<p>Hey everyone. My daughter will be hearing back any day from her early decision school - a highly competitive, "top tier" US News (whatever that means) liberal arts college. She's an interesting and unusual candidate: she competed internationally for the US until the end of 9th grade, and basically had online school and some tutors until she decided she wanted to be a normal kid. She's had to adjust to being back in school full time, and she's been pretty successful academically, especially in English. However she's had her share of B's (and one C), and while her verbal SAT was great her math was very low. As far as extracurriculars, she's devoted herself to a few great ones that she really enjoys (community service and the debate team especially). Her essay was great, as were her recommendations. It's really just her math SAT and a few mediocre grades.</p>
<p>I'm helping her make a list of colleges to apply to just in case she doesn't get into her early decision choice. She would love to go to a school like Grinell, Bryn Mawr, Kenyon, Haverford, Smith, Vasser, etc., and she'll apply to these types of schools, but I'm trying to find some other colleges that offer a similar educational and social experience but are less competitive. "Back ups" if you will. </p>
<p>She might want to look at The College of Wooster and Earlham, and possibly Skidmore, Bard, Connecticut College, Goucher, and Wheaton (Norton, MA, not IL)</p>
<p>Look at Mt. Holyoke if she likes women's colleges. It's about as competitive as Smith. Consolation's suggestions of Goucher and Earlham sound good too. Denison, Lawrence, and Beloit also come to mind. Maybe Elon or Agnes Scott if she doesn't mind coming South?</p>
<p>Whitman, Scripps, Pitzer, Bard, Skidmore to name a few others that might be of interest.</p>
<p>You might want to look up "Colleges that Change Lives" for more suggestions-- these are schools that are marketed as perfect for "B" students, though in the case of schools like Reed that are getting increasingly selective, that might not be the case any more.</p>
<p>I'll second the Denison suggestion. Son applied and was accepted last year with a great merit scholarship. We were quite impressed with the school, they seem to have their act together and the frat parties of years past seem to be greatly minimized. Frats no longer have houses at Denison. The campus is quite attractive and the alumni network strong.</p>
<p>It is however, not as crunchy, granola as some of the other schools on your list. I'm not sure which school is your daughter's ED school but our son ended up at Oberlin - with a smaller merit scholarship :(. He is now quite happy with the classes and fellow students, so it was the right move.</p>