<p>While on vacation in Florida, we visited Eckerd and New College. NCF is the one with the overpass that divides the campus. The administration buildings are beautiful- surrounded by manicured lawns and by the bay. The rest of campus is environmentally sustainable. Eckerd’s entrance is right by the highway. But once inside the campus, it’s very peaceful/tranquil. More traditionally pretty campus than NCF. My D was not interested in applying to either but I think good options for the right kid.</p>
<p>Curious about the OP’s statement that Bryn Mawr is not intellectual enough. What does this mean? </p>
<p>@goingnutsmom, your question made me curious…as Bryn Mawr is on our list. ;-)</p>
<p>Here is the quote I think you are referring to from OP:
I read this to mean that her daughter is smart, but not the 'intellectual" type…not the school. I am still curious though, @4kids4colleges, if you could describe more about how you would classify the smart/intellectual vibe at Bryn Mawr. </p>
<p>@dadof1, Thank you for those reviews of the southern LAC’s you have visited! We have visited a few of those and agree with your notes on those.</p>
<p>@scubadive, it sounds like maybe the overpass is just enough on the edge of the campus that a lot of people just aren’t noticing it? It’s just not something that stood out to me…I can’t swear there isn’t one, I just don’t recall it…then again, I have been to so many schools now…they do begin to blur!</p>
<p>I found Eckerd to be one of my favorite campuses so far. But it also had the worst food on our tours so far, but it was free for D. We asked at the admissions office before lunch and they gave D a free voucher and discount vouchers for H and I. To me the campus felt homey (not homely!), comfortable and bright, open and pretty. It definitely has some older buildings (60-70s) but I kind of like that lol. D, not quite as much, but the bright, open look appealed to her.
I think we have eaten at every other school we’ve toured, except New College. The Dining Hall was closed (between meals) when we were there.
D’s pick for worst food was Agnes Scott…but I thought it was great. I think that had something to do with selection and timing. I got the chicken pot pie (I love comfort food) and it was right before the lunch rush. D got stir fry in the midst of the rush and said it was barely warmed…certainly not fried…
She liked Emory’s dining hall the best…so far.
U Richmond has an impressive dining hall, but the desserts being front and center would pretty much guarantee the freshman 15! lol</p>
<p>@dadof1: A quick question for clarification. In looking at your list of schools with net cost of attendance and amount of merit/grant aid, I presume that if you add the two figures together you get the “sticker” or list price of the school. Many of the LACs that you list have list prices in the upper $50s or low $60s; but for the University of Richmond your numbers are: Richmond: 38900 (33000) for a total price of $71,900 if I understand your system. Was UofR really that expensive? Am I misreading your post?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for clarifying.</p>
<p>@gandalf78: Oops that was a typo for Richmond. Should have been 38900 (20750) for a total CoA of 59600 or so. </p>
<p>Thank you all! @dadof1, wow what great information. Very helpful. I have to study your post again. </p>
<p>The “not intellectual” comment referred to my D- she is a very smart kid but, at least right now (in this version of her 17 year old self), not exactly passionate about learning for learning’s sake, talking about books and ideas. That could change. Especially at the right kind of school.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr has many, many types of students - probably not fair to stereotype at all, but there are certainly many “intellectual” women there. Really, really smart women. Just looking at the page from the Fiske Guide - “BMC has the most brainpower per capita of the elite women’s colleges.” Yep. Same for the students at Haverford, Swarthmore - just top notch students, engaged learners. I think my D is the type that could be happy in many different environments, and for her a BMC-type place may not be the best.</p>
<p>Another quote from the Fiske Guide - “Students here are engaged, passionate, intellectual, and most carry an intensity with them that drives them to succeed but can also feel overpowering to outsiders.”</p>
<p>Totally agree, and that is what I was trying to convey.</p>
<p>Also, the food at BMC is awesome! (At least it was way back when…) </p>
<p>It’s funny how everyone have such different perceptions of the schools they visit. Tour guides have a huge influence, as does the food, the weather, and the mood of the day. One person notices something that someone else does not. </p>
