<p>Please help me find Liberal Arts schools under this criteria! I know little to nothing about LACs, and I just decided a few days ago to apply to some.</p>
<p>I'm looking for a school that:
-is in the Northeast
-with a student population at least in the 2000s
-is competitive
-but not crazy competitive (not like Williams or Amherst)
-fairly diverse; no ridiculously white schools, please
-no all girls schools
-<em>important</em> I'm looking for a community that is more "artsy/hippie" than "preppy/jock/greek." So more like Brown, and less like Dartmouth.
-and this isn't a major deal, but I'd prefer LACS within decent distance to a city</p>
<p>So far, I have Middlebury College, Wesleyan University, and Vassar. Correct me if I'm wrong, but those three fit my criteria, right?</p>
<p>Also, if I have only have a very mild interest in language, should I bother with Middlebury? I'm hearing that it's a "language" school...what does that mean?</p>
<p>Middlebury isn't just a language school. Middlebury is well-known for having excellent language offerings for a school of its size, but its better known as an all-around excellent liberal arts college. Other highly touted departments include English, environmental studies, international studies, economics/poly sci, and theater. Also, Midd isn't THAT much easier to get into than Williams and Amherst.</p>
<p>Depending on what definition of SAT avg Middlebury is using that day, the SAT avg at Williams and Amherst is still ~60-70 points higher than at Middlebury. I would also agree that Wesleyan, Vassar are a lot more like Brown than Middlebury is. Other schools in the ilk you seem interested in would be Connecticut College, Bates, Oberlin, Bard, Skidmore.</p>
<p>
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Depending on what definition of SAT avg Middlebury is using that day, the SAT avg at Williams and Amherst is still ~60-70 points higher than at Middlebury.
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<p>Geesh, gellino. I'm not quite sure why you keep harping on this SAT-optional thing when I've already explained it to you in no uncertain terms. Middlebury reports scores for all students, regardless of what test is used for evaluation. I feel like I'm listening to a bogus political ad where one candidate keeps raising the same false accusation again and again when he or she knows it isn't true. </p>
<p>And I think that most people would agree that any school with an acceptance rate below 20% is pretty darn competitive.</p>
<p>None of the LACs are "crazy competitive."
I can speak from personal experience that Amherst is not "crazy competitive."
Middlebury and Vassar are "ridiculously white."
I've visited Middlebury for their accepted students weekend, and I have several friends at Vassar who have observed and pointed out to me discrepancies in class and homogeneity of race.
Williams and Amherst are jock-y, Midd is preppy, Vassar is artsy.</p>
<p>Wesleyan meets every single one of your criteria:
Northeast, large, fairly competitive, and also diverse.</p>
<p>Don't expect the best LACs to be near metropolitan areas,
unless you are willing to consider Swarthmore: a tinge of "crazy competitive," though diverse.</p>
<p>Midd. is not nearly as hippy/artsy as Vassar and Wes (both of which I think are very good choices for you). As I understand it, it's more preppy, though in a down-to-earth/outdoorsy way. I think Colby will also be too preppy, and Bowdoin will, like Midd., but more down-to-earth/outdoorsy than hippy/artsy (current students correct me if I'm wrong). As I understand it, the most hippy/artsy of the Main schools is Bates.</p>
<p>I really agree with the suggestion of Skidmore, and Bard. Hampshire and Sarah Lawrence could also be good, but you'll have to see if their education styles are appealing to you.</p>
<p>Smith and Barnard are all girls schools. </p>
<p>If you're willing to go more midatlantic than northeast, check out Haverford and Swarthmore, though both are smaller than you want. Also Goucher as a safty, though, again, smaller than you want. I also agree that Oberlin would be a great fit if you're willing to go to Ohio.</p>
<p>Statistically, Vassar is hardly "ridiculously white"--but I would reserve that label for schools that are ~90% white, which do exist.</p>
<p>I've heard that Conn College leans more toward preppy as the dominant culture, although it still has an artsy contingent. Applies to Williams as well--dominant jock/prep culture with significant artsy subculture. May or may not be enough for you.</p>
<p>How important is your geographic criteria? Oberlin, Carleton (more quirk than hippie), and Macalester (almost 2k students) are some excellent Midwest schools with an "artsy/hippie" vibe. Oberlin and Carleton are also more isolated, though neither as much as, say, Williamstown. Mac is right in the middle of a well-regarded historic neighborhood of St. Paul (one of the Twin Cities).</p>
<p>Of the other posters' recommendations, only Skidmore fits your size requirement.</p>
<p>Miss Porter's is "girls' school." Mount Holyoke, Smith, Wellesley, and Bryn Mawr are women's colleges. All of them have significant interaction and cross-registrations with coed schools. Wellesley is right outside Boston/Cambridge, with easy transportation back and forth. Bryn Mawr is right outside Philadelphia. Smith probably fits your artsy criteria better than the others. Barnard is in NYC, which of course has a formidable arts scene.</p>
<p>Skidmore, Bard, Sarah Lawrence, Hampshire, maybe Williams and Bates. Of those, only Sarah Lawrence is <em>really</em> near a significant city. (Bates is in Lewiston/Auburn, dying mill towns. Portland is great, but getting there unless you have a car is another matter. Maybe the college runs a bus. Bowdoin does.) Wesleyan is coed and quite artsy, but not near a city. Hampshire is definitely artsy but small, but part of the 5-college exchange.</p>
<p>Bennington is tiny: something like 700 students?</p>
<p>I agree with the suggestion that you take a look at Oberlin.</p>
<p>I've lived in Vermont. I would like to know by what stretch of the imagination Middlebury is "near a city"?</p>
<p>It is hard to think of a college that is less "near a city" than Middlebury.</p>
<p>Given the rather restrictive qualities you've outlined, Vassar and Wesleyan are probably your two best bets.</p>
<p>Swarthmore has everything you listed, but is under 2000 students and is very competitive if you meant from an admissions standpoint.</p>
<p>The combination of Haverford/Bryn Mawr might not be a bad option. Not terribly diverse, but would have most of what you are looking for although separately each school is quite small.</p>
<p>You'll probably get into Wesleyan. I think Conneticut College would be another good choice for you to look at. Be warned though, they are having some financial difficulties.</p>