<p>This may seem like an odd thread but basically I am limited geographically to NYC, Fairfield/New Haven County, CT and possibly Amherst area of Mass. I am looking for the East Coast equivalent to something like Reed College. Learning for learning's sake, intense class discussions, interesting class selection, heavy work load, cooperative rigorous environment. I realize that it's impossible to quantify intellectualism at any given institution, I am looking for educated opinions and impressions of different schools in the area. I've looked at Sarah Lawrence but seems a little too "soft" maybe, not rigorous enough? Am I way off base? How about the Ivies, Columbia and Yale? They seem to have great class selection but I don't want to go to a place just for the prestige (if the experience justifies the prestige then that's great but not looking for an impressive piece of paper). NYU, Eugene Lang, Hunter? Amherst, Hampshire? If someone could shed some light for me, I would really appreciate it. Burst my bubble, I don't mind at all.</p>
<p>I'd recommend Columbia.</p>
<p>If not Sarah Lawrence, then St. John's Annapolis might be the next closest, which isn't close at all for you. :(</p>
<p>Why, if you don't mind me asking?</p>
<p>St. Johns is ideal. I actually was accepted to the Santa Fe location out of H.S. but simply wasn't ready for college. Sarah Lawrence fits the bill in many ways ... I really need to visit, I suppose.</p>
<p>The "why" was for beefs, btw.</p>
<p>To be honest, my interaction with Columbia is purely through students currently attending or alumni. When you say intellectual, I'm guessing you mean the sort of nerdy conversations taking place at 10 PM in the dorm room and the like. Most of the kids from my own high schools that now attend or attended Columbia at some point fit this mold pretty well; they were all musicians or interested mathematicians, etc,. They always got very involved academically inside and outside the classroom from what I could tell. I'll be attending Chicago in the fall, a school I think resembles Columbia's atmosphere. I was strongly considering applying to Columbia but decided against it after I realized it was too close to where I am now.</p>
<p>yeah, I guess that's basically what I'm talking about, though you make it sound so boring ... I'm 26 and won't be living on campus so I am mostly looking for this kind of nerdy conversation in the classroom. I def. don't want to be at a party school. Thanks for your input.</p>
<p>Oh haha, don't take it the wrong way. Believe me I find this type of atmosphere engaging and appealing. I'm not going to the school where "fun comes to die" for nothing :P.</p>
<p>How do you like U Chicago? It looks amazing. Actually, that kind of reputation is exactly what I'm looking for. From what you hear Columbia is possibly comparable to this? I don't know anyone who has been to any of the Ivies but have many friends who have been to Reed, St. Johns, Bard, etc. and they all had amazing experiences. The sheer number of classes and disciplines at Columbia/Yale is staggering but it seems like econ/poli-sci are the most popular fields. I'm def. more of a humanities/liberal arts person.</p>
<p>Have you checked out Conn College in New London CT?</p>
<p>LOL at the post way above, St. John’s in New Mexico and St. John’s in New York are NOT related to each other. St. John’s (NM) is related to St. John’s (MD) though.</p>
<p>Columbia, Amherst, Swarthmore</p>
<p>I agree with the recommendations of Sarah LAwrence, Swathmore and Amherst.
Hampshire may not be as intellectual but is similar to Reed in some ways.
Maybe Wesleyan as well?</p>
<p>well Hampshire is not in the NYC metro area, it’s in Amherst, MA</p>
<p>swarthmore + uchicago are the nerdiest (in terms of wider image) that come to mind?</p>
<p>Pierre I’m aware of that but he said he could possibly consider the Amherst area in Mass. That way he can consider both Amherst and Hampshire.</p>
<p>ooh gotcha, I was just looking at the thread title</p>
<p>Fordham. If you get into the Honors program in particular. </p>
<p>People wrongly presume the only colleges worth a hoot in NYC are NYU and Columbia. Fordham can stand with any of them on their own merits.</p>
<p>Fordham had a record 14 Fulbrights last year. This year its 11.</p>
<p>60 Fordham students this year won Boren, Truman, Fulbright, Cambridge Scholar in Math, Rhodes (finalists) post graduate fellowships.</p>
<p>I think that qualifies, don’t you?</p>
<p>I’m not denying that Fordham is a very good school, but you’d be a fool to think it the most intellectual college in the NYC metro area.</p>