<p>How would you compare (and contrast) the two?</p>
<p>Apart from being bent towards liberalism and sharing the same city as a location, I feel the two don’t have much in common.</p>
<p>Why do you say they don’t have much in common? That’s what I’m wondering- what sets them apart?</p>
<p>Reed is a little more difficult to get into and awards only Financial Aid. L&C offers merit aid. Reed probably has more hard core science types (they do run a nuclear reactor). I think the proximity to Reed has forced L&C to upgrade their course of study a little - since 2004 all majors require a capstone course or thesis. I think L&C’s campus is beautiful (formerly the site of a mansion) while Reed is more wild. Both have a big canyon running through them with bridges over for some scenic views.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad, thank you SO MUCH for your thoughts. I hadn’t considered the ‘hard core science’ types until you did- duh! with the nuclear reactor, someone has to run it! The philosophers might just use it to heat up pizza! 
(kidding, no offense!)
I suppose you would say that Reed is more prestigious? It seems to be more competitive in terms of admission.</p>
<p>Reed definitely has a more intellectual bent, Lewis & Clark is more laid back. Reed has their core Humanities curriculum that every student must take, where as L & C only has one common class that students take. The Reed humanities core is very rigorous - one semester covers Greek writings and philosophers, the other semester covers the Romans. The reading list for both courses is extensive. </p>
<p>Reed is a much more intensive environment than L & C. My son looked at both and could have been accepted at either but liked the more relaxed environment at L & C. His cousin, however, loved the Humanities core at Reed and felt that he had found an intellectual home there.</p>
<p>To clarify, Reed has only one common year-long class that all freshmen (and some transfers) take: Humanities 110. There is no additional core curriculum.</p>
<p>And L&C has come close to copying Reed’s Humanities 101 with their Exploration & Discovery class (reading the greek and roman philosophers, etc). I would agree with Shennie that Reed is more intense (though not competitive in grades - grades are not given out, students have to ask for them). Reed is known for having students that just want to learn. The downside of that is they do have a very low % of students that graduate.</p>
<p>^^ There are intensive, intensive requirements though, which if put together could form something like a Core Curriculum beyond Hum 110. Reed is also definitely academia prep. It’s where the next generation’s big thinkers and academics would consider going. Lewis and Clark isn’t distinctive in the way that Reed is. It’s a fine college, but Reed is definitely in a league of its own.</p>
<p>Actually, the 2008-09 Common Data Set L&C six-year graduation rates for the 2001 and 2002 cohorts were 78% and 71%; Reed’s were 75% and 77%. </p>
<p>[Common</a> Data Set 2009 - Institutional Research - Offices - Lewis & Clark](<a href=“http://www.lclark.edu/offices/institutional_research/cds_09/]Common”>http://www.lclark.edu/offices/institutional_research/cds_09/)
[Reed</a> College 2008-09 Common Data Set SecB](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/cds/cds0809/cdssecb200809.html]Reed”>Reed College 2008-09 Common Data Set SecB - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>Thanks for that clarification Vossron. I didn’t realize L&Cs were that close to Reed’s. Reed’s was also lower when DD1 was looking three years ago. I wish schools had a better way of tracking graduation rate with transfers. There is currently no way of knowing how many students transferred vs. dropped out. But that could be an indicator of a different type.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, guys. DD is really drawn to Reed, but also looking to L&C. The impression we have is that they’re pretty similar academically, but Reed seems to be ‘trendier’ than L&C right now.</p>
<p>^ Why would you call Reed ‘trendier’?</p>
<p>I think Reed is one of those place you really have to visit to know what it is like. It is a unique school and I don’t think that there are other schools that are very similar. It is very traditional and rigorous academically while being extremely liberal socially. It is a very intellectual environment. There are other schools that are as intellectualy as Reed but I don’t know of others that combine this high level of intellectualism and are as liberal as Reed. Swarthmore has the intellectual level but is more preppy the Reed. Oberlin is very socially liberal but is not quite as academically rigorous as Reed. It is a unique school in many ways.</p>
<p>My S and I are going to visit both schools, as well as Whitman this April. I have a few questions. I think my S is more the laid back type but is VERY intellectual and “Square Peg” type kid. He loves to be around interesting and quirky types of kids who love to discuss random things. He LOVES the classics and humanities in general. I think he will LOVE Reed but I’m worried that the intense academic environment will overcome him. He is the classic " loves to learn for learning sake" but cringes when he hears the rumors about how much work Reed is. He has many interest and would hate studying non-stop. I’m thinking that L&C might be more suited for him but we will see after the visits. Does anyone have their 2 cents to add???</p>
<p>I think the best thing to do is take the temp of the schools during the visit. My DD1 loved Reed, DD2 did not, but she loved L&C. Just different.</p>
<p>Thanks Erin’s Dad!! I think the visits will do wonders:-))</p>
<p>5boys, please post back when you return!</p>
<p>mimimomx3, my impression is that Reed and L&C are not at all similar academically. Reed seems to have quite a bit more academic prestige than L&C. I think Puget Sound and L&C are more on the same par academically.</p>
<p>According to USNWR Reed is ranked 49th, L&C 79th, and I didn’t see Puget ranked at all.
Avg GPA: Reed 3.9, L&C 3.7, Puget 3.5.
All three made Best Western Colleges on Princeton Review.</p>
<p>Looks more like a spectrum across the three schools mentioned.</p>