DSD and I are on a last minute road trip. Her scores are average - 1200 SAT, 3.3 GPA. She has been dancing ballet full time until an injury stopped her a few months ago. School always took a back seat until recently, when she returned to public school. It’s been quite a transition for her to quit her dream and reinvent herself.
She is super intellectual and hipster like. She is shy and insecure. She is passionate about social justice. She would thrive in a small, collaborate environment. She loved Bryn Mawr (she loves the idea of a woman’s college, but they’re way too selective; Bryn Mawr is local). We also need at least $20,000 in merit. She is hispanic and from PA, if that makes any difference.
Tomorrow we hit Oberlin because ds is there. Wooster is a definite. If you were to choose two or three among Denison, Allegheny, Earlham and Kalamazoo, which would you choose for this type of girl?
We are in Rochester now as a pit stop. We will head to Oberlin tomorrow.
She should definitely look into Earlham. If she likes Oberlin tomorrow, see if you can fit Kenyon into a trip, too. Have fun - these small LACs provide wonderful collegiate experiences!
lisabees-just want to let you know we are in the same boat: my D has been a ballet dancer her entire life, school was secondary to her rigorous ballet schedule (you know what i’m talking about!)–suffered a career ending injury at her SI last summer…it’s been a rough year to say the least trying to figure out what to do next. I don’t know anything about the schools you’re inquiring about but I do agree that LAC are most likely a good fit for our kids. I wish you and your dancer all the best as she figures out where life leads next.
Denison is changing so less preppy than it used to be but more preppy than Earlham, which sounds like it might be a great match. Yes! It pretty much hits all the notes. Great academics, welcoming, social justice, etc… (She just has to like it!)
Applying that way does not make you a second class applicant at all, though some will require scores for merit aid.
Will your daughter be able to do modern or contemporary or jazz dance? Is it just ballet that is out? If dance can still be a focus at some point, Goucher, Sarah Lawrence, Skidmore and Bennington offer very different experiences.
You are hitting some of the Colleges that Change LIves. Wooster is a good idea. Maybe Clark U. Lewis and Clark?
Marlboro is teeny tiny but alternative in a nice way.
Maybe she would understand a ballet analogy better… she would understand that someone with a good ballet physique and potential, but only taking two or three days of classes per week at a neighborhood dance school is unlikely to get into, say, the caliber of The Boston Ballet’s SI, over the many applicants training 15+hours per week at a pre-pro.
I know that sounds harsh (and I don’t want to be) but, after her ballet heartbreak, I think it would be worse for her to set herself up for another one by getting her hopes up exclusively for a couple of schools that are reaches for all but the most tippy-top candidates. It is no reflection of her potential that I say this…you say that she is intellectual and as you suggest, her average stats and grades likely reflect that her priorities were placed on strenuous ballet training rather than academics. But admissions officers at places like Oberlin will likely look for concrete academic accomplishments, not potential.
Compmom - this week, we also checked out Goucher and Clark! Goucher was very nice, but we didn’t have any interactions with the kids. She didn’t like the Clark neighborhood, so that’s out.
No merit at SL, Skidmore or Bennington for her, unless I misunderstand…
Re: Dancing. She would love to take some classes. College level classes are nothing close to the intensity she experienced in her training, so it would be just for fun. While in Massachusetts, we visited Mt. Holyoke. A super reach for sure, but still fun to see their dance facility. I loved the school! The girls were super engaging and friendly.
What about Dickinson? Possibly she could take classes at CPYB, which is literally steps from the edge of Dickinson campus, and offers some of the most rigorous ballet classes in the country. Marcia Dale Weary is a legendary teacher, and CPYB is open to drop-in students.
in the garden, I missed your post. Not harsh at all! Hours and hours of our time together - this week -has been spent on discussing the reality of her situation. Lots of tears; lots of reflection; lots of reality doses by me. In addition to her time being spent on ballet, she is just not of the same caliber of students in selective schools. She is not like my older kids who knew their place in comparison to other students. They just enjoyed the adventure of looking for colleges. They didn’t feel like a failure because they weren’t the cream of the crop. She is my stepdaughter (even though you would never know it by our relationship), so I have to tread lightly. To me, she needs a place to grow, academically and socially. To me, she needs extra time. She is so insecure.
I have compared this to the ballet experience. In fact, she always felt that she was bottom of the heap in dance and felt horrible about herself because of it. I ask her to question why she would want to be at a school where she feels like that all over again.
She keeps saying that she wants to be like those brilliant, driven, articulate, accomplished girls. She wants to be someone else. I keep telling her that she is exactly who she wants to be already. She just can’t open up her heart to see it.
I had three boys first. I just can’t get a grasp on this girl thing!
Suprisingly I felt Case could be arty, it has a music school and the location is great. Lots of culture near by. Don’t knock Cleveland, it’s much much nicer than its reputation.
Allegheny is pretty generous with aid – maybe not hipster, but social justice and writing are strong. Has she looked at Baldwin-Wallace? Or Susquehanna (also aid-generous and supportive environment, but not as liberal)
We may stop at Case. My senior was just accepted there and we had never even visited. In all of the time oldest was at Oberlin, we never actually went to Cleveland. Too many wonderful schools; such little time!
Re; Dickinson. Awesome school, but I don’t think she would get merit. I have a bad taste in my mouth about them because oldest son (who got into Haverford, went to Oberlin with tons of merit) got not one lick of merit from Dickinson. And he showed lots of interest - visiting three times. We were considered full pay then and they apparently expected us to be full pay!
