<p>When we looked at schools, a part of the criteria was very close to yours. We were very impressed with: Occidental and Bard. Also, the following may be of interest in your search:
Macalester, Lawrence (WI), Wooster (OH), Colorado College, Grinell, Franklin and Marshall, Davidson, Bennington (VT), Colby, Kenyon and Clark.....</p>
<p>What would be a pretentious LAC?</p>
<p>If you would be willing to go a little further south, my son has found Hendrix to fit your description exactly. It is very laid back but solid. We also liked Cornell College, Beloit, and MacAlester. Grinnell was terrific, but a bit on the snooty side.</p>
<p>'What would be a pretentious LAC?"</p>
<p>One that is not as good as it is pretending to be? Pretentious is different from snooty or arrogant (I like bclintonk's characterization). </p>
<p>Which schools do people find to be pretending to be better than they appear?</p>
<p>
[quote]
What would be a pretentious LAC?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And what would constitute a liberal one? These sound like euphemisms for something more specific, like when my wife says we should go to a restaurant that is "fun", when she really means "cheap".</p>
<p>Well, my daughter liked Swarthmore and Haverford, thought Amherst was so preppy that she refused to get out of the car, and ended up at Reed, which she adored. She thought Lewis and Clark was pretty preppy, too, although she did apply there (non-binding EA, as her safety) and got a sizeable merit scholarship.</p>
<p>If you're looking at Lewis and Clark, IMHO, you should visit Reed too. Has Whitman been mentioned? It's a great school.</p>
<p>Not only are your requirements wide but you don't give any test scores, GPA, or class rank by which suitable "targets" can be assessed.</p>
<p>However, following the thread thus far, some additional schools to think about:</p>
<p>-- Guilford College (NC) is also Quaker-founded and less selective than the other Quaker-founded schools mentioned thus far. Egalitarianism is part of the Quaker tradition and schools with roots there tend to be infused with it.</p>
<p>-- Trinity U (TX) has a solid academic reputation and is in line with other schools mentioned already noted.</p>
<p>-- St. Olaf (MN) has a religious association but is moderately liberal and high-quality academically.</p>
<p>-- U of Puget Sound (WA) as long as your in the Northwest. A little more mainstream than Lewis & Clark and a less selective than Whitman.</p>
<p>-- A second for Hendrix: don't omit it just because its in the south.</p>
<p>^^Reed would seem way too academically intense for the OP, as would Swarthmore and most of the other elite LACs such as Williams, Amherst, Pomona, and Carleton.</p>
<p>Earlham and Kalamazoo would seem like good choices, pending clarification from the OP regarding what activates the Pressure&Pretense -O-Meter.</p>
<p>Some reviews:</p>
<p>Lewis</a> and Clark College
Whitman</a> College
Willamette</a> University</p>
<p>I'm going to throw out a vote for my future school, Oberlin. I visited a lot of liberal arts schools, and it seemed the most down-to-earth, with an intellectual and awesome student body. Granted, I didn't visit any other Midwest LAC's, but from everything I've heard, Macalester sems to fit the bill as well...I'd also add Pitzer, Lewis & Clark, Occidental, and Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Colorado College. Check it out. Seriously.</p>
<p>^^ Agree on that. I think Colorado College is exceptional and doesn't get much mention on this forum.</p>
<p>Colorado College is pretty preppy from what ive heard.</p>
<p>Like pretentiousness, preppiness is in the eye of the beholder. My S is at Williams, accused of being preppy and pretentious, but he hasn't found that at all. He has found a few very pretentious folk, but no one seems to enjoy their pretentiousness.</p>
<p>His friends have long hair, facial hair, do quirky things.</p>
<p>And he is friends with athlete too.</p>
<p>I am not saying it's the right school for the OP, just that it's impossible to judge through someone else's eyes.</p>
<p>I will say that the academics are very very rigorous.</p>
<p>His second and third choices were Vassar and Bard, so he's the same kind of kid who shows up at those schools.</p>
<p>Colorado College profile for Class of 2012</p>
<p>
[quote]
American ethnic minorities: 23%
International: 4%
44% of first year students are receiving some type of aid
416 high schools represented
251 public school students
165 private/parochial school students
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Frats do not predominate the social offerings.
CC has ranked in the top 25 schools for graduates joining the Peace Corp for many years.</p>
<p>I agree with mythmom, reputations are hard to assess objectively for validity.</p>
<p>Goucher College originated the People vs Zombies game. Has a Pirates Club. Great food. Oh... and small classes, involved students, non-prep, and so far (for my d) caring and challenging faculty. Cross-registration at Johns Hopkins, 11 colleges within a 10 mi radius, and a free shuttle bus between colleges and downtown Baltimore.
Study abroad is required. More males desired.</p>
<p>Friend's D is very happy at Denison U, which has a "moderately" liberal atmosphere and definitely solid, even challenging, academics (depending on the student of course.) Good school, good merit aid for top students, gorgeous campus, and while suburban, not middle of nowhere since it's about 30 minutes from Columbus from what I'm told. I would put it on the list.</p>
<p>Those who like Wesleyan generally like Vassar. My child is very happy there.</p>
<p>check Pitzer college out. its part of the 5 Claremont Colleges, and there really isnt a system that i know of quite like it.</p>
<p>I'll echo two other posters on this thread: Oberlin. It could be too liberal. :)</p>