East Coast schools that would be a fit - Dickinson, Franklin am Marshall, Gettysburg. Midwest choices include Denison, St. Olaf,
. . . Educated?
As much as I appreciate posters’ pride in their “pet” colleges (not sure of the source - alum, parent?), it seems silly to keep pushing a school when the OP states "But both are very rural and I’m not sure if I would be ready to commit to a school that is 1. so isolated ". Some applicants don’t mind or even like relative isolation, others don’t. It’s not a knock on a college to call it somewhat isolated. It is what it is. On the spectrum from urban to isolated, Hamilton and Colgate fall on the isolated side.
^Especially since the odds of getting into either one with a 3.7W and a sub-1400 SAT are very very low. OP’s attention is better directed to colleges where s/he has a realistic shot and which seem a better fit.
I’d definitely recommend looking at Willamette. There are a lot of kids from SoCal there. It’s laid back and friendly and the campus is beautiful. Plus, it’s across the street from the OR State Capitol, so there are a lot of poli sci internships opportunities.
@doschicos wrote:
“As much as I appreciate posters’ pride in their “pet” colleges (not sure of the source - alum, parent?) . . .”
I am neither a Hamilton alum nor the parent of a Hamilton student. My daughter applied to Hamilton in the ED1 round and was deferred. She ultimately chose to apply to Kenyon ED2. She is a very happy sophomore at Kenyon now, so we will never know what Hamilton might have said in the RD round nor what her experience there might have been like. My point in my posts has been to encourage others, including the OP, to NOT be too concerned about the relative isolation of both Hamilton and Colgate. The “isolation” conversation on this thread has, in my opinion, been excessive, particularly in light of the OP’s early enthusiasm for her colleges of choice.
As for focusing on what the OP really needs, you might notice that in post #77 I suggested she has some wonderful choices on her latest list, schools closer to her range, including Hobart & William Smith, Lewis and Clark, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Denison and Skidmore. You might also have benefitted from doing your own due diligence to notice the 3.67 GPA and sub-1400 SAT prior to making your own recommendations of Amherst, Bowdoin, Swarthmore and Haverford in post #66.
Sorry, I realized I didn’t answer your original question. My DD toured both Carleton and Macalester and preferred Mac. It felt hip, urban, vibrant. Plus it’s in the Twin Cities.
OP, I refer you back to postings #4, #18, #31, #41 and #50 for helpful discussions about the 4 schools you originally inquired about. Many other great suggestions given - good luck.
Because you don’t tend to find places like Dollar General or Walmart outside of large, soulless strip malls. The Jitney probably stops at these places because the students find them useful, but it doesn’t exactly create an impression of charming, stimulating college environs. Are students walking from the Walmart to a cute little coffee shop or a funky clothing store? It’s possible but not likely.
@Sue22 — Clinton is super charming and within walking distance of the college. We enjoyed walking around the village with its nice green and stores/restaurants when we stayed at a bed and breakfast there when my son toured the college. That there is a bus to popular and less attractive chain stores a bit farther away is nice— you can combine small town charm with practical convenience.
“You might also have benefitted from doing your own due diligence to notice the 3.67 GPA and sub-1400 SAT prior to making your own recommendations of Amherst, Bowdoin, Swarthmore and Haverford in post #66.”
My post was for less isolated schools and, yes, reaches mainly. If she is considering Carleton, these are all in the same wheelhouse. Yes, all would be a stretch. You conveniently left out the mention of women’s colleges which do, absent Barnard, have higher acceptance rates than the others and are in the same range of the schools mentioned by the OP.
“Here’s a thought:How about educated and happy.”
Exactly. There are enough colleges out there to pick and choose a list that fits based on multiple attributes. No need to compromise on something that struck the OP as being too isolated.
@Sue22, the cute little coffee shop is called the Utica Coffee Company and it’s just down the hill from Hamilton College in, as @TheGreyKing noted, the charming village of Clinton. Along the village green are other shops and restaurants with Nola’s being particularly good, but not on a college student’s budget.
Here’s a list of dining establishments in the village of Clinton, population 1,900.
http://villageofclinton.com/merchants/index.cfm?catID=4
Again, it’s fine for some, not for others. It is tiny, regardless, much like Middlebury, VT and Waterville, ME.
That’s a helpful link as it provides a glimpse of what the village green looks like. In nearby New Hartford are all the shopping centers that the shuttle goes to.
Why the desire to put schools down when the OP is asking for helpful comments? Yes, almost every LAC is in a rural location - that was part of the original model.
“Having New Hartford nearby by is good for Hamilton students as they get easy access to…Sports Authority”
Hope they didn’t make the decision based on that!
Freshman retention rates have little correlation to rural vs suburban vs urban setting.
School Average freshman retention rate
Amherst College
Amherst, MA 98%
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA 98%
Pomona College
Claremont, CA 98%
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD 98%
Williams College
Williamstown, MA 98%
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME 97%
Haverford College
Haverford, PA 97%
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA 97%
Barnard College
New York, NY 96%
Carleton College
Northfield, MN 96%
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO 96%
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 96%
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA 96%
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA 95%
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA 95%
Davidson College
Davidson, NC 95%
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI 95%
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH 95%
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, CA 95%
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 95%
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA 95%
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 95%
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL 95%
Bates College
Lewiston, ME 94%
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY 94%
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA 94%
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY 94%
Macalester College
St. Paul, MN 94%
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY 94%
University of Richmond
Univ. of Richmond, VA 94%
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA 94%
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA 93%
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA 93%
Colby College
Waterville, ME 93%
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN 93%
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 93%
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA 93%
Pitzer College
Claremont, CA 93%
Scripps College
Claremont, CA 93%
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY 93%
“Freshman retention rates have little correlation to rural vs suburban vs urban setting.”
You’re right but they do have a lot to do with finding the right fit. An outdoorsy person who loves to spend every free moment hiking and skiing would be happier, all else being equal, at a location that offers what Middlebury or Dartmouth does than a school like Georgetown or Columbia and their locations, for example. Students that include location in part of their fit criteria are more likely to be happy where they are. Granted, there are some students that don’t care about location but that doesn’t apply to all.
I would argue that many of these schools - great places to learn - would be much more competitive to get into if they were located elsewhere. I’d say the same for many of the midwestern schools, too.
Yup, its all about fit!
Personally, I find that when statements of either fact or pure opinion are not left to stand, threads quite unfortunately can become convoluted. For example, Hamilton is “connected by a college-run shuttle to a nearby suburban area.” This is a fact. The OP did not need “assistance” in reading the schedule.
@Sue22: The above was not directed at you in any way. However, the Jitney serves classic shops in Clinton as well as suburban amenities such as a multi-plex theater and mall. Students who might otherwise miss these familiar environments do not require a car to reach them.