midwestern LACs

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I seem to be falling for the LACs in the midwest! My list of nice-seeming colleges seems to largely consist of these schools, I've noticed. I'm not sure why... Some of the places I've been looking at are Grinnell, Carleton, Macalester, Kenyon, Beloit, Lawrence, Knox... </p>

<p>Which of the liberal arts colleges in the midwest (not necessarily those I mentioned) do you like the most, and why? (I'm not asking for rankings, or which schools are the "best"- I'm curious about your subjective oppinions!)</p>

2

<p>I can tell you that DD loved Macalester, didn't like Carleton (too rural, but her younger sister loved C and not Mac), hated Kenyon (rainy, gray day, town too small), loved Denison which she will attend next year. We were told by other searching students and parents to check out Beloit and Grinnell but ran out of time. DD was looking for a small school that was not too rural (availability of town book stores, etc).</p>

<p>All are very good schools. If you can visit them during the year and attend some classes do that to see how the school fits you.</p>

3

<p>Even more to check out:
In Michigan: Kalamazoo, Albion, Hope
Ohio: College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan</p>

4

<p>psychgirl, as Erin's Dad suggested, the location can be very important. The schools named so far are mostly excellent. My son, who will attend Kalamazoo next year, considered or applied to many of them. In going through the process we became very aware of the settings. Grinnell, Carleton, Kenyon, and Albion, for example, are in VERY small towns. Knox and Beloit are in larger towns that have a few amenities. Lawrence and Kalamazoo are in small cities that have many amenities. Macalester is in the middle of a large, exciting urban area. Think hard about where you think you'd be comfortable living for four years as you think about these schools.</p>

5

<p>When talking about midwestern LACs, as all the other posters have mentioned, it's very important to analyze the towns/cities in which the colleges are located...It would all depend on what you want from the college experience. If you want to be able to go out into a town or out into a city, then perhaps Knox, Beloit, and even Lawrence or Kalamazoo are better options. However, that doesn't really concern you, or you would like a more rural setting, then perhaps Grinnell, Carelton, Kenyon, and Albion are better choices.</p>

<p>I personally have heard lots of good things about Kenyon College, Macalester College, and Grinnell College, though all of the colleges being discussed in this thread are excellent schools.</p>

<p>However, if I had to select one midwestern college, I would choose Grinnell. Grinnell is ranked 14 on the US News and World Report. Also, Grinnell has a very large endowment and offers excellent financial aid programs and low tuition for such a spectacular education. This also means that Grinnell has new and well kept facilities as well...</p>

<p>Idk, perhaps it's all the research I've done on Grinnell (and the fact that my father attended Grinnell) but I just think it's a true gem of a school...</p>

<p>One last comment: You must also remember that the schools mentioned in this topic are all small LACs. LACs typically have socially active student bodies, and thus, organize a wealth of activities to do on weekends, have SOs, etc. So even if you did wind up going to, say, Macalester in an urban area, I'm sure that you would already have plenty to do just in college.</p>

6

<p>I agree with OniLaw that these schools usually do excellent jobs of providing students activities and events irrespective of their physical location. So if you are a person comfortable with staying within the school community most of the time, location is somewhat less important. And I want to be clear that I am not proposing more urban settings over rural settings -- that's strictly a matter of personal preference.</p>

7

<p>All these schools are great...I live on the east coast and many people here think there are no colleges west of the Delaware River! Personally, I really like Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, and Kenyon.</p>

8

<p>Not midwestern, but darn close and top-notch.</p>

<p>Allegheny College, PA
Westminster College, PA</p>

9

<p>Noticeably missing here is Oberlin College. The academics there are terrific, and it can be a unique experience to attend if you are a musician or just enjoy music ( suppose the same could be said of Lawrence).</p>

10

<p>PS, if you want or need to add a school to your mix which is a little less selective, or at least, where the test scores are not as high as some others, you might look at Ripon College. I do not have any first-hand knowledge of the school, but Rugg's Recommendations rates Ripon highly in a number of disciplines, and I did have a friend who applied there as a "safety" because he was impressed by it (he ended up going to Harvey Mudd).</p>

11

<p>Second the rec for Oberlin. The academic resources are extraordinary - huge library, one of the best college art museums in the country, two brand-new science centers (one, for environmental science, is an entirely green/sustainably constructed building that exports energy to other buildings around campus), and an impressive breadth of programs. The town is pretty small, but you can get to Cleveland without too much trouble, and there's a lot happening on campus. They've got a diverse and politically engaged student body, and the music scene is unparalleled because of the conservatory.</p>

12

<p>Also not yet mentioned are Earlham, DePauw, Ohio Wesleyan, Gustavus Adolphus, Hanover, Calvin, Hiram, Hope, Otterbein, St. Olaf, Cornell, Coe, Augustana, Hamline, Centre, Berea...there really is something for everyone among the midwestern LAC's.</p>

