You may want to consider Rice. My wife was an anthropology major at Rice.
It has about 7500 students (4000 UG, 3500 grad)
In a big city - Houston.
Beautiful campus
Extremely collaborative
Flexible curriculum
They are known for STEM but overall atmosphere is very relaxed.
Not known as a party school but they do have parties.
Student body is often described as quirky and eccentric and always rated amongst the happiest student body (probably because they do not have a cut throat culture).
My nephew, who is now attending Amherst, did not like Rice because he thought it was too Texas(y). So if your daughter didnt like Amherst, maybe itāll be the opposite for her.
FWIW, I thought my D20 would love Amherstāticked off all of the boxes on her list, but she found it a bit bland. She, too, loved Vassar, but didnāt care for Wesleyan (which seemed like a perfect fit to me). Itās hard to figure out our own kids sometimes!
I wonder if sheād like William and Mary? It hits some of your characteristics really well, including size (and for some reason, thatās a hard size to find).
Great suggestions! William & Mary is my alma mater and yes, it is on her list even though Williamsburg is not an exciting town and cities arenāt easy to access. Iāve still encouraged her to keep it. There are so many positives and it is on of the few state schools that is small enough to work.
I initially thought all the small LACs would be perfect - Hamilton, Wes, Middlebury, etc., but I think if Amherst, with its cute town and great 5 college consortium, seemed too small and remote, they may not work for her either. Swat is on the maybe list due to the train into Philly and she loved the super intense vibe, but itās very small and high reach so maybe not worth applying when she prefers Tufts.
Rice is a great suggestion, though Texas is a tough sell.
We are going to NYC in November so Iāll try to get her to look at Barnard. It sounds like a great fit. I understand why she wants coed after an all girls HS, but it sounds like, if she visits Barnard, she may think it actually feels coed.
These are all great, helpful suggestions and Iām trying to broaden her mindset. I also know a lot can change over junior year so I am trying to stay very flexible and just learn as much we can. A year ago she wanted more art/illustration/writing and now she wants anthropology/classics, so I donāt want to get overly focused on programs. Trying to focus on the fun and exciting aspects and not the overwhelming/intimidating parts. And hoping admissions will not be a bloodbath
Weāre in the same boat. My daughter is also a rising junior. At first we thought she only wanted to go to small LACs but she visited 3 state schools and really liked all of them so itās an evolving process. This fall weāre probably going to visit Amherst, Williams, and maybe Middlebury.
My sister had a theory about the '22 admissions cycle. She thought it was extremely competitive because of grade inflation as many teachers were giving students a ābreakā due to the mental stress of Covid and since many of these schools are test optional, it became an admissions blood bath. My niece is attending Amherst in the fall along with her brother who is already there. I heard that the top LACs are very intense (not sure if this is true or to what degree).
She didnāt like Amherst, but did you look at the other schools in the area? Smith might fit the bill - open curriculum, great art department, an accredited engineering program, etc, and she can take classes at the other schools in the area (Mt. Holyoke, Amherst, UMass, Hampshire).
Given that sheās coming from a girlās school, she may not want a womenās college, but it still might be worth a look.
Another vote to look into Rice, as your daughterās list of criteria is a pretty good description of Rice. Itās physically located in Houston, but not āTexas-yā in any way - fewer and fewer of the students come from in-state nowadays, and as a lifelong Texan, I havenāt picked up even a hint of Texas-ness around the campus. My D22 loved loved LOVED Brown and was disappointed not to be admitted, but she is finding that Rice is about the closest thing to Brown. I would also say that, although still a reach, non-STEM students may have a slight advantage in the application process, as Rice is so celebrated for Engg and CS that it gets somewhat fewer applicants interested in its humanities programs.
What about Washington University in St. Louis? The undergraduate population is within her range. I donāt know any students there myself but my daughter has several friends currently there who love it as well as several who will be there next year, and I think that it matches some of your daughterās other criteria. While the curriculum is not fully open, it looks like there is a lot of discretion in choosing classes to fill their breadth requirements. I am imagine that it will still be a reach, but perhaps less so for applicants from NE than the midwest. I hear the campus is beautiful.
Both Rice and WashU would require willingness to go not just to a red state but to one where abortion is banned. Obviously a personal/family decision but I would certainly not send my New England kids.
Swat students (and Haverford/BMC students) have access to the Penn Museum, which is one of the best anthro/arch museums in the country, so thatās a nice perk.
If the engineering/LAC crossover was part of the appeal, Union is worth a look. Quite a different vibe than Vassar, but there is a lot about this school to like!
Currently, she prefers Northeast and mid-Atlantic, so we mostly are looking there. Her tentative list currently includes Brown, Vanderbilt, Tufts, Brandeis, Wake Forest. She is going to see NYU and Barnard sometime this fall, even though NYU is much bigger than preferred. Davidson is tiny, but Charlotte is a good city, and very easy to visit so we probably will take a look. Iām looking into state schools, too, but they donāt excite her. Honestly, Tufts just seems perfect for her, so we are just really hoping she has a great junior year and can apply ED with a shot of getting in. Long way to go! I very much appreciate all the feedback and suggestions!
Is Williams on the list? Great reputation but given the academic hype, the campus itself seems mediocre. Iād give Amherst and Wesleyan the nod over Williams campus wise. Trinity is decent per se but the surrounding area is suspect.
Based strictly on videos, the Bates (RFK is an alum) campus looks really nice with Colby not far behind
If quirky vibe, niche interests, and flexible curriculum are pluses, and large size is a minus, she should be sure to check out Gallatin specifically when looking into NYU. Itās a college within NYU with just over 1,000 students who each design their own individualized major.
And hoping admissions will not be a bloodbath