If you D liked Colorado College, definitely take a good look at Whitman. Lots of the outdoorsy kids from our city love that school. They give merit aid.
BTW, our D is headed to St Olaf in a month. She loved Colorado College too (but was waitlisted), and I was a little surprised that she liked St Olaf so much. We are not religious, however D considered the 2 religious requirements to be a positive rather than a negative as taking religious studies classes is something she was looking forward to at college. I haven’t been to St Olaf yet myself. D got a scholarship and went on her own to the scholarship/accepted student weekend. She was ready to just accept and turn down all the other schools on her return, but I had her do a couple accepted student days at other schools before making a final decision. I’m rather curious to get her opinions after the first semester.
liska21, my D also would like to take some sort of course about comparative religions & philosophies, but she wasn’t nuts about “biblical” classes. She hasn’t written off Olaf completely, but it’s low on her list. I’m glad your D found it a good fit for her.
@mnparentof3 - Yes, just outside of Minneapolis, but love to spend time up north! So you have a S16 and D17. Where is your son going, if you don’t mind my asking. We have family out there. Our school sends about a dozen or more kids to St Olaf, from the Twin Cities each year. Most of them are not particularly religious. Just nice, hardworking kids, most of whom are pretty involved in music & theater programs in high school, so I’m sure that is a strong reason they are going there. At 220, your D17 is definitely a Nat’l Merit semifinalist. W/ her grades, and a halfway decent a confirming score, by taking regular SAT test, she should have not trouble being a finalist. Both St. Olaf and Macaclester have pretty good Nat’l Merit scholarships. Sometimes they are in addition to merit scholarships, sometimes they seem to be folded in.
What I’ve come to find out is that a school will give you good merit aid, if they really want your daughter. W/ her combo of academics, music and athletics, she’ll be VERY desirable to any of the CTCL type schools. I call them semi-selective, where your student will be a TOP pick for their admissions office. Also, these schools have academic programs that are very good, but are not so academically demanding that it is stressful to add extra curriculars, like cross country team and band or orchestra.
@labegg knows what he’s talking about re: schools in the Pacific NW, but you can discuss the science programs w/ the rep from UPS at the CLTCL’s college fair. My S17 is more interested in English and Communications, so he can find a program just about anywhere. A good music program is essential, for spending his extra curricular activity time.
Maybe I’ll see you at the CTCL’s event in St. Paul!
Just wanted to clarify that there are many nordic ski trails at and near Luther but that there is not an organized athletic team. I think the only place we found a team for that was at St. Olaf.
When we went to Scholar’s Day at Luther, it was in the winter, and we brought our skis with us. There was a large area on campus for ski-skating and we saw some people doing that. We went to the woods nearby (on the same road as the waterfall and ice cave) and skied up and down a ridge overlooking the Iowa river. I found it quite challenging (and scary coming down), but my son loved it. Other advantages to going to the Scholar’s Day include meeting many professors at small discussions and enjoying the awesome Scandinavian treats and strong coffee during the breaks. This weekend really made a difference in my son’s decision. Everyone was very welcoming and bright but not at all pretentious. There was that feeling of alertness you get on very cold, sunny days.
Also, the area is great for cross-country running with the river bluffs providing interesting terrain.
I found that my son changed his mind constantly during the college search. It wasn’t until around March that he definitely decided that a small rural college was what he wanted and that an excellent music program was a top priority. So your daughter may also go through lots of changing preferences as well. Tell her not to give up on Iowa–some great colleges there. My son also protested about not “wanting to be stuck in Iowa” until we did some serious visiting. I just wish there was an easier way to get to Decorah from Chicago than through twisty smaller roads.
Also, although my son is not sure about the religious aspect, I really think it will be a non-issue. One of his best friends (in high school) is a fundamentalist Christian; the other either agnostic or atheist; the three of them hang out all the time and they are just fine. They talk and argue about religion (and politics) but are the best of friends anyway.
I’m hoping this thread continues as I have a S18 who is going to need this info. (Athiest and all)! U of Rochester is his current favorite, but I’m not sure merit will be good enough.
FYI, my D16 with similar scores got very good merit aid from Grinnell and Lawrence, but neither brought cost to 25k, although L was 27 net I think. Her top choice was Tulane, but even with 32k in merit, cost was too much. She is going to Pitt, where she got full tuition. Her best financial option was Truman State. I think in the end it was too rural for her, but I thought it was a great opportunity for a cheap and excellent education.
Denison and Earlham both give good merit aid. Earlham is very strong in the sciences, and DS loved the classes he visited (including science, which isn’t a love for him.) Very collaborative. Somewhat eclectic student body.
Denison is lovely. More mainstream. Has a great arts facility. You can easily drive from one to the other. Earlham may run fall Saturday visit programs.
Don’t know much about the others on your list for your interests.
ZZdecision2016, my D17 and her best friend are also diametrically opposed in all things political and religious/atheist. They have grand discussions on the regular, usually while running. They always end up running farther & faster during these debates than planned.
