<p>I don’t understand. If the family doesn’t care whether it is a religious school, why were you asking for Catholic/Christian schools?</p>
<p>Smith seems like a bizarre choice for a person who is otherwise looking for religious schools.</p>
<p>Elizabethtown College in PA might be a possibility. It encourages student research and has a decent psychology program. </p>
<p>Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY is a pretty good LAC for average B students. It has the added benefit of being right next to SUNY Oneonta which might be helpful if the student wants to pursue courses not offered at Hartwick.</p>
<p>In California, St. Mary’s College might be worth considering. Very supportive Catholic school with a strong emphasis on service and located in the inland part of the Bay Area. It also offers a great books option which might compliment a prospective English major’s curriculum.</p>
<p>If she’s looking at Smith, she may also want to look at Mount Holyoke. It’s test optional. A friend of my daughter’s got in there with a similar GPA and did not even send her SAT scores.</p>
<p>My daughter
graduated from Messiah in Pennsylvania. Wonderful education with fantastic study abroad possibilities. Did not cost us any more for her to spend a semester in England as it did for PA. There was even a food stipend. We did provide money for traveling throughout Europe and amazing experiences. Oh, and Messiah paid the airfare, as well.</p>
<p>if you are looking for Christian but not Catholic schools, one of D2’s friends is at Eastern Nazerine in MA and was admitted very early in the application cycle. The friend’s older siblings attended and both went on to medical school.</p>
<p>Other than the alumni connection I don’t see Smith fitting in with many mentioned. Mt Holyoke more so. My mother went to Regis a million years ago, it is now coed and I think is on shaky financial ground.</p>
<p>I think Smith is on the list because she’s been there and liked the school. Also, the extended family, as well as the parents, are big supporters of higher education and are mostly likely willing to help out if she gets into a more expensive school.</p>
<p>As far as why “religious” schools- I can tell you that a student that goes to a small/medium Jesuit Catholic school can be irreligious and get along just fine. This is also the case for many/most “Christian” colleges. It seems that the smaller, more nurturing environment with accountability has particular appeal for this student who feels she needs more structure and accountability in order to learn well. She’s had a tutor for math since freshman year and it has helped her.</p>
<p>I’ll investigate the other suggestions. I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>So what she really wants/needs is a smaller, more nurturing environment that would also provide her with structure?</p>
<p>Smith has an open curriculum, which is the opposite of structured, although that may not be the kind of structure you mean. Generally speaking, I would say that the more intellectually challenging schools are going to expect more independence from students. Although help is certainly there if you need it. </p>
<p>My H taught as an adjunct at St. Joseph’s in Maine, which was mentioned above, and they do things like check homework in math class, so that might be more what she’s looking for. It would no doubt be a safety for her. It doesn’t strike me as a school that I would describe as “fun,” though. It depends what she thinks of as fun…probably something in or close to Boston or another college-heavy area would have a higher fun quotient. </p>
<p>How about Bennington? It wouldn’t be a place for business, but great for a writer. And frankly, if she has required a math tutor every year of HS I can’t see her in business, anyway.</p>
<p>Holy Cross-loved it when we toured.</p>
<p>Does she want to be close to a city or near an airport? Or does she want to be out in the middle of nowhere?
