Hi,
Just starting the college search with my daughter who is a rising Junior in HS. We are US citizens but living overseas and daughter will enter the IB program in Sept. We have done a few college visits and she really liked Bowdoin and Clark U for their collaborative feel (vs a competitive academic environment). She is undecided on a major and so this was one of the more important things for her. Does anyone have any recommendations for small liberal arts colleges in the New England area that have that collaborative community feel?
Thanks.
I would suggest to choose her major before you look for a school, so when you do go to see schools you’ll be able to look more closely at her major.
@Simplylearning Thank you. It is good advice but she really just has no ideas, thus the liberal arts college search!
You have a lot of choices (no pun intended!) i would look at Wesleyan for its long tradition of experimentation and inter-disciplinary departments. Bates for its similar feel, Haverford for its Honor code and a number of women’s colleges, including Bryn Mawr, Mt. Holyoke, and I almost said, “Conn” - but, that’s co-ed (shows you how old I am) - but, worth looking into in its own right.
If she liked Bowdoin, she might also like Hamilton. I’ve heard that Williams is on the pre-professional end of the spectrum. Not sure what that means, other than that a lot of its graduates go into investment banking which is pretty cut-throat. FWIW, Amherst is generally thought of as very similar to Williams.
Definitely check out Bates.
If she liked Bowdoin, odds are that she would probably find Bates, Colby, Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst appealing. But all of these schools are tough to get into. In general, small rural LACs are very community oriented and tend not to be dog eat dog. The hard part is getting in.
There are a bunch of schools that have a similar feel in PA. Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Lafayette, Haverford. And in upstate NY, there is Union, St. Lawrence, and Hobart William Smith.
I would make sure to build a list that includes some solid matches. Many of the NESCAC schools have single digit acceptance rates. Most LACs want students to explore before committing to a major. You may want to think through whether she’d prefer to do that through schools that have more exploring "requirements " or ones that are more “study what you want”. There is a pretty broad spectrum on this and pros and cons of both.
For highly selective colleges with notable collaborative and community aspects – which may include active honor codes – (but which extend beyond New England) visit Bates, Hamilton and Haverford if possible.
Would help to know more about your daughter’s interests & qualifications.
Broadly speaking, LACs tend to more collaborative in nature although upper level pre-med environment might become competitive.
Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tends to be intense academically. Students at Amherst College & Williams College are probably competitive by nature as students at all three of these colleges are exceptionally bright, talented & hardworking.
Is your daughter interested in joining a sorority ? If so, this could involve social competition.
Does she prefer a rural location or suburban or urban location ?
Among National Universities, Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island has a less competitive atmosphere as does Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
If willing to consider National Universities in addition to LACs, then the level of competitiveness varies by major or school / college within that university with pre-med, engineering & finance students being the most competitive.
Skidmore College in beautiful Saratoga Springs, New York is worth consideration.
I think it’s worth it to tour Williams, Amherst, Bates, Colby, and Hamilton if she liked Bowdoin.
Brown is an interesting choice. Brilliant kids. Sort of an earthy / crunchy feel. Open curriculum so you build your own major after exploring lots of things. Good for the creative sole. Probably less so for the person who desires / requires structure. Great school in a very cool city!
Agree with the suggestion above in terms of close community/collaborative feel. There are differences in reputation though on prevalence of Greek life, “jockeyness”, and pre-professionalism. The schools are all diverse enough that your D can probably find her tribe, but the tightness of the school community may make it harder to avoid situations/groups that she would be uncomfortable with. Another point is weather. The Maine schools are beautiful in the summer/fall, but the winters are cold and long. I watch live streams of my D’s games in the Spring, and the fans are still wearing ski jackets (and there is still snow on the ground) well into April for the more northerly schools.
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Many thanks for your suggestions. D is an IB student, however standardised tests are not her forte so we are also looking for test optional schools. Weather is not a problem for us as we have lived and survived in many different climates! She’d like to stay close to the NE area as we have family in the Boston area and as parents, we will remain expat/overseas.
All of the suggestions are great and we will add them to the list. However all of these schools are very competitive to get in. Any thoughts about possible safety schools as well?
Thank you so much for your help.
You need to provide more info than that she’s IB. Posters could throw out all sorts of non-realistic suggestions. We’d need to know something about grades, ECs, and general strengths.
I’d definitely look at Union in NY. It’s not that far from Boston.
Hobart might be a safety. St. Lawrence, Bard are other schools that might not be reaches.
Wesleyan is competitive but also test-optional.
Bryn Mawr, Dickinson, St Lawrence are all test optional and are collegial, collaborative environments. Depending on stats, schools like Susquehanna and Muhlenberg could be safeties. Though none of these are really “New England” schools, if the geographic preference is really that specific.
For a LAC in proximity to Boston, look into Wheaton.
Since certain IB exam results may qualify as acceptable submissions, your daughter may want to consider test-flexible colleges as well (e.g., https://www.hamilton.edu/admission/apply/requirements), particularly if she desires to reach somewhat with her college applications.
My suggestion above–Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York–is test optional. Gorgeous location. Local community feels a bit like an upper class resort town.
Wheaton College in quiet Norton, Massachusetts is another test optional school to consider.
Although nowhere near the New England region of the US, the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington near Seattle should be considered.
Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington is another interesting LAC. I believe that Walla Walla may be in an area of wine vineyards. Lots of natural beauty in Washington state.