Looking for "intellectual" safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm looking for schools that I could potentially get a significant amount of merit aid at (up to full ride, preferably). I like LACs, although small-medium sized universities would be okay, too. </p>

<p>If I was in love with these schools:</p>

<p>Swarthmore
Oberlin
Chicago
Reed</p>

<p>what other schools could/should I look at? I think I might have heard Brandeis once (not that it's a safety), is that true?</p>

<p>Thanks :) I'm iffy on the whole major thing - thinking about sociology/economics/psychology, maybe.</p>

2

<p>bard? bennington?</p>

3

<p>Earlham, College of Wooster, Bard, Franklin&Marshall, Clark U., St. Johns, (Smith, Mount Holyoke if you're female) are among the LACs that come to mind as having reputations for being academically rigorous and having intellectually engaged students out of proportion to their selectivity. I'm sure others can add to the list. Most, but not all of these, have at least moderate amounts of merit aid.</p>

4

<p>Wesleyan Univ.</p>

5

<p>Wesleyan's not a safety for anyone these days. And, along with the other top LACs, it gives no merit aid, though it gives lots of need-based aid and admissions are need-blind.</p>

<p>You don't give your stats, but a possible intellectual safety with good merit aid is Dickinson College.</p>

6

<p>I would add Sarah Lawrence.</p>

7

<p>Also Beloit, Lawrence, Colorado College, Hendrix, Hampshire, Knox</p>

8

<p>And be sure to check out this thread:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63770%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63770&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>There are some terrific schools that have a just a few full scholarships that take some digging to unearth.</p>

9

<p>Some others are: Skidmore, Lewis+Clark, Evergreen State, Goucher. Not quite sure how much aid those schools have to give, but they are certianly safties, and you're bound to get some merit aid at all of them.</p>

10

<p>Davidson College, Lehigh University (not really a safety at all), Lawrence University, Grinnell College, Macalester College.</p>

11

<p>Don't forget the honors colleges within publics Universities.</p>

<p>I'd add St Johns; very intellectual place with a unique program.</p>

12

<p>Look at Rhodes, Bryn Mawr (if female), Ohio Wesleyan, Bates (pretty selective), U of Rochester (definitely), American, Occidental.</p>