<p>Amherst
Vassar
Wesleyan
Middlebury
Pomona</p>
<p>Are there any clear similarities/differences in academics, atmosphere, student body, etc? Which ones should someone who loves the “feel” of Brown consider researching further or applying to? Thanks.</p>
<p>I got accepted into Amherst and Brown, and I was looking for that tight-knit school that didn't have the overwhelmingly large student body and lack of contact with professors. I found that at Brown, a very undergrad-focused school, while I found Amherst to be much too isolated. I felt like Amherst would be like prep school or high school, and lacking in the full college experience.</p>
<p>Wesleyan and Wellesley are better than Brown on many levels, but easier to get into. I might look at Wesleyan, Wellesley, Pomona, Oberlin, Vassar and Bard.</p>
<p>Can you share more info on Oberlin and Vassar?</p>
<p>Generalizations/opinions/random things I've heard from other people:</p>
<p>Amherst: preppier than Brown; competitive academically; less of a close community feel
Vassar: open curriculum; isolated, somewhat boring location (Poughkeepsie)
Wesleyan: liberal; activist; open curriculum
Middlebury: difficult to get into; good English program; distribution requirements
Pomona: don't really know its strengths...?
Oberlin: don't know much about it...?</p>
<p>These are very much surface generalizations. I'd really like to get more of a feel for the uniqueness and strengths of these different LACs to help cut one or two off my college list, but it's so hard to do without being able to visit any of them.</p>
<p>As someone who got into Wesleyan, its generally considered where those who did not get into Brown attend. Great school on it's own, but if you get into Brown instead, deff. attend.</p>
<p>I disagree. I would say Wesleyan is stronger than Brown.</p>
<p>generally in my area/experience, people who dont get into brown go to wesleyan. people who dont go to wesleyan go to vassar, conn college or bates.</p>
<p>other brown-like lac's to consider might be macalester and sarah lawrence, though i think wesleyan really is the best for someone who likes brown. still, posterx would be very much alone in claiming that wesleyan is stronger than brown--as usual, his opinions are contrarian in the worst sense of the word, and hilariously buttressed by manipulated "statistics" and inane speculation. perhaps he might like to offer some of these in support of his current claim, for the forum's amusement?</p>
<p>I wouldn't be too hard on posterx. It's true that Brown gets the lion's share of cross-admits -- and superlative ones at that. But, with so many other aspects in common with Brown including history (Wriston Quad is named after a Wesleyan alum), southern New England location, similar sized campuses (with fewer students on Wesleyan's) the fall from Brown's table is a gentle one for all who miss the plate. :)</p>
<p>From everything I've seen, Wesleyan has a better track record at producing future scientists.</p>
<p>Also, Wesleyan is almost as good for Pre-Law:</p>
<p>I agree with most of the LACs already mentioned, especially Wesleyan and Vassar. (I went to Brown and I visited all these LACs with my daughter.) However, Middlebury would seem a bit closer to Dartmouth in feel (as would Williams). </p>
<p>Add to your Brown-like list:</p>
<p>Tufts
Grinnell
Carleton
Kenyon</p>
<p>Good list, SBmom.</p>
<p>I revised your thoughts</p>
<p>Amherst: preppier than Brown; competitive academically; more close community feel. Dartmouth is more liberal and more like Brown than Amherst.</p>
<p>Vassar: open curriculum; open minded, isolated, location is irrelevant, this school is cool and fun</p>
<p>Wesleyan: liberal; activist; open curriculum. Overrun by mean hipsters.</p>
<p>Middlebury: not nearly as difficult to get into; myth that it has some great English program; preppy but has a decent liberal/alternative scene</p>
<p>Pomona: Great school, social because of the 5 colleges, laid back, intellectual smart students.</p>
<p>Oberlin: Crazy liberal, BORING town (people don't understand how 'middle of nowhere means very different things)</p>
<p>why is Middlebury's great english department a myth? I've heard nothing but excellent things about it.</p>
<p>overrun by mean hipsters? uh oh...</p>
<p>Middlebury's English program is top-notch. Don't listen to slipper. Oh, and while we're sterotyping, Dartmouth is full of a bunch of drunk frat boys, right slipper?</p>
<p>don't be too hard on slipper; he spent a weekend at wesleyan about three or four years ago where he and his homie were apparently on the short end of some snarkey repartee. Sorry, that happened, slip, baby.;)</p>
<p>I would agree that Amherst is closet to Brown in curriculum philosophy (minimial requirements outside your major) and that Wesleyan is closest to Brown in atmosphere (open minded, creative student body, and liberal in the academic sense). </p>
<p>All of these LACs are very good schools, but I caution you to compare them carefully to Brown's overall social and physical environment too. Grinnel and Carleton, for instance, are quite small and isolated, whereas Brown is in a residential city neighborhood along the Northeast corrider.</p>
<p>Mddlebury's english dept is great, but not better than the other schools on that list. All the top LACs have great english departments.</p>