Midwest LACs accepting of gay/lesbian students?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am wondering if any students or parents have any experience/suggestions/opinions about any LACs in the midwest that are accepting of lesbian/gay/questioning students? </p>

<p>My DD is a junior in a metro KC highschool of about 1300 students. She has had a rough time the last couple of years due to her questioning her sexuality, this area is not accepting of differences at all. She is wanting to go to a smaller LAC, but I do not want her to experience the same polarization that she has experienced in high school. </p>

<p>Her criteria in searching are:
Distance from KC ~ probably nine hrs max. She doesn't drive yet, so it would be nice to be relatively close to an airport
Size ~ "small" probably up to 2000 students or so(does not want 300 students in a seminar class). She loves to discuss!
Acceptance of differences ~ not just sexuality, but a friendly place
She plans to go to law school, though not sure of major yet</p>

<p>She also has ADHD, which has affected her GPA, but she has really pulled it together this year and is doing great.</p>

<p>Stats;
GPA: 3.5
Solid curriculum with honors courses, but no APs yet. Probably will have two next year. Four years math, science, SS, Spanish, english, acting/theater, and eight years band.
Projected ACT: 28-32, will take in January for the first time. Very high on everything but math on ACT PLAN and PSAT(retaking this week).</p>

<p>She is a very smart, different kid, and is an exceptional writer. I would also say that would do best in a school that is not highly, highly competitive.</p>

<p>Colleges she is interested in:
Carleton
Gustavus
Beloit
Coe
Cornell College
Hendrix</p>

<p>Acceptance of her sexuality is not her first consideration, she wants a good college. She is very liberal, non-religious, outspoken, and very justice oriented. As her parent, I wish her to go to a school where her sexuality is not what defines her. </p>

<p>Thanks for any info!</p>

2

<p>Before I got to your list of schools, I thought “Beloit.” Great school, very liberal, very accepting, and a good match for your D’s stats.</p>

3

<p>Macalester in Saint Paul would be a great fit for a “very liberal, non-religious, outspoken, and very justice oriented” kid regardless of sexual orientation. GPA maybe a bit on the low side; a lot would depend on ACT and essays. Easy non-stop flights MSP-KC.</p>

<p>Carleton’s a little harder to get into and a bit of a meatgrinder in academic intensity. Beloit’s a good fit, airport access maybe not so great but you can probably get to either O’Hare or Milwaukee from there. Or connecting flights out of nearby Rockford, IL.</p>

4

<p>I second Macalester.</p>

5

<p>Might be reach, but would she consider Grinnell or Oberlin?</p>

6

<p>My thoughts…</p>

<p>Coe will be an extension of high school.
Cornell would be better.</p>

<p>UIowa does not put 300 students in their seminar classes. She would have ample chances to discuss. Lots of small classes, just some of the Gen Ed ones that are large.</p>

<p>Iowa would be perfect for her.</p>

7

<p>Thank you for the replies, this is just the info I was looking for!</p>

8

<p>I would second Grinnell. The president of the school, Raynard Kingston, is gay. He and his partner are the parents of two small boys and are highly visible as a family on campus, which contributes to the welcoming environment.</p>

9

<p>I think the Grinnell and Beloit suggestions are good. You should also check out Lawrence University and Knox College.</p>

10

<p>Beloit is actually easy to get to. Fly into Chicago. There are busses 8-10 times a day that go to Beloit and back in a loop. My son loved his years at Beloit. He was not gay but was proud of the fact that the school had a culture of inclusiveness where many different kinds of students could find respect and acceptance. We miss being parents there! It is an amazing school community and we believe that our son received much more than just an excellent 4-year liberal arts education at Beloit!</p>

11

<p>I would look at Macalester, Oberlin, and Carleton. They may be slight to moderate reaches, but I think she’d really like them and they sound like exactly what you’re looking for: really unique, liberal, accepting student body, strong academics, strong personal focus.</p>

12

<p>Second for Beloit and Oberlin. Oberlin will be a bit of a reach, but I think Beloit is about perfect.</p>

13

<p>Depending on ECs, etc Carleton may be a bigger reach than Oberlin. Surprisingly Denison is becoming much better at accepting students with different sexualities.</p>

14

<p>I found Earlham very gay-friendly. Airport access is a bit difficult, but it’s not far from Dayton, and the airline price seems reasonable (~$100 one way). </p>

<p>Hendrix is an interesting case. The student body is certainly liberal, but the surrounding area is less so. Little Rock is a little more liberal (and interesting) than Conway. It’s a good school, though.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, why the 9 hour cap? If she’s flying, distance is generally not a big deal. Expanding the geographic scope of the search would give her many additional options (e.g. Lewis & Clark, Sarah Lawrence, etc.).</p>

15

<p>Or Lawrence U in Appleton, WI. Has a number of transgendered kids, too.</p>

16

<p>I’d also suggest St. Olaf; it’s in the same town as Carleton. My sister goes there and everyone there is very accepting of every sexual orientation. :)</p>

<p>It seems to fit her interests, and although it’s affiliated with the Christian church there isn’t a huge religious presence on campus at all; basically they have church services and the students can choose whether they want to attend or not.</p>

17

<p>Thank you so much, I really appreciate you all taking the time to answer!</p>

<p>I completely forgot about Grinnell, we talked about that previously, and it is on her list. I think it will be a reach, along with Carleton and Macalester. I have heard about Lawrence and Earlham, will have to look into those, as well as Denison, Oberlin, and Knox. I think she will end up expanding her radius, I think it was just a place for her brain to start organizing. Her dad loves U of Pugent Sound’s campus, and has been talking to her about that. She has info from U of Iowa, but I think she initially counted them out because of size. I will bring that one back up. </p>

<p>We have a little knowledge of Beloit, as we know people who have kids there, and I think that will rise to the top of her list. Hendrix is in frequent contact with her, I know it has an up and coming rep, a friend’s kid found it(specifically the girls she met) too conservative for her liking. Not counting it completely out, though, just based on that one observation. </p>

<p>If she opens up to a longer distance and wants to visit the NW(I LOVE the NW, grew up in AK), Lewis and Clark is definitely a possibility, as well as a few others. I was actually accepted to Lewis and Clark with a substantial aid package, but did not like the campus at all when I visited. I was wait listed at Grinnell, and wanted to go there so bad!lol That would be an easy one to visit. </p>

<p>There are two major college fairs this week, and this info will definitely help give her a little more direction.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

18

<p>My daughter is applying to Earlham in Indiana - it seems a very open, accepting school.</p>

<p>Some others said Oberlin - definitely agree!</p>

19

<p>Golly. How could someone not like L&C’s campus? It’s beautiful.</p>

20

<p>I’m not sure, I wasn’t crazy about Portland as a city. It was a very dumb decision. My parents weren’t all that involved in the college process, and were more than happy that I stayed home…I loved U of Washington’s campus and Seattle, though.</p>