<p>@lr4550, Washington College seems nice. Do you know if it is more on the conservative/liberal side? Definitely looking at this one. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think it falls in the middle- I don’t think Washington is known for being particularly conservative or particularly liberal. Definitely not a liberal activist crowd. My guess would be a little bit more to the mid/higher income preppier crowd (if I had to guess). I have never been to the campus but I know a few people involved with the school and it sounds like a genuinely happy and intellectually stimulating environment. It isn’t as selective as some of the other LACs but from what I understand it is full of bright kids who might not have tested well or who had some other gaps in their academic records.</p>
<p>Dadof1 has a good list for the Southeast. My D looked at many of those same schools. You might also check out the Honors program at College of Charleston. My D is attending Sewanee and absolutely loves it! Her politics are very middle of the road (fairly liberal on social issues). It is isolated as are many LACs (I thought it was less isolated than Kenyon). I think Rhodes is an excellent choice if one prefers an urban environment. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Sewanee. </p>
<p>Thanks @overtheedge. Looks like Sewanee is about 2.5 hrs from Atlanta, where we are visiting in a couple weeks. I think we will make the drive and check it out. Any ideas about what to see, where to stay, etc? So glad to hear your D loves it. Did you get merit aid? </p>
<p>^ If you want to stay closer to Sewanee, then your best bet might be Chattanooga, which is about a 45-minute drive from Sewanee. There are some places in downtown Chattanooga near the Aquarium, which you could probably find on the internet.</p>
<p>@4kids4colleges - Parents Weekend at Sewanee is Oct. 18th. Hopefully you won’t be visiting that weekend because everything nearby is booked. The Sewanee Inn on campus is new and lovely. There are also a few B&Bs in nearby Monteagle that are very nice. The rest of the hotels in Sewanee/monteagle leave a lot to be desired. Chattangoo is only 45 min away and provides more options. Ivy Wild is a good fine dining restaurant in Sewanee. Julia’s and Stirling’s coffee shop are fun spots for lunch. Campus and the surrounding area are naturally beautiful if you like the outdoors - biking, hiking, canoeing etc opportunities abound. Clearly not a shopping Mecca - lol. </p>
<p>Yes, my D received merit. She received more merit from Rhodes, but when I compared the COA at both schools (Sewanee was less), and given that the COA at Sewanee is constant for 4 years, it was very even and not the deciding factor between her two top choices. I would schedule an interview during your D’s visit if she’s interested. They like demonstrated interest. </p>
<p>Honestly, from reading the descriptions of the school in some of the guide books, I didn’t think the school was for D. But it’s different on campus - not nearly as formal or conservative as often described. The “class dress” is pretty relaxed. It’s a very friendly and welcoming campus. Easy to make friends and get involved. Also, D says her professors are awesome. The school isn’t for everyone - not sure how well an urban kid with multiple tattoos, piercings, and tri-colored hair would fit in. D looks very mainstream, but has an artsy, quirky type of personality. She’s not very rah-rah. She describes the school as hippy-preppy. </p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info about Sewanee. My D sounds very similar - pretty mainstream, but not preppy. She was a little taken aback, for example, by all the piercing/tattoo types in Portland when we visited Lewis & Clark. The Sewanee campus looks gorgeous. We will be there Oct. 11 weekend, and booked a Saturday tour. Thanks again! </p>
<p>@overtheedge, That is interesting about Sewannee. It does seem like the books focus on kids dressing up for class, and D, while she likes to dress nicely, says she wants a place where she could also wear sweats to class when she wants to. In the USNews review for Sewanee, it says that isn’t allowed there. It surpises me read that your D would classify it as hippy. I just wouldn’t have expected that! </p>
<p>@overtheedge’s daughter is not alone – my daughter described Sewanee the same way after attending the merit scholarship competition there ;)</p>
<p>@shoeboemom, the Sewanee youtube channel is very good, they have a series of videos called “My Sewanee Story” featuring different types of kids - the outdoorsy ones, artsy, community service oriented, athletic, etc… These kids seem pretty laid back, articulate, interesting (at least the ones they chose for the videos!) <a href=“University of the South - YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/user/universityofthesouth</a></p>
<p>@shoboemom - The students do dress nicely for class out of tradition and respect for their professors. There is no official dress code. US News makes it sound like everyone’s wearing a coat/tie or dress/heels to class. The feel of the schooI doesn’t match the US News description. I don’t know of students wearing sweats or pj type clothes, but many, including D, wear nice jeans with boots, yoga pants, leggings and the like. I think the hippy-preppy vibe stems from a mix of southern preppy with the influence of the mountains and outdoorsy element. It’s a very green, environmentally conscious school - big on sustainability. I agree with 4kids that the videos are pretty representative of the student types.</p>