From your list, St. Olaf and Macalaster are good fits and seem to have a program you are truly interested in. Doesnt hurt to try applying.
Cornell College could be a match so for sure try that one as the slower pace may be a good fit as well for your type of learning.
@merc81 Hi! Yes, I was accepted but I applied to the campus in New Mexico. I deferred this year because of covid.
@2plustrio I really appreciate the encouragement! Those programs do seem amazing and I definitely will apply to at least 1 or 2 reaches 
I will get in touch and see if I can talk with other non-trad students. I think that’s a good place to start because they’ll be familiar with any obstacles that might come up.
Also, the block plan could be just what I’m looking for. I’ll look through some student blogs to get an idea of what that learning style is like. Thanks a bunch!
I also understand that older students are not the target audience for most LACs. Are there any issues I should be looking out for? (You all have noted issues with housing!) Is anyone aware of any programs targeted towards older students? Like the Frances Perkins or Mcbride programs…
Hey, so that’s good, @lingonberry_jazz. I would have recommended NM for you if for some reason you hadn’t considered it.
Contact each of the places on your list, and let them know your situation as a non-traditional student. Ask about housing. Is there housing available specifically for the non-trads there? Are non-trads housed with other undergrads? Are they housed with grad students? Are they offered options in married student housing? Is assistance offered for finding off-campus housing? Their willingness to work with you on this will tell you a lot about the institutional culture.
@merc81 Thank you 
@happymomof1 Those questions are extremely helpful! Thank you so much. I hadn’t thought about the general response to non-trads on campus. I’ll definitely call each school before moving on further with my applications. I want to attend a school where non-trads are wanted and seen as assets on campus (or at least they are not isolated and they are encouraged to be involved members of the campus community). 
St. Thomas Aquinas is another Great Books college with two campuses, in CA and MA. https://thomasaquinas.edu/ The concern with these schools (St John’s also) is whether you could really place ahead in their curriculum - you may have enough credits to be a sophomore, but you haven’t done their first-year course of study. What has St. John’s told you about this?
It will be good to note the percentage of nontraditional students on campus. Evergreen State and Portland State are both good suggestions - the percentage of students 25 and older is 37% and 35% respectively. They’re not small schools but you’re likely to find smaller classes in your areas of interest. What is your current state of residency?
Yes, small LAC’s are mostly a US thing. Soka U in CA is a very internationally-oriented non-traditional school, with mandatory study abroad, but they don’t take transfer apps - you’d have to apply as a freshman.
Guilford College in NC has a large nontraditional student population. It’s a Quaker school with a number of majors and minors that could fit what you’re looking for. In addition to having a diverse student body age-wise, it’s also quite a bit more racially diverse than most LAC’s.
https://www.guilford.edu/program-finder
https://www.guilford.edu/academics/hands-on-learning
https://studyabroad.guilford.edu/
If you like the philosophy of the Quaker schools (Bryn Mawr, Guilford), Earlham in Ohio could also be worth a look. But it’s quite small (about 1000) and only little over 5% are 25+, so not a large cohort of nontraditional students.
@aquapt Wow! Thank you for spending so much time to respond. Those are great starts for me to look into
I had no idea that some schools have such a significant percentage of older students! To answer your question, I would start as a freshman at St. John’s. It seems that there is very little room to change that because of the program curriculum.
Most of my classes in community college were specialized, so it didn’t bother me that I’d “start from scratch”. I am definitely looking up evergreen state and portland state. I think I saw Evergreen state on a list of most non traditional colleges! I hadn’t considered all the positives associated with that type of dynamic (a significant representation of older students on campus). I hadn’t considered that type of diversity and I’m sure life experiences will be more varied as well.
I also hadn’t realized that St. Thomas Aquinas opened another campus! I think they have a program extremely similar to SJC. I’m adding them to my list To answer your other question, I have residency in Michigan. I have visited MSU twice but I didn’t feel like it was the right fit…
I really wish there were more LACs abroad. I find so many benefits to the challenges that come from living abroad. It would be a great compliment to a liberal arts education. But, I know I’ll experience some challenges on a micro scale just from leaving my state. I had briefly looked at Soka U but it had fallen off. I’m going to look further into it and I’m glad you brought it up because they do seem extremely unique.
Lastly, I never heard of Guilford and without you I doubt I would have Thank you so so much for all of this. I wouldn’t have found these resources without your help! I also didn’t realize that some of these schools have religious affiliations. I find myself drawn to quite a few “religious schools”. It seems most schools with great books programs have some religious affiliation (SJC being an exception). I also find a bit more variety in political views. I find myself to be pretty liberal but I don’t want to only be exposed to people with similar views.
Again! Thank you aquapt 
There’s a whole range of “religiousness,” so you have to look at what the affiliation means in the individual case. Most (all?) of the historically Quaker schools have been nonsectarian for a long time, and most were ahead of the curve in terms of coeducation and racial integration. They tend to have a strong Honor Code and an emphasis on values and ethics, but not on religious practice per se.
