<p>My D also fell in love with Colorado College (before she had visited Whitman), but was deferred from ED and then not accepted. The Adcom told my husband that our high need was one of the biggest reasons. She then had to choose between Berkeley and Whitman and said Katliamom’s exact words, that Whitman might be a school she would grow out of but Berkeley would be a school she might grow into. She decided to choose a college for who she was today and not who she might become, and chose Whitman after visiting. She absolutely loves it, and because it is need blind she is amongst many other kids who have work study like she does, live cheaply, love the outdoors (and have summer jobs.) One thing not often mentioned about small LACs is that having a small town at your fingertips is great. You do get sick of even the best cafeteria food and even the most wonderful on campus opportunities. Colorado College and Whitman are within walking distance of nice little coffee shops, restaurants and grocery stores.</p>
<p>My D also goes to Whitman. It isn’t well known, but she has friends there who turned down Stanford, Pomona, Georgetown… I am sure you will find kids at every good LAC who turned down name schools to be there.</p>
<p>Most of the kids I know at Colorado College could not get into the mid tier UCs, much less Berkeley. It really, sadly, is about need at schools at this level.</p>
<p>i second whitman college. pacific northwest is beautiful.</p>
<p>Also need to note, I think you need to weigh in merit aid when you say kids turned down Stanford, Pomona, Georgetown…cross admit data is readily available…almost no kids are turning those down for Whitman or Colorado collage type schools where merit aid is not at issue.</p>
<p>^^Money trumps prestige.</p>
<p>I can only speak for her friend who turned down Stanford. It was about fit, not money. You’re right tho about the merit aid in a lot of these decisions, as it should be!</p>
<p>Perhaps Alberson’s College in Idaho</p>
<p>That would be about the one cross admit in history that chose Colorado College against Stanford. As a long time college counselor I’d have to say there are few who applied to both. Colorado is a far away safety for Stanford applicants.</p>
<p>It was Whitman.</p>
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<p>Berkeley is the most selective public university in America and some of the other UCs are not far behind. State university admissions tend to be very numbers-driven and the caliber of applicants has become very high in recent years. Berkeley according to the USNWR formula is the 26th most selective institution in the country (among LACs and Universities combined), slightly less selective than Notre Dame or Chicago and a little more so than Hopkins, Emory, or Vanderbilt. UCLA and UCSD also are more selective than Colorado College; the other UCs are not. CC would be comparable in selectivity (based on admit rate, GPA and scores) to Bates, Mt. Holyoke, the Naval Academy or Wake Forest (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/687793-selectivity-ranking-national-us-lacs-combined-usnews-method.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/687793-selectivity-ranking-national-us-lacs-combined-usnews-method.html</a>).</p>
<p>In recent years, about 1 in 4 students admitted to Colorado College has ranked in the top 1% (one percent) of his or her HS class. Many of these high-ranking kids presumably have applied to CC as a “match” and do chose to attend other colleges. Some don’t. Stanford is not among the top ten crossover colleges for Colorado College admits. Its top 10 crossover schools would include UC Boulder and the University of Denver, Middlebury, Lewis & Clark, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Pomona, Whitman (<a href=“http://www.coloradocollege.edu/dean/oir/secure/statpro/Section%202%20Admissions.pdf[/url]”>http://www.coloradocollege.edu/dean/oir/secure/statpro/Section%202%20Admissions.pdf</a>). I would imagine that CC loses many admits to Boulder due to cost; to Dartmouth largely due to the Ivy brand cachet and reputation; to the others due to some combination of location, prestige, or fit issues. </p>
<p>CC is one of very few selective, expensive private LACs in the Rocky Mountain region so I think the contrast encourages perceptions that it is a “rich kids’ school”. By all means, take anecdotal comments into account in choosing colleges, but I’d encourage you also to look at data and above all go visit some of these places to see for yourself.</p>