<p>The two things my son (HS junior) seems set on as far as criteria for college are a small school (which I'm thinking is mostly the LACs) and the opportunity to study Chinese. His career goal, he thinks now at least, is something in international affairs. So far his ideal school, for academics at least, is Middlebury, which has strong language programs and also a wide range of international studies options. Of course, he needs to add some more schools to the list. I suggested he also look at Macalester (good for IS and offers Chinese, but not as well established in languages as Midd (but then, probably Midd is the tops for languages)). His first response: "Where is Macalester?" And then: "It's cold in Minnesota." Clearly the kid has not really thought through Middlebury. (He has lived his whole life in a place where the temperature is rarely below freezing.) So looking closer to home, there is Rhodes College, which has both IS and Chinese (although really, really limited in Chinese). But Rhodes also has the Greeks, which does not appeal at all to my son. He sees joining a frat, whether rightly or wrongly, as purchasing friendships and signing on to some conformist agenda. I think his attitude about frats results mostly from having spent time on large, state-school campuses in the south, where many students' identities do really seem to be defined wholly by the particular frat or sorority to which they belong. Think Delta Delta Delta shoelaces and hair ribbons. Whether he could be persuaded that greeks at more intelelctual schools are different is uncertain--in his mind, frats are the antithesis of intellectual. (Long way of saying Rhodes has a big strike against it, even though academically (and weather-wise) it might be a good fit.)</p>
<p>Any other schools he should be looking at at this stage of the process?</p>