAC-like universities, and got into some very good ones. Her friend, also white, with close to a 4.0 (no IB) got into some of the most selective LACs and LAC-like universities in the northeast. (Neither of them would look outside the northeast.) Most of her friends had similar results.</p>
<p>So it's not yet time to pull out your hair.</p>
<p>I'm not suggesting that women who go into engineering don't need to be stellar, just as stellar as every other student. I'm assuming that the women who go into engineering are awesome, just like the women (and men) who go into liberal arts- it's just that there are fantastic opportunities for young women who are good at, and interested in, math, science, and all things technical, in the engineering world.</p>
<p>Thanks Chedva! what would be an example of a LAC like university? I'm a little dense.</p>
<p>The ones that I consider that way are Tufts, Rochester, Richmond, Brandeis and the like - small universities with an emphasis on undergraduate teaching.</p>
<p>On the west coast: the Claremont Colleges, Occidental, most of the Catholic universities (where you can get a great education, no need to be Catholic). There are many terrific Liberal Arts Colleges in California.</p>