<p>I'm a big fan of the midwestern schools (have one daughter who's very happy at Beloit, and a son who will probably be applying to several other midwestern LACs this coming year). I've visited many, many colleges across the country, and one thing that always stikes me when I visit schools in the midwest is that the way most midwestern schools treat prospective students. For the most part, you won't be herded into an auditorium to hear a suit talk about how lucky YOU will be IF you get the chance to attend THEIR school. You'll more likely be greeted personally, offered coffee and perhaps some donuts, and the admissions people will be friendly, approachable, and very interested in telling you why THEY'D be lucky to get a great student like YOU than in trying to convince you that you have no chance of acceptance. They will be happy to set up appointments with faculty and arrange for you to sit in on classes. In fact, they often will set up such things without you even needing to ask. You'll also notice that students at many midwestern schools will say "hi" when they see obvious prospies and their parents walking across campus, and they'll be happy to stop and chat about why they like their school.</p>

<p>That same sense of friendliness and warmth translates into the actual experience you'll have as a student at many of the midwestern LACs. They'll care about you as a person, they'll try harder to make sure you feel connected, they'll know your name, they'll listen to what you have to say, and they'll just let you know that it's ok to be who you are as you grow into who you want to become. </p>

<p>It's a subtle difference, maybe, but it's an important one. There's a genuine warmth at many of the midwestern schools that is just wonderful. (Note: I'm not saying you can't find this same type of experience in other parts of the country, or that midwestern schools have a lock on friendliness, just that you're more likely to encounter it regularly at the midwestern schools)</p>

<p>However, there is also definitely a great deal of variety between the individual schools as well -- as always, no one school will be a fit for everyone, so make sure to focus on individual fit and not assume that all midwestern schools have the same campus culture. But, really, the majority of the midwestern schools are very special places.</p>

13

<p>I'm a rising senior, and I haven't actually visited Macalester yet (going to this summer), but what attracted me was it's emphasis on international things and the strength of it's international studies program. And even though it's a relatively small college, it's in a larger city, so I'd have all those resources in terms of research, opportunities, entertainment, etc.</p>

14

<p>Upsilamba - I don't know what your financial need is, but my daughter got a really excellent financial aid package from Macalester. And, consistent with what carolyn said about midwestern LACs, their staff was fabulous in terms of being incredibly organized and friendly both before and after the admissions decision.</p>

15

<p>Some lesser known midwestern LAC's:</p>

<p>Hamline University - About two miles north of Macalester, similar in size (but with a Law School, hence "University") and much less selective. A potential match or (even safety) for someone shooting for Mac.</p>

<p>Augsburg College - Walking distance from the U of MN and downtown Minneapolis, another LAC in the Twin Cities. Again, good quality liberal arts education and not too selective.</p>

<p>And my "hidden gem":</p>

<p>U of MN - Morris: Public LAC in a small town two hours northwest of the Twin Cities. Excellent local reputation and plausible target for many because:</p>

<ul>
<li>its only moderately selective</li>
<li>its inexpensive (in-state tuition for out-of-state students!)</li>
</ul>

<p>If you're enamored of midwestern LAC's, it's worth a look.</p>

<p>Some other names: Carroll College in Waukesha, WI, Lake Forest in Chicago, College of St. Catherine in St. Paul (for women).</p>

16

<p>momfromme, thanks for telling me about the financial aid at Macalester. I'm definitely going to be needing some financial aid, so I'll make sure to pay close attention to the school.</p>

17

<p>Another public LAC in the midwest worth checking out -- Truman State in Missouri. Like Morris, Truman State has a very strong reputation.</p>

18

<p>The schools my S liked the best in the midwest are Earlham, Beloit, Lawrence and Wooster. Earlham is a quaker school, and the quaker philosophy permeates all aspects of the campus. The student body is quite liberal socially and politically. My S attended two classes and was impressed with the level of instruction and discussion. The Beloit student body is also liberal, although perhaps not quite as much as Earlham. We came away from Beloit with a sense that most students are happy and intellectually and socially engaged. Lawrence's student body is more middle of the road; the college is a particularly good option if you want to combine first rate academics with music or theater. Wooster's student body is also middle of the road, and the school is distinguished by its senior year independent study/thesis program. Each of these schools is terrific academically with high pecentages going onto good graduate schools. Each would be much more competitive to get into if they were on the east or west coast. They offer lots of personal attention to student development with an emphasis on teaching. The book, Colleges that Change Lives, contains a description of each school. I would encourage you to visit them. </p>

<p>For the record, my S ruled out Denison after visiting. He felt that the school was more "preppy" and less intellectually stimulating than the others. But
this may not be accurate (it is based on one visit), so I would encourage you to form your own opinion. The campus is beautiful.</p>