<p>I can't find my perfect fit college. Any suggestions? </p>
<p>Here's a list of what I'm looking for:
-Excellent classical curriculum (classics, history, top-notch writing and speaking (Rhetoric), economics intro.
-Requirements to graduate (I believe there is path to being truly educated)
-Medium size school, lots of interaction with professors
-Discussion based classes (this is what I have at my high-school)
-Fun sports (field hockey, skiing, equestrian) (not an absolute)
-Close-knit supportive community
-Secular (Richard Dawkins secular)</p>
<p>I like St. John's curriculum, but think I would be unhappy hiding my beliefs. </p>
<p>I take it that you mean St. John’s the Catholic college. There is a St. Johns in Annapolis, MD that is known for its traditional curriculum and focus on the liberal arts. It is secular. It is not as large as you’d like, but then I think that mid-size and traditional curriculum might be hard to match. UChicago comes to mind, but it is ivy selective. Reed College, similar in selectivity and smaller than you’d like. Both will have their share of Dawkins fans.</p>
<p>Yes, sorry. I mean St. John’s in Annapolis. St. John’s is secular? I must have assumed from the name and Bible reading requirements that it was Catholic. It is true. No where in it’s mission does it talk about religion. I’ll do more research. </p>
<p>I think U Chicago might be a good fit, but would be a stretch when they accept <10%</p>
<p>I liked some things about Reed - size, grading, some of the classes. What I didn’t like was the lack of political diversity. It isn’t much of a discussion when everyone is liberal. </p>
<p>Thanks for your suggestions!</p>
<p>I would love to have more. Only one college on my list so far. </p>
<p>If finances aren’t a huge concern, consider Fordham-Lincoln Center. It’s a small, Jesuit, liberal arts college, with traditional requirements, in the middle of Manhattan. Many people think of is as a performing arts college, but they have a full liberal arts curriculum. I’ve also heard that Sewanee has many of the things you are looking for, but it’s in the middle of nowhere. Maybe William & Mary, or College of Charleston?</p>
<p>Have you looked at university of richmond? That’s where I’m going in the fall and it fits most of your wishes. There are about 850 students per class, so it is on the smaller side. Most classes are capped at 20 students and so you get lots of interaction with the professors. I believe the largest class size is 40 people (don’t remember exactly). And you’d enjoy the first year seminars, many of which are discussion based.</p>
<p>What are your grades and standardized test scores? Do you need merit aid? Any geography constraints? Would you prefer a LAC or a medium sized university?</p>
<p>What about Haverford? It is liberal-leaning, but not oppressively so. Are you male or female? If male, and you have outstanding academic credentials, look into Deep Springs College. It is tiny, which doesn’t meet your size requirement, but everything else about it sounds perfect. It is an extremely selective, two-year program which typically sends its students on to complete four-year degrees at the most elite colleges.</p>
<p>I checked out Fordham Lincoln but it has the Jesuit tradition (which I had to Google) embedded into its program. Swanee looks like an interesting one though. William and Mary is public and I’m not in VA. I think it would cost a fortune and I’d rather go to a private in that case. Thanks for the leads!</p>
It’s only hard if it’s necessary for every student to conform to the same curriculum. It’s quite easy to replicate such a curriculum for yourself nearly anywhere. In fact, that’s one of the things Choosing the Right College looks for. </p>
<p>Some combination of history, classics, and/or English might serve the OP rather well and expand his/her options. A program like Yale’s Directed Studies has always seemed ideal to me – a rigorous examination of influential texts that can be coupled with a regular major like philosophy or economics. </p>
<p>It’s perhaps better to master one or two fields than to be a jack of all trades and master of none, particularly if graduate school is a possibility. A St. John’s graduate touches upon a number of disciplines, but his or her knowledge in any one area is greatly exceeded by that of a history, English, or classics major. </p>
<p>ilovecyrano – We need more information if you want useful suggestions. As of now, your requirements are somewhat vague. You say you want a medium school, for example, but St. John’s (with fewer than 500 students total) seems acceptable. On the other hand, you seem firm on avoiding religiously affiliated schools. How flexible are you in these requirements? Moreover, what are your grades and test scores, and how much financial aid will you need? It does you no good to get suggestions you can’t get into or afford. </p>
<p>I’m a female. I’ll probably study English, but I’m not sure. It won’t be science or math that’s for sure. I’m a decent writer and won a Scholastic National Gold Metal for Poetry last year. My practice SATs were: 1950 (R 710, M 540, W 700). My GPA is 3.3 and I’m no where near the top of my class, but my school doesn’t rank. </p>
<p>@ilovecyrano University of Richmond is private so out of state doesn’t matter. You should look into their richmond scholars program, which is full tuition or full ride depending on which category. They give approx 50 a year (I got an artist scholar- full tuition)</p>
<p>You might want to look at Guilford. It’s a small Quaker college in Greensboro, NC. They are fairly generous with merit aid, and the Quaker tradition is all about discussion and equality. My kids went to a Quaker school. The teachers used their first names, and most classes were conducted within a circular formation. </p>
<p>I won’t need financial aid. Not because we’re rich, but because my parents have been saving since I was a baby. It’s kind of embarrassing to drive in my parent’s junkers, but it’s nice to know I can make a college choice based on my academic priorities. </p>