MUCH THANKS TO ALL. I’m going to read each of your responses carefully and look up all the colleges that were mentioned. I apologize if I wasn’t clear, but now that I see what everybody’s saying, I’m looking for is a college that:
- has a curriculum with classes that you wouldn't usually see at other colleges (classes where the name would catch your eye in a list and surprise you but also make you want to take that class)
- an environment and community that encourages students to always try new things and respectively challenge ideas (sounds like every college's mission statement, but I'm looking for people who've been to this kind of college and can proudly say that this is what their college did)
- policies for students and staff that bring everybody together, rather than creating separation (a college that allows the students and administration to work together in a good relationship)
- a college that knows the value of hard work, but never ever forgets a sense of humor or personality (again, vague, but if anybody has felt that their college exemplified this, please recommend a name)
By unconventional, I mean a college that YES does require a lot, but they are able to make those requirements interesting by offering out-of-the-ordinary classes and a specially designed system for education that other colleges wouldn’t use. And of course, the morals and values of a school matter as well, and I think it’s great to know what a college did first before other colleges.
I know it’s not the best to focus on the advertising, but I can’t deny it when a college’s advertising strategies do draw me in. Some colleges send a billion emails a month, along with pointless pieces of paper to your mail. I find that UChicago has kept a really fair balance, and their sense of design and advertising is attractive to me. I believe that something I like must be at the college if they can translate their character into pieces of paper or digital information.
I’m gladly willing to hear any additional thoughts, anything is helpful to me right now, no matter if you don’t truly understand my words. If it’s worth a shot, I’d say I’d really appreciate any other college names.