<p>S is looking for a small to medium sized LAC or public U. We live in TN and he really wants to leave the south because he believes that southern schools will be too conservative for him. There have to be exceptions though! Schools he likes include Brown, Reed, Occidental, and Oberlin if that gives you any idea. I was wondering if anyone had any first hand knowledge of any good southern schools that aren't as conservative/Greek/footbally as others, just so we can have some options closer to home? For example, a friend of mine teaches at Elon and he says it is very preppy and conservative, as are Wake, Centre and Sewanee. Wondering about Furman, Clemson, Millsaps, Hendrix, Tulane, even W & M. Any other good choices in excellent southern schools that feel more liberal? We are considering Guilford, UNC-A and Brevard, but not as impressed with their academics. FYI Warren Wilson is a tad too far in the other direction!</p>
<p>Take a look at Emory.</p>
<p>W&M would be a great choice. You will see a good number of topsiders there, but overall the school is open. This is anecdotal, to be sure, but the kids I have known to either go to W&M are more academically focused above all else and certainly are not conservative or preppy. </p>
<p>I can’t speak to the politics of Tulane, but FWIW, I know they draw tons of students from the northeast.</p>
<p>I second William & Mary. A lot of the top Virginia students go there along with many from New Jersey, Pennsylvania etc. so i would say it is pretty liberal. The only thing it is pretty competitive for out of state applicants.</p>
<p>Thirding W&M, though their OOS financial aid is not the best. Of the other schools you listed, Hendrix is probably the most liberal–but it’s still “Southern liberal,” not Oberlin-esque liberal. I would stay away from Elon, Wake, Sewanee, Furman, Clemson, and Millsaps. Many southern schools like Centre are fine for moderate liberals, even for people who like Brown and Oxy–but Reed and Oberlin are a different tier entirely of “liberal.”</p>
<p>Check out St. Mary’s College of MD (MD’s public honors college) in addition to W&M.
Davidson might work, too. Or New College of Florida.</p>
<p>The Ohio schools (Kenyon, Oberlin) may be closer to you than MD or Florida schools, though.</p>
<p>Mastacos, I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>check out St. Mary’s College of Maryland, W&M, New College Of Florida (may be way too liberal though), College Of Charleston, UNCA</p>
<p>definitely not Clemson though</p>
<p>St. John’s in New Mexico perhaps?</p>
<p>Duke, Emory, and Tulane are in the South, but not “Southern.” (The same is true for their student bodies.)</p>
<p>The New College of Florida perhaps?
Also have heard good things about Emory and College of Charleston. I like UNCA. And UNC-Chapel Hill, though it’s bigger–not really what I’d call preppy at all. My very liberal D loved it.</p>
<p>What about Davidson?</p>
<p>I don’t think UVA is all that conservative. Agree with Tulane. NOT Davidson.</p>
<p>Or maybe Davidson’s not very liberal. I don’t know–I was assuming it was moreso as I know an east-coast liberalish family whose D goes there. But I don’t get that vibe looking at their web site, so maybe they are secretly conservative 
Or their D is rebelling.</p>
<p>Thanks! Lots of good feedback, especially on where he should NOT apply! We kinda figured Emory, Duke and Tulane just because they are so heavily populated by Northerners. Interesting to hear that Centre may not be as conservative as we thought, although I think it’s still pretty Greek. But we visited and liked it a lot so we will keep it on the list for now. W & M would be awesome but he may not have the stats for it as an OOS. We will check out St. Mary’s also, thank you! Sounds like the Maryland equivalent of GCSU. And yes, Ohio schools are closer, we have Kenyon and Oberlin on the list. Just hoping for a few options closer to home, other than the “Southern Ivies” that will be a reach for him.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>What about Millsap and Hendrix?</p>
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<p>Certainly not a plus in MY book, but I guess your son has a fear of the Southern stereotype.</p>
<p>Rice is liberal. My S visited from CA and fit right in. It’s certainly not preppy. UT is also pretty liberal. The preppy thing is not big in Texas and UT prides itself on being a liberal oasis in a conservative state.</p>
<p>New College is liberal, but I don’t think it’s as extreme as Warren Wilson, and not too far from Reed. I second St. Mary’s College of MD and College of Charleston.</p>
<p>Davidson falls into the moderate/Southern liberal category. I’d put it about the same political spot as Hendrix, although academics are definitely more rigorous. It’s not Reed, but neither is it full of Republicans.</p>
<p>I can’t comment really about the universities.</p>
<p>Really surprised to see Millsaps and Hendrix in the same recommendation. They’re both small liberal arts colleges in the south of approximately the same selectivity… but Hendrix has a reputation for being a blue dot in a red state, and Millsaps (as far as I know) does not.</p>
<p>Rice is indeed liberal, but Texas is also farther away from TN than Ohio.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild: Personally, I like Southerners just fine, but I like them better in a snowy and secular environment. ;)</p>
<p>My son has spent the first 15 years of his life struggling to find his place among a majority populated by “southern stereotypes!” We finally moved to a more liberal city where he attends an arts magnet high school among kids who most definitely buck that stereotype, and he couldn’t be happier. We both still count among our friends many conservative Christian tea partiers, as we try to judge people as individuals, but it was very hard for him to thrive when he was part of such a vast minority of football-eschewing, bleeding heart alt-rockers. He doesn’t have an outgoing enough personality to rise above it. A mix is fine, just don’t see him wearing the cap and gown at Sewanee!</p>
<p>Rice isn’t the south. It’s in the southwest. Big difference. And Rice is quite liberal, as is the surrounding part of Houston. My liberal daughter (Rice '07) was completely at home there.</p>