I believe that Thomas Aquinas is relatively more “religious” but I don’t know too much about how that plays out.
Another category to look at is that of US colleges with established satellite campuses overseas. Do you have a target country or region that you’re interested in? Examples: Bard in Berlin, Marist in Florence, St. Louis University in Madrid, Temple U. in Tokyo, McDaniel College in Budapest, Lawrence U in London… that’s just off the top of my head. Some of these have extended study abroad programs and even degree programs that are entirely at the overseas campus.
Examples that might interest you:
SLU Madrid: https://www.slu.edu/madrid/academics/degrees-and-programs/philosophy.php
Bard Berlin: https://berlin.bard.edu/academics/humanities-the-arts-and-social-thought/
At any rate, that’s one way to get a more American-style education outside of the US. Good luck with the search!
Oh, also, meant to say… Portland State and Evergreen State are better deals if you live within the Western Undergrad Exchange, which you don’t. Michigan doesn’t participate in any reciprocity programs that I know of, unfortunately.
However, there are a few very affordable public LAC’s in the Midwest: Truman State in Missouri, and U of Minnesota Morris. Philosophy is a strength for Morris - the “Midwest Studies in Philosophy” journal was founded there, and they host a regional colloquium each year, which focused on implicit bias this past year: https://academics.morris.umn.edu/philosophy/midwest-philosophy-colloquium
Out-of-state COA at Morris runs around 27K/year which is a fantastic deal even compared with in-state rates at many publics. The campus was originally a Native American residential school, and therefore their charter requires them to admit Native American students tuition-free. 20% of their students are indigenous, which provides critical mass for some interesting programs and areas of study. With only 1600 students and a 13:1 faculty/student ratio, it’s comparable to many private LAC’s, for 1/3 the sticker price. Worth a look as a financial safety - admitted student stats are higher there than at Portland State or Evergreen, where COA will run in the 40’s for non-consortium OOS.
(Before someone else corrects me, Earlham is in Indiana, not Ohio. Not sure why I mistyped that.)
@aquapt you have gone above and beyond! I’ve learned so much from your post 
I wasn’t aware of historically Quaker schools. I think its awesome to shine a light on them and I had no idea about their history. You’ve helped me find a common thread which gives me a much better idea of my “fit”. Thank you
I was targeting schools in Asia for a degree abroad. If you don’t mind, is there anyway to gauge the quality of schools overseas? I go to american colleges and universities abroad on wikipedia and visit the college websites/social media pages. Most overseas schools I’ve looked up don’t have reviews on sites like niche or rate my professor and it makes it difficult to get an idea of the environment or fit. I usually just try to reach out to students on social media but it’s usually hit or miss. I really liked the offerings at Bard Berlin and loved how interdisciplinary their majors were! That’s the type of school I am looking for.
I wasn’t aware of Morris and I’m shocked that they’ve never come up! Not from my counselors from high school or even my counselors at community college. That is a great price and the definition of a hidden gem
Thank you so much aquapt!
Do you speak an Asian language as of yet?
I’ll let someone else field the question about assessing quality, as I don’t really know. It sounds as if your dream school would be Yale NUS, but they have a 6% admit rate and don’t accept any transfer credit (like St. John’s, they welcome applicants with some college but you still have to start from scratch if you attend). Probably too reachy unless you have a stunning high school record up your sleeve. Same with Duke Kunshan (8% acceptance rate).
The other Asian campuses of US schools (like SUNY Korea for example) tend to tilt toward STEM and business and Asian/international studies, not interdisciplinary philosophy/liberal arts. Temple Japan does offer a “General Studies” self-designed major that could work. ["General Studies enables students, in consultation with the Academic Advising Center, to design an interdisciplinary major in the humanities (critical languages, English, philosophy and religion) or social sciences (American studies, Asian studies, economics, history, political science and psychology). Students may create an area of study that embraces an intellectual theme, such as environmental and population control, human rights, war and peace, or moral and ethical responsibilities.] So that would be an option, but you’d be outnumbered by the students pursuing Asian Studies, International Business, International Affairs, etc., vs. a program like Bard Berlin where you’d have a true cohort in your major program.
The Asian University where Bard Berlin students can study abroad is Lingnan University in Hong Kong, which boasts a residential campus and a philosophy major… but you’d need working proficiency in Chinese as well as English to apply there directly: https://www.ln.edu.hk/philoso/?page_id=3145 You could, however, apply to Bard Berlin and aim to study abroad at Lingnan from there.
Maybe someone better versed in Asian colleges can answer your other questions… but finding shcools by looking at where other schools that you like partner for their study abroad programs is one filter for reputability.
@aquapt I love that you used as of yet! Unfortunately, I don’t speak any other languages except for English right now. I hope to in the future!