Booajo, I went to Tulane back in the late '80s/early '90s. It was a good enough school but not worth the hefty price tag, at least back then and specifically for me (not saying for everyone). Great news on the Pitt scholarship! I keep hearing Truman State being mentioned, so I think we’ll have to look into it to do our due diligence. Thanks!
gardenstategal, thanks for your comments about Denison & Earlham. I’m having a hard time convincing my D and her dad that Indiana or Ohio might be good options. They question whether she should have to go so far for a similar experience that she might be able to have closer, but we’ll see…
Midwestmomofboys, those Midwest “mid-range” LACs are definitely seeming to be my daughter’s “sweet spot” as for admissions, tuition and merit possibilities. I"m going to encourage her to really consider all of the ones you mentioned (Knox, Earlham, Beloit, Lawrence, Kalamazoo), though of those, Lawrence is the only one she’s visited so far and (therefore?) the only one that seems exciting for her. She’s getting a bit burnt out on visiting colleges, even though we’ve only visited a total of 6 or so. She’ll visit more when she gets in, I guess. Thanks!
You DD would definitely get the highest merit award at College of Wooster and could audition for an additional music scholarship. My DD was awarded both for a total of $30,000/year in merit aid (her GPA was higher, but her ACT was significantly lower than your daughter’s). She applied EA and it was GREAT knowing that she was accepted at a terrific school that was affordable by the end of November. She also got $30,000/year from Earlham. It really took the pressure off. She didn’t end up going there (she’s going to Carleton), but it was a lovely school and a good option. Mount Holyoke and Oberlin also gave her merit aid. Mount Holyoke gives a lot of merit aid, Smith does not.
What about the University of Richmond? It’s technically not an LAC, but is known to retain several qualities similar to LACs, including a smaller student body of 3,000 undergrads. They have strong science offerings, and being a small research university, have opportunities for students to help conduct research. Furthermore, they offer scholarships ranging from 1/3 tuition to full tuition + room and board (look up the Richmond Scholars program). There is a Greek presence on campus, although other CC posters have suggested that their influence on student life is quite negligible.
I’m also going to fourth the suggestion for Mount Holyoke! I know someone mentioned earlier that they cap their merit aid at $25,000/year, but they’ve recently added full-tuition scholarships to qualified students - a full-tuition scholarship would bring the cost down to ~$15,000 a year.
For reference, I actually ended up receiving a $25,000 scholarship from them with similar stats to your daughter (but without the sports recruitment); she would likely have a strong chance at their top merit awards.
Mount Holyoke also has Varsity Track and Field + Cross Country teams in addition to strong science and theater/music programs. The site lists majors such as Biochemistry and Neuroscience & Behavior in addition to physics and biology.
QuirkyClarky, thanks for your note about both U of Richmond & Mt Holyoke. The first hasn’t been on our radar at all; the second might be a tough sell since my daughter isn’t interested in an all-women’s college, but I’ll encourage more thinking on that. Thanks!
I think it’s worth taking a kid to look at an all-woman’s college, even if they think they don’t want that. Just a look, no harm, no foul. I didn’t get it until I visited one. Long after it was relevant. I’d now consider one for my daughter … if I could persuade her to visit.
@mnparentof3 I totally understand where your daughter is coming from. When women’s colleges were first introduced to me (in 10th grade), I thought that there was no way that I’d end up at one! The three factors that really sold me on women’s colleges are:
Dominance in the classroom (especially in STEM subjects). In co-ed colleges males tend to dominate STEM classes, which can discourage females from majoring or trying out for internships/research positions in those fields. This happened to me in high school and really impacted my confidence in those subjects. In a female-centric environment there is the expectation that women will lead STEM clubs and land internships or research positions, which IMO leads to an environment of support, confidence, and success in the field.
Sense of sisterhood. Every single alumnae I've talked to - and that my classmates have talked to - have been beyond enthusiastic for their alma mater and more than happy to share their experiences with us. The alumnae network is very strong, and many people use it to find internships or jobs in their field of choice. We even have a grandmother/granddaughter class tradition, where the grandmother class (who graduated 50 years before the granddaughter class) puts on various activities for their granddaughter class throughout their 4 years at Mount Holyoke.
Proximity to other colleges. A large factor in my decision was the presence (or lack thereof) of guys. What I found when talking to current students is that you can meet guys relatively easily thanks to the 5 College Consortium - Hampshire, Amherst, and UMass Amherst are 20 minutes away by bus. It won't be as easy as if she went to a co-ed college, but it's not as if there's a drought of them :) It's also possible to hit up Harvard/MIT parties on the weekend as well (although that would take more coordination/effort). Most northeastern women's colleges are located similarly.
A women’s college certainly isn’t for everyone, but I hope by sharing these factors, it encourages your daughter to give them another thought.
PS. Students in the 5 College Consortium are allowed to join most of the non-Varsity clubs at any of the 5 Colleges, and I think Amherst has a recreational ski team.
Qhat @QuirkyClarkie said. I recently attended the reunion of a family member who attended an all-women’s college, and was BLOWN AWAY by the women’s sense of camaraderie and sisterhood. Not one complained about not having exposure to guys (there were plenty in tow) but the value they’d gained and the sense of mutual support was overwhelming. I was truly impressed. Just food for thought for a kid who might not have considered the option.
My daughter started out saying she wasn’t interested in women’s colleges. However, we did visit one (Bryn Mawr) because it was a good fit for her interests and was nearby other schools she was interested in. After visiting, she liked it which prompted visiting a few others. She wound up with two on her final list. They offer a great value in terms of academics, resources, and beautiful campuses especially given their relative selectivity vs other LACs. I agree with @porcupine98 that every female interested in a smaller college should tour at least one women’s college with an open mind.
