But note that the political issues, including “culture war” type issues, differ in India versus the US. If the student is a part of the politically dominant group in India but is part of a minority group in the US, that may result in a different perspective on the “culture war” type issues in each country.
3 Likes
That is not ‘something special’ - every PhD program will expect to see that! My STEM PhD collegekid who went to a not-famous LAC did research every summer & had her pick of programs, including 2 of the top 5 in her field.
IIRC, Kalamazoo promised to help your son get those research opps, which can be harder for international students.
8 Likes
Yes. Those are definitely essential but with Reed they may be available in the school in a paid form (guess not confirmed). Also with Reed brand name if some of those internships are in India in companies or educational institutions they may serve the purpose in case it is hard to get in USA.
Again just to be sure, I personally slightly prefer K over R (I wanted him to go to Rollins because it has great looking student community and great food and dorms). Why make life hard unless it has to be done is of my opinion. Just giving the counters which I believe are valid as well.
2 Likes
I think in general as international students Indians tend to be fairly neutral of most social and political issues. Of course in a small LAC it may be hard to remain that way.
Hi,
I am @Andygp son. The reason I want to go to read, as my father said, is I am enamored by its reputation, and since it is well known to be a very challenging school is almost inviting me (I like challenges, I think they are important in helping you grow). What also attracts me to Reed is that I will be surrounded by peers who are likely going to be smarter than me, giving me an opportunity to learn from them. Additionally, a large part of my class would be working towards grad school so everyone would be in the same boat.
Thank you @aquapt for the link to the Freshman retention article, it was a fascinating “Reed” for me. The article said that the freshman retention rate can be attributed to other factors besides academic rigor present at the school. Would it be possible to elaborate more on what these factors might be?
Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for helping me with my college decision. It really is quite a confusing time for me, and your help has really eased the entire process. Thank you again. 
11 Likes
Welcome! If that is your real name, please consider changing it.
1 Like
Some of the potential causes of low retention that the article and commentary alluded to include:
1)high cost
2)unreliable financial aid from year to year
3)academic pressure that can go beyond “intense” into the “masochistic” range
4)bad weather (grey skies, rain day after day)
5)lots of students developing mental health problems
6)Reed accepting students that weren’t a good fit (this is just hinted at…e.g. saying that Reed expanded enrollment when based on demographics it should logically have shrunk enrollment, saying that Reed depends so much on tuition that it can’t afford to have a class that is too small etc.)
I do not know Reed personally, so can’t say whether these reasons are true.
7 Likes
Reed ranks #2 for most liberal colleges (#1 for best classroom experience and #3 for students who study the most 
)
3 Likes
Some of the non-academic reasons may include:
- downcast weather (gray sky, low light, nonstop rain every day) impacting mood and activities
- ability to read/write/study all day and live on little sleep (not just around Midterms and Finals, but most of the time)
- enjoyment of political debates and protests, getting energy from picketing classes, petitioning, marching, etc.
2 Likes
We do have close family in Seattle and close friends in Portland. So the grayness of weather hopefully compensates with that 
Is picketing etc. necessary? If you are neutral can you just stay out of it? Or not possible due to peer pressure?
Even if you are a sincere student who works regular hours for 6 days a week would it still be a problem in terms of workload?
I really think your son should go to Reed. Not only does it have all the advantages you wanted from Kalamazoo, it also has the name recognition you very much value. And you can afford it.
I would ignore any worry about protesting students. Students protest on many campuses and Reed isn’t well known for protest activity. As for the Portland protesting - that was as overblown as the protest reporting on Paris from earlier this year (I was in Paris during the protests - the coverage was ludicrous to what was actually happening on the ground).
3 Likes
- Stress.
- In-your-face politics.
I don’t agree. I love Reed for the right kid, but I’m not certain this is the right kid. This is a campus where a lot of kids are striving for gold in the Wokelympics. I would class it with Oberlin, Hampshire, etc. on that scale. If that’s an annoyance/distraction for the OP’s son, then that’s a down side.
Reed may well be the right call here, given its academic and reputational upside. But I do see cons besides cost.
5 Likes
Our family is as liberal as they come, and we have a ton of family in that region. Though it’s an amazing school for the right person, Reed’s whole thing might be too much even for us. It’s definitely a “fit” school, and gosh, a visit would really help here, though I know it might be impossible.
6 Likes
I would recommend that a student deciding on Reed without being able to visit do as much research as possible because it is a very distinct culture. Look at reddit, niche, read the student paper, get in the accepted student groups on social media – while none of those sources should be considered definitive or authoritative, look for common threads, concerns, characteristics. Reed is known for its intensity – which is not always a good thing – including student protests regarding the 1st year mandatory core humanities course.
5 Likes
Thanks much! First unequivocally positive recommendation for Reed! We will certainly engage with them and try and see if the financial aid can be negotiated and if professors are willing to have a chat.
2 Likes
Thanks! We will spend some time trying to interact with Reed faculty and students remotely and possibly he make a trip there next week.
1 Like
We are very seriously thinking of letting him visit. Our family member in Seattle can accompany him to Reed from Seattle. Let’s see.
7 Likes
Yes we will spend next two weeks doing all this! We have missed on student papers that is critical and we will do it now.
1 Like
This video shows one scene of that: https://youtu.be/mg3i6-J6zI8. I believe the salient aspect is that the class could not proceed as scheduled.
1 Like
You have read my general opinion of Reed (Thoughts on Reed College?). For a comment specific to your son, I think he should seriously consider Reed based simply on the excellence of its biology program (rather than for ultimate PhD production, the concept of which I believe, candidly, has been a distraction to his search process). Since your son appears to be interested in Reed primarily for its academic opportunities, I’m not certain (as others appear to be) that he would need to visit the school to make the best decision.
3 Likes