Some Catholic/Christian schools that might fit her close to cities (although only one is in New England):
Rosemont College, outside of Philadelphia PA
St. Joseph’s, Philadelphia PA
Notre Dame (female only), Baltimore MD
Eastern Nazarene, Boston MA</p>
<p>Some schools in rural/suburban areas:
Mount St. Mary’s, in the mountains of Western MD
Messiah, PA
Cabrini College, PA</p>
<p>Sorry these aren’t in New England, but they are schools that friends children attend, and all seem happy with these schools.</p>
<p>How about some of the PA schools, such as Susquehanna or Ursinus? Does she want “Yankee” NE or would she look at PA or Maryland? McDaniel and Hood are possibilities. If she wants Catholic, St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. Many people just love that school.</p>
<p>How about St. Michael s in Burlington, VT? [Home</a> | Saint Michael’s College](<a href=“http://www.smcvt.edu/]Home”>http://www.smcvt.edu/) Great little college just outside of Burlington, which is about the best College town there is. Okay, I’m a little prejudiced. My son goes to nearby Champlain and St. Mike’s was on his list. We visited and I did do a review here: [Saint</a> Michael’s College - Videos, Photos, and Visit Reports](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/saint-michaels-college]Saint”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/saint-michaels-college)</p>
<p>Messiah in PA is very much an evangelical Christian college, btw. They may sound very open to different religions on their website, but I know many kids that have gone there or are attending and all were from evangelical Christian faiths.</p>
<p>St. Joe’s is a good choice too. Ursinus has very loose Christian ties IMHO.</p>
<p>kathiep, I agree with you re Messiah. An ACT score of 21 is about their 25th percentile, so the student in question may be admissible, but I don’t see it as a place for the religiously indifferent.</p>
<p>Elms College is a small co-ed Catholic liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Excellent school of nursing, lots of other possible majors, trains a lot of teachers in the area, good Communication Disorders program, very nurturing in the Pioneer Valley with many, many other colleges within 10 to 45 minute drives. Two hours from Boston, 45 minutes from Hartford. About an hour from the Berkshires. Could be a nice safety.</p>
<p>Seems like the actual criteria on the religious aspect is that the following schools are ok:</p>
<ul>
<li>Secular schools.</li>
<li>Religiously affiliated schools where religion does not dominate the curriculum or social environment.</li>
</ul>
<p>Correct?</p>
<p>Both Seton Hall and Duquesne made the list of A schools for B students. There is a Northeast US selector as well. IMHO one of the best data digs USNews provides:
[A+</a> Schools for B Students | Top National Universities | US News Best Colleges](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus/spp%2B50]A+”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus/spp%2B50)</p>
<p>I second Regis college.</p>
<p>Also: </p>
<p>St. Michaels in Vermont - wonderful school (one of my good friends is very happy there a catholic but not oppressively so.) </p>
<p>I second houghton and Gordon as well, as evangelical but not super conservative colleges.</p>
<p>Roger Williams in Bristol, RI (right on the water, about 1/2 way between Newport and Providence). Nice small, nurturing private secular school. Has both liberal arts and business and engineering schools. Gives good merit aid and just instituted a tuition freeze policy.</p>
<p>That’s correct, ucb.</p>
<p>Gosh, there are so many schools I’ve never heard of but many sound good. I think she really wants the far Northeast because of family in NH, VT, RI, and MA. I don’t think Pennsylvania or NY is what she’s thinking.</p>
<p>ConfusedmominMA,</p>
<p>Do you know why only 78% of students return to Roger Williams? Is it due to cost mainly? It looks gorgeous!</p>
<p>PS. Dudedad, thanks for that link. Great search tool!</p>
<p>Roger Williams is populated with students primarily from RI and MA and like any regional school has a percent that don’t return due to cost, transfers, and students who start and stop. I know a handful of MA locals that are in attendance and they do like the school. I can also say that while Salve Regina shares many of the same beautiful physical aspects of the RI seashore, it is less favored as a destination for students that want a “fun” residential experience. I would also disagree that the Gordon and Regis in Massachusetts fit what the OP is searching for. Over 50% of the student body at Regis are in the nursing program, so I see that as not a very diverse student body for a student that enjoys writing. Gordon College self-selects, and thus the 40% admit rate. Although it is affiliated, I don’t have the impression that Gordon is liberal and fun as far as NE schools go.</p>
<p>If the student loves Smith College and is into writing, I would offer Mt Holyoke and Wheaton as alternatives. Mt Holyoke may be a lo reach, depending on the rigor of the students coursework and if applying as SAT optional. At MHC, 59% submit SAT’s, 27% ACT. Wheaton would be more of a match with a 3.5 GPA. At Wheaton 39% apply with SAT’s, 12% with ACT’s. Simmons and Emmanuel are likely. For a writer but also a reach, Bates in Maine. Connecticut College was mentioned, another reach…but fun.</p>
<p>If the student likes Providence College, private schools that other 3.5 GPA/1500’s SAT students in MA/RI also consider include Fairfield & Quinnipiac in CT; Roger Williams in RI; Stonehill, Assumption, & Merrimack in MA; St Anselms in NH; St Micheals in VT. Most of these are less selective than PC admitting in 60-80% range. Public alternatives considered by students in this range UVM and UNH.</p>