<p>I think my daughter is pretty wonderful, of course, but she has never been very interested in playing the high school "game." She's shy, quirky, and very intelligent, and I think it's time for me to begin guiding her toward branching out.</p>
<p>2190 SAT, 3.8, top 10%, six APs. She works part-time and tutors twice a week, but her big things are graphic design and photography. She has a huge online following for her blog and volunteers her services for all sorts of nonprofits. She has an extensive portfolio and is currently interning with a design boutique in addition to freelancing. Her teachers adore her</p>
<p>She doesn't want an art school, but a solid art department would be great for her. She's interested in anthropology. We haven't had a chance to do any visits, so I'm not sure whether she would prefer urban or rural. We agree that about 2000 kids would be a good size for her.</p>
<p>What schools have reputations for being quirky, unpretentious, and nurturing? We have considered taking the opposite approach and looking into large schools, but that is another thread. Thank you.</p>
<p>Are you looking for a particular part of the country? A good one in the pacific northwest is University of Puget Sound. Really nice kids there from what I’ve seen and nice laid back environment. Whitman College is even more rural and remote but good.</p>
<p>Let us know a little more about where she might want to live and I’m sure we can find a lot of additional ideas.</p>
<p>Beloit College is Wisconsin has one of the strongest undergrad anthropology departments in the country, would appeal to your D’s quirky, artistic side. it is smaller then your target of 2K student body but do check it out. it is a wonderful place with great faculty and creative, smart, interesting kids. Great merit aid too.</p>
<p>Bard College in NY state (formerly affiliated with Columbia). Terrific arts and (art is required in the core) also has anthropology. About 2000 students - sort of quirky.artsy but their science program has been growing too.</p>
<p>Well, my alma mater Macalester has a great anthropology department and a new art building. I was a double major in art and anthropology there many years ago. Twin Cities are nice too.</p>
<p>A good friend of mine has a DD that is a Senior anthropology major at Luther in Iowa and loves it there. She isn’t shy but is quirky and is very intelligent and artistic as well. Sounds a lot like your DD. Luther sounds like it might be a good fit for your DD. Macalester would have better opportunities for internships in the immediate area but probably isn’t as “nurturing” as Luther. Luther internships would probably go to the Chicago area but I am not sure about that.</p>
<p>Consider Beloit, Bryn Mawr (women only) and neighboring Haverford, the Claremont Colleges, Colorado College, Smith (women only), and Wesleyan. </p>
<p>Wesleyan has a famous film program and a rather arty student body. Its location is relatively accessible to the NYC art scene. It has a strong ethnomusicology program, and like several of the others above, is one of the top 10 colleges for anthropology PhD production.</p>
<p>Among larger schools, check out the University of Chicago (although it would not qualify as especially nurturing).</p>
<p>What kind of Anthropology? It can include everything from paleontology to folklore. At Harvard I knew people who studied Chimpanzees and others who studied the Roma. Bard, Vassar, Skidmore, Sara Lawrence, Bryn Mawr all seem plausible.</p>
<p>chesca, These are a few small liberal arts colleges with strong studio art plus excellent overall academics. Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Kenyon, Conn College, Haverford, Skidmore, Vassar, Smith.</p>
<p>The personality varies from school to school but as general statement I would say they are all nurturing with a focus on individual attention. Quirky is a slippery phrase: to some it means green hair and piercing, to some it means marching to your own drum intellectually. </p>
<p>Williams, which is the one I’m most familiar with, has its share of quirkiness though you might not know it to look at the students. That’s where the unpretentious aspect comes in. </p>
<p>Excellent resources and support for the arts, visual and performing. One of the best art studio and art history programs anywhere. Three world class museums on or near campus that offer a lot of venues for student involvement. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t conider it an anthropology destination, but the department, while small and interdisciplinary, has some terrific professors and excellent travel and internship opportunities. </p>
<p>Double majoring is common and the “entry” residential system helps introverted kids integrate socially.</p>
<p>Is there a particular region of the country your D will prefer? That might help with the suggestions also. Mathmom is right…there are different concentrations for Anthro like cultural, linguistic, physical etc…and some colleges, like Carleton, combine Anthro and Sociology departments. In the midwest Beloit is more well known for Anthro than I believe Kenyon is but Kenyon is very good college also.</p>
<p>Oberlin College fits the quirky and unpretentious part. As for the nurturing part, had that in the departments with which I had my major and minors(History, Politics, East Asian studies)…especially East Asian Studies. </p>
<p>Heard the same about other majors…though I don’t know much about the anthropology department at my college. Heard rave reviews of the Studio Art program from some friends who majored in it.</p>
<p>No geographic limitations here. We’re in the SE and she’s said she wants to see a different part of the country.</p>
<p>D is not quirky in the piercings and green hair kind of way. You wouldn’t know she’s “quirky” from looking at her. Her quirkiness surfaces more in her personality - lots of geeky references, lots of talk about ideas, very tongue in cheek, very passionate about her art. She’s just so shy, especially in large settings. I think she needs a place where she will be more than just a face or a name on the roll to really come into her own.</p>
<p>I think she wants to do cultural anthropology, but don’t quote me on that.</p>
<p>Will look into all the colleges mentioned (there’s a lot of them!). Thanks all!</p>
<p>Add Brandeis to your list. A friends daughter graduated from there last year with a degree in Anthropology and loved the program and the school. Will you be looking for Financial Aid or merit money?</p>
Describes my son too. Williams really allowed him space to expand intellectually and encouraged him to find his voice – socially, artistically and academically.</p>
<p>Just says Beloit all over! Very good anthropology department, and I know some kids who have really appreciated the studio art department. Difference and initiative are both very much celebrated there.</p>