<p>I had suggested Earlham but your details are more helpful. I know several kids there who love it. I think it’s exactly as you say–“a place that takes people for what they are.”</p>
<p>From the 5Cs student newspaper dated Feb 22, 2013.</p>
<p><a href=“http://tsl.pomona.edu/articles/2013/2/22/feature/3612-health-and-drugs-intersect-at-5cs”>http://tsl.pomona.edu/articles/2013/2/22/feature/3612-health-and-drugs-intersect-at-5cs</a></p>
<p>LasMa, Thank you for the detailed information about Earlham! (And thanks, sally305, for confirming one of the most appealing factors!) I spent about an hour on their website this morning, and I really loved everything I saw. The accepting atmosphere is exactly what DS needs, and I was also struck by the comment about the Quaker principle of inclusiveness. My niece just finished her freshman year at a college near us, where she’s been generally happy. But my sister called during sorority rush, very upset, asking if she could come and spend the weekend with us because rush was not going well for her. She’d been dropped from the three sororities she wanted, and my sister was thinking that the weekend would be really unpleasant for her. As it turned out, my niece was more resilient than my sister (!) and she quickly became interested in the two sororities that were interested in her. In any case, I hate the whole concept of formalized popularity contests (besides the other unappealing aspects of Greek life).</p>
<p>I was very happy to read about their fantastic record of grad school placement, particularly in the sciences, and the strong record of participation in groups like the Peace Corps. This is something I’m very concerned about. Everything points to a warm, nurturing, accepting community with very high academic standards and a tradition of altruism. I loved the Animal Rights house - I understand that these housing groups are established on a year-to-year basis, but it seems likely that DS would find a compatible group, animal rights is not his only issue. </p>
<p>I have no idea what my son’s chances of admission are, and I won’t know until I can check the HS experience with Earlham. The one thing I didn’t like: it’s location in the middle of Indiana - hard to get to and far away from here. It will be DS’ decision, of course, about where he’d like to be. I was sad thinking of him being so far away, especially when I read about the great science internships on campus in the summers. It seems likely that he’d want to spend summers there if he went.</p>
<p>The musical opportunities are there - not sure what they have for piano, though. I’ll have to check how close they are from U Indiana. Maybe he could study piano there? His piano teacher has a Ph.D. from Indiana.</p>
<p>But it will definitely be on our list! (Does anyone know of an east-coast Earlham? Don’t say Haverford, he won’t be able to get in there, and I don’t think it’s quite the same, anyway.)</p>
<p>laurie, Brandeis is definitely on the list - as long as it isn’t out of reach. I haven’t looked at the HS data on Brandeis, but I know that it’s selective.</p>
<p>I am a rising sophomore at UCLA and would highly recommend it for your son. I cannot speak to the music options, but the science departments are very strong. There is some partying, but it goes on only in frat houses and at various off campus apartments, so the dorms are not at all affected. I lived in a predominately freshman dorm last year and not once was I awoken by noisy drunk people. Dorm parties do not exist. There is never any pressure to drink. I would say that about 2/3 of my friends drink and the other 1/3 do not, though most of the people that do drink do so in moderation. I personally do not really enjoy the frat scene, but do occasionally party with my mock trial friends. This provides a chill, safe and comfortable environment to drink and have fun without having to worry about the risks associated with college drinking. I know that everyone on the team has my back and feel safe and welcome when I drink. Students at UCLA are very studious, but not overly competitive. I am from a crazy competitive high school on the East Coast and wanted to get away from that kind of environment. UCLA has met my needs perfectly. People are studious and engaged, but relaxed. There are so many great clubs that cater to every interest imaginable. Personally, I am a member of our national championship winning mock trial team and the Bruin Democrats club, but I have friends who work for social justice causes as well. UCLA provides fantastic research opportunities and most of my friends in the sciences conduct research with amazing professors. The dining hall food is great, and has many vegetarian and vegan options. Though I am not a vegetarian or vegan myself, I find myself sampling those options quite often because they are just so good! My vegan and vegetarian friends are quite thrilled with the options as well. </p>
<p>Sorry for the long post, but I really hope you consider UCLA. </p>