I had heard of Yale NUS but not Duke and they both seem extremely cool. I stand no chance with those acceptance rates though. My grades are average and my extracurriculars are a bit underwhelming. I definitely feel that I have something to offer but I’m not a competitive applicant
You have a great point about the STEM focus in Asia and it is difficult to find “American-style” liberal arts. I can say that one of my siblings visited TUJ and they really enjoyed it. I know TUJ will get a lot more interest because of their brand new campus. The closest school I could think of was SCAD in Hong Kong although they didn’t have philosophy and it was mostly fine arts/technical courses. They shut down this year and I hope that’s not a trend for the future demand of liberal arts in Asia…
I hadn’t considered the importance of a cohort but I’m glad you made that point. I love the idea about exchange agreements. I need to do much more research! I think my biggest worry is vetting the quality of a school so far away. I’m up for the challenge, but not at the expense of a solid education. There are so many resources to learn about schools in the U.S. and with covid there is still so much uncertainty. I feel like I’m at the mercy of the internet because it’s just not safe to travel right now.
You’ve given me an amazing list and I find it extremely cool how much you know about all of these schools! Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate it
Good luck figuring it out! It seems to me that you’re going to want a program taught in English if you haven’t started building fluency in another language yet. There’s so much vocabulary, nuance, and precision of language involved in philosophy - I’d think it would be a very difficult field to study in a language you were newly learning. Sounds like you’ve got quite a few good options on the table, though, both domestically (with study abroad options in the pipeline) and a few overseas. Do come back and post an update!
@aquapt I agree I think it would be way too much in another language. Yes, I’ve gotten so many great resources from you and everyone else who posted! I’m very excited about my upcoming applications.
Thank you again aquapt, you really went above and beyond. I’ll make sure to post an update
I’m another non-traditional student (age 27) and applied to transfer out of a community college and to a more rigorous BA program this semester. I am on the east coast so most of the schools I applied to are in the Boston/Providence area. There are plenty of competitive schools that have special non-traditional programs (Wellesley College’s Davis Scholar, Smith College’s Ada Comstock Scholar) if that is the way you’d like to go. I chose to apply as a traditional undergrad but commute. I applied just like any other transfer, with the exception of some special financial aid documents. Good luck!
I have a child who was a ‘johnnie’ and have experienced both campus. Many confuse it with the other St John’s university/colleges. It is one of the most rigorous college curriculums in the country. You cannot transfer in as anything other then a first year and you have to do the sequence of classes full time and in the order that they are required. If you drop a class or semester you have to wait to restart that entire term again. It would be difficult to have a job while going through the program. At the end of every term are oral exams in front of a panel of professors. It is an amazing experience for the right person. It is highly regarded by the academic world and students who complete are able to go on to very prestigious graduate programs.
The NM campus has apartment housing for older students other then dorms and there are quite a few non traditional students there.
If you choose to go you are in for 4 years. Any other universities/colleges will take transfers and you might be able to finish sooner.
I also suggest looking at the University of Dallas along with Aquinas, Biola, St Mary in California, Hillsdale, University of San Francisco, Thomas Moore.
@nontradishbish Thank you! It’s so nice to see other non-traditional students. I love your username Sometimes I feel like I’m in this strange middle ground as an older student. A much smaller group of people can relate, especially at LACs… Congratulations on transferring! I hope you really like your new school <3
@whyboydanny I love hearing from someone in the “Johnie” family! St. John’s seems like such an amazing school. I’ve been taking time for my mental health this year and I needed to realistically evaluate my own limits and expectations. All the students I spoke with voiced similar opinions about the difficulty of the program. Although, most of them found their experiences at St. John’s to be extremely worthwhile and “life changing”. I really feel that it is.
I was okay with entering as a freshman because it really is such a unique program. Ultimately, I found the pre determined schedule to be too much on top of an already difficult curriculum. The class time and reading/workload were a lot more than other schools I looked at. I just couldn’t find enough “free hours/down time” with their schedule and I genuinely feared that I would burn out too quickly. I knew I’d have to start as a freshman but it felt too risky to “start over” and burn out without a degree…
I actually attended a “hippy-dippy” type school that was very on par with the style of St. John’s program. Most classes were modeled after the Socratic method and I found my time there to be a critical point in my self development. Definitely an alternative type of school, but it was much more self-directed and relaxed.
Thank you for the college suggestions! I love that some of those colleges have their own offerings of a great books program I really appreciate you taking the time to send these names my way.
I wish more people knew about St. John’s! Especially here on CC because it seems like a lot of students on this site come from rigorous academic backgrounds. It really is a gem
Hello all!
I promised to give an update and here it is. Unfortunately, an event in my life has made me choose to postpone my education for the next few years. I have also decided to finish my associate degree before I transfer to a new school.
I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to give me advice or encouragement. I truly appreciate it! And a big thank you to @aquapt You went so above and beyond for me. I truly appreciate you. Please know that I will definitely be referencing this post in my future. I learned about some really amazing schools that I never would’ve found on my own.
I hope we all have a bright 2021
Thank you CC!
Thanks for checking in - I hope the life event wasn’t anything too difficult! Transferring with your AA is a good plan too - hope all goes well for you, and hope you update again as things unfold!