<p>Hi!
My name's Leah and I'm a high school senior from Philadelphia.
Up until I visited two weeks ago, University of Vermont was my number one college choice.
I loved the campus and Burlington was great, but I found that the students didn't seem as I guess.. hippie as I am.
So my question is:
Does anyone know of any creative liberal arts schools that are not crazy difficult to get into, are on the east coast, and are in/near a fun, interesting, city?
I just want to go to a school where I can be friends with a jazz trombonist as well as a political activist, a school where people like that are the norm. I want to be surrounded by people who aren't boring or only interested in like, beer and sex. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Kumbaya school, just a place filled with motivated, colorful people.
Thanks so much ((:</p>
<p>edit:
SAT-
math 610
Reading 650
Writing 590</p>
<p>My family might be able to give around $1000 per year.
My parents recently separated. My dad is unemployed, but I live with my mom who has a close to minimum wage job.
I’ll be paying for everything with loans, but I’m really hoping for scholarships and financial aid.</p>
<p>Take a look at Warren Wilson College and University of North Carolina - Asheville. Both are near Asheville and tend to have funky, artsy students.</p>
<p>Look into the College of the Atlantic. Your scores fall in their median range (besides, they are test optional). Your GPA may be a bit higher than their average (depending on how they calculate it). </p>
<p>Total costs are about $40K/year so you’d absolutely need financial aid (you could not borrow that much money if you wanted to). Over 80% of incoming students do get financial aid, and the average package apparently covers over 90% of determined need. However, the average student still graduates with about $20K in debt.</p>
<p>This is a very unusual school. Every student graduates with a degree in “human ecology”, but you design your own program related to that theme from one of a variety of perspectives (such as biology, policy and planning, arts/writing, or international studies.)</p>
<p>I don’t know if it would meet your “in/near a fun, interesting, city” criterion. Maybe. Depends on what kind of “city” and what kind of fun you have in mind. This is a very small school located outside Bar Harbor, ME (which is nearly 300 mi. from Boston).
[Bar</a> Harbor, Maine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Harbor,_Maine]Bar”>Bar Harbor, Maine - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>You know that famous photo from the 70’s, at a Vietnam war protest where the guy is sticking a flower into the barrel of a state trooper’s gun? (or something like that)
He went to Clark U.</p>
<p>Funky, hippie PA state schools don’t exist. There are pockets of funky/hippie at the state affiliated schools (Temple, Pitt) however, those aren’t necessarily affordable. The closest state school with this vibe to me is Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Robert E. Cook Honors. Looks like a terrific program! IUP has the major party rep, but the Cook Honors College really encourages the type of atmosphere you are describing. They also have been doing a nice job funding study abroad and summer programs. Check out their website.</p>
<p>I’d suggest applying to a mix of privates, state and state affiliate.</p>
<p>Temple should be a top choice because you can commute to save $.</p>
<p>Millersville IMO has a good social mix and politically minded students. I’ve known a few hippie attitude kids who went there - actually 1 is still there.</p>
<p>For privates --Besides Hampshire and Woodrow Wilson which have already been mentioned, I’d suggest looking at Goucher and Connecticut College. I don’t know enough about the FA packages of each.</p>
<p>Marlboro is really great if you are looking for something off the regular track. And of course, there are other colleges like Hampshire, Bennington and Bard.</p>
<p>Have you checked Bard? Bard is need blind for US citizens. They are test optional and have a great academic reputation. But they don’t like being called a funky college…haha…</p>
<p>Marlboro may be need blind, but that doesn’t mean they will meet your need.
One of my children & other graduating seniors were gapped by quite a bit from Marlboro.
They all enrolled elsewhere. It has a small endowment so cannot meet need.</p>
<p>I second Bard and Earlham. I think most state shools would tend not to have the vibe you’re looking for in the the N East, though in NY you might consider New Paltz, as one person suggested, and Purchase, the state arts convervatory school</p>
<p>And though its in the midwest, not the Northeast you might also think about McAlester, out there in St.Paul (Minneapolis.) Its one of the few top LA schools in a major city, very international, very politically active, and the arts scene in the twin Cities (and on campus) I’ve been told by friends whose kids attend is very good. FA for these folks was quite good and it might be for you too – they say that they will meet full demonstrated need, though I imagine loans would be part of that.</p>
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