<p>Thank you, callie! UCLA does sound great! I’m not sure about DS’ chances in the UC system from out-of-state. He has mentioned CA so this school will definitely be on his list. I’m glad you’re having such a good experience!</p>
<p>Have you looked into Goucher? Kind of a quirky school–country-like setting in the suburbs of Baltimore (right by Townson). See it as a safety for Skidmore, Vassar or Brandeis. Kind of a hippie/ nerdy vibe, near DC ,so kids can get involved in the political scene. Draws kids into music, theatre and the arts (although not necessarily as a major). Think the sciences are good and I know they have some 5 year programs with Johns Hopkins. Worth looking into. We met the President while D was snacking outside before her admissions interview. Really nice low-key guy very welcoming. Admissions was lovely, too. D liked the guy who interviewed her so much that she wrote him an email when she accepted NYU ED. He responded with a long email about how he loved her essay and why, that he would have loved to have her attend and that she would always have a place there if things at NYU didn’t work out. NYU is working out, but I have a soft spot for Goucher. They also give merit aid without need. (At least they have in the past.)</p>
<p>Just went to Goucher’s website. They have a new master’s program that shows a little bit of the vibe of the school"</p>
<p>Our M.A. in Cultural Sustainability brings together knowledge from anthropology, history, folklore, ethnomusicology, communications, business and management, linguistics, and activism to teach students how to effect positive, community-driven change in the cultures they care about most-whether it be an African village, an American inner-city neighborhood, a remote tribe in Asia, or a threatened public space just down the street. The discipline of cultural sustainability can be and will be applied wherever valued ways-of-life are at risk.</p>
<p>Nymom, someone on CC once said “If Earlham were on the east coast, it would be impossible to get into, it’s that good.” Location is the fly in the ointment for sure. That is somewhat mitigated by a constant steam of on-campus activities – concerts, theater productions, dance performances, talent and comedy shows, rec and varsity sports, lectures, fests, etc. For students who feel the call of the city, Dayton is about 30 minutes away, Indy and Cleveland about 60. D and her friends also eventually discovered some places in Richmond which they liked, especially in the Depot District. FWIW, she was born and raised in a city and was nervous about the same thing.</p>
<p>Bennington, Marlboro, McDaniel. Look at the book “Colleges that Change Lives,” as many of these fit the character of his character. By the way, as contrasted to a life where he lives on only $10,000 a year and give the rest to causes he likes, what he should consider is good old fashioned capitalism, where he starts his own company, becomes a billionaire, gives money to politicians to support policies he likes, changes the laws, and then forces everyone to agree with his views or go to jail. For evidence of how this works, just look at the EPA and its water regulations in California (supported by the private sector billionaires who write big checks to the appropriate political party), where massive amounts of water are diverted to save the smelt (a non native California fish, by the way, and who are eaten by predators on their way towards the Pacific, anyway) and deprive farmers in the Central Valley of California with water for their farms, imposing poverty and unemployment on thousands. Since your DS cares deeply (from the first post here) about poverty and intelligent fish, he may wish to investigate this moral dilemma – this is what good schools will help him research and understand, so that his opinions are well formed and not mere predjudices (which all of us become guilty of at some point). </p>
<p>Agree about [Colleges That Change Lives]( <a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/”>Austin College – Colleges That Change Lives). Many of the schools mentioned here are on that list.</p>
<p>If you like the Quaker vibe of Earlham, take a look at Guilford, another Quaker college and in a less remote area, Greensboro, North Carolina. And also one of the “Colleges That Change Lives”.</p>
<p>OP, one thing you might want to do is spend some time on c-o-l-l-e-g-e p-r-o-w-l-e-r for some of the schools you are looking at. Another way to get past the positive news the marketing materials and websites push, and get a little bit clearer picture of the true pros and cons of a school.</p>
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<p>I don’t think you’d find one. I think schools like Earlham (also, to varying degrees, Beloit, Hendrix, Knox, St. Olaf, Grinnell, Cornell College and a few others) are the way they are because of where they are. There is something really wonderful about being in a place with a strong identity that is truly “unto itself”–and also one that is off the radar of the dominant competitive culture of the coasts.</p>
<p>The other thing about location: college is only four years. It won’t kill most of us to drive out in the fall and spring and fly our kids home for one or two holidays during the year. It goes SO fast–knowing what I know now (my son is at one of the aforementioned schools, 13 hours from where we live), I wouldn’t change a thing.</p>
<p>East coast Earlham? If by that you mean Quaker origins and current practice of a non-evangelical bent, distant cousins are Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Guilford, Swarthmore. </p>
<p>NYMom I’m not clear why you think your son wouldn’t get into Haverford or some of the other more selective schools. He has a 3.8 GPA plus excellent and distinctive ECs. We don’t know his SAT I score yet but you predict “sky high” math. He’s certainly an interesting person who should be able to put together some compelling essays and a comprehensive resume. He sounds like the kind of kid who would get strong recommendations too. </p>
<p>All of this indicates to me that he should include some reaches on his list. (Of course you want the mid and less selectives too.) If it turns out that he has a number 1 favorite, applying early could give him an extra boost, especially if you’re not expecting financial aid.</p>
<p>So I’d put Haverford on the visit list as well as Swarthmore, Brown and Wesleyan. </p>
<p>I also wouldn’t discount Williams which has an exceptionally strong combination of science + music – some of the strongest science offerings among the academically rigorous LACs., pus a superb music department with extensive performance opportunities – both orchestral and jazz – for non majors, notably in piano. There’s a prevailing ethic of doing good – peace corps, teach for America, environmental causes are common first employers. </p>
<p>momrath, He will definitely include reaches, and the GC mentioned developing a “strategy” at the appropriate time using ED/EA. I do think that Swarthmore and Williams are completely out of reach. But I’ll find out next year when I can look at the HS data.</p>
<p>There are some things against DS - he has not been in the honors level for Spanish and, next year when they start to differentiate English, he will not be in the top level. He wants to be but did not make it on grades or on the test he took as an alternate option for placement. Ironically, he is working this summer for an animal rights group (very loosely organized group deep into philosophy), editing documents which have been translated from German (perhaps automatically? very clunky translations). He’s very interested in doing this, because it’s something he can do now to contribute. </p>
<p>Yes, all indications are that the SAT will be very high in math, his SAT 2 in chem was 760, and the SAT 2s in Math and history, which he will take next year, will probably be even higher. He’s very good in those subjects. But his verbal SAT won’t be great, and neither will the writing section. I don’t think they’ll be terrible, maybe high 600s? But probably not good enough for schools like Swarthmore, Williams and Haverford, and the lack of rigor in English will hurt him, too. </p>
<p>His only real ECs are music, two instrument, very accomplished. He loves golf, but did not make the team (large school, golf is very competitive). And he has no "official’ involvement in animal rights or poverty work. </p>
<p>I think he’ll have great choices, but he is not competitive with the kids from his school who get into top colleges (much better grades, awards in multiple fields, etc.).</p>
<p>Will look into Goucher, it sounds good! And Guilford, which I hadn’t heard of. Thanks for the tips on “Colleges that Change Lives” and the prowler website. </p>
<p>Great information on this thread - I’m sure that it will help a lot of people.</p>
<p>Earlham is actually closer to major airports than Lawrence, which is in my (former) neck of the woods-- cute city but definitely not a true college town except near campus, and is almost two hours to the Milwaukee airport, which with recent major reductions in flights in and out, really can’t be considered a major airport. Getting home will be a bit of a hassle. Madison is worse. Indy has a gorgeous big airport. I went to UW undergrad, med school in Milwaukee and after residency came back to WI to practice near Appleton for many years til we moved to Oregon. I’d look at Lawrence but think St Olaf and Carleton are better schools. Lawrence (or Beloit, or Grinnell) all might be too much culture shock for a kid from NY. Don’t forget Mac, or as mentioned before, Oberlin. </p>
<p>There are lots of good suggestions and options presented here. Just looked back at your original post and I dont see any discussion about finances. Are you looking for schools that offer merit money or are you in need of financial aid or are you full pay? All of that will make a difference. For example some of the schools noted are prestigious and also not known for offering much in the way of merit money. </p>