Hi CC!
I am on the hunt for safety/match/low reach schools that have a student body very interested in political activism/social justice but also are outdoorsy. Such a school has been mildly difficult to find because social justice oriented schools are typically in or very near urban areas whereas more “outdoorsy” schools are…not. All in all, I am searching for schools that are (at least) very left leaning and/or social justice oriented, have an intellectual environment (student body interested in/excited about learning), have ample opportunities for outdoorsiness, and are on the smaller end (think small LAC size). I am pretty set on going to school in the north east, but am open to other options as long as they are not in the south. Any help would be appreciated.
Right now, Williams, Bowdoin, and Wellesley are at the top of my list, but I am wary about the social environment at Bowdoin and the lack of outdoorsy activities at Wellesley.
I am also looking for schools with good financial aid programs. My high reach schools, Harvard and Brown, both have amazing financial aid programs but subpar options for outdoorsy people, so there’s that problem. As of now, most of my schools are very strong in one or two of the categories (social justice oriented, outdoorsy, good financial aid programs) so formulating a list has been a little difficult…
As for information about me, besides my interest in social justice/political activism and hiking/rock climbing/etc, I am interested in majoring in History or Philosophy. I am in the top 5% of ~650 students, 34 ACT, 4.0 UW GPA, 5s on 5 AP tests, taking 6 APs this year, decent extracurriculars (president of young dems, heavy involvement in creative writing, involved in school’s lit journal and outdoors club, tutor, etc).
Take a look at Earlham. You would certainly be offered merit there. Not dure, if when you say outdoorsy, you mean near mountains though, because it would fail on that front!
Bard is a possibility as well although I don’t think they are as generous with FA.
My son is a Williams grad. He took full advantage of the outdoorsy activities and the natural beauty of the environment. Some others that you might add to your list: Hamilton, Kenyon, Smith, Colorado College.
I would also suggest that you look at Cornell The culture is somewhat different, but the environment is similar.
I don’t think you’ll have any problem finding a critical mass of social justice warriors at any of the east coast privates.
@momrath Thank you, I will definitely look at those! I have done a bit of research on Smith and Colorado College already! (I love Colorado College’s block plan. So much. And, of course, the location.)
I have looked at Cornell, the campus is nice but I really do not like Ithaca, the frat scene (not a fan of greek life), and the students seemed generally unhappy? But that was just my impression. Can you expand on the “culture” at Cornell?
@valkyries All the Nescacs are going to have a fair degree of prep, whether that is kids from prep schools, or kids who dress a bit preppy. Though Wesleyan may have the fewest.
@valkyries, Hamilton is a great choice if you are looking for an outdoorsy vibe without Greek life. The Levitt Public Affairs Center is a great social justice forum and the school’s campus is a 1,900 acre arboretum. The Outing Club, the largest of the 200 clubs on campus, takes advantage of the school’s proximity to the Adirondacks. We have twin DD’s there and our non varsity-athlete DD got hooked on the Adirondacks during her recent Freshman Orientation Trip, has since gone through leadership training, and is now working through ascending the 46 Adirondack peaks over 4000’ during her 4 years at Hamilton - I know 4000’ is considered a hill in Colorado, but the Adirondacks is really beautiful country in upstate NY.
@valkyries, my son went to Cornell for graduate school so he didn’t have that much interaction with the undergraduate culture. Cornell’s size and pervasive Greek presence made the experience different from that of a small LAC, but at big universities you can find like-minded people, no matter what you’re looking for.
Like Williams, he appreciated Cornell’s profoundly beautiful natural environment and spent a lot of time in outdoorsy activities. That was important to him, both for his physical and emotional well being.
@valkyries, Hamilton’s got a very diverse and smart group of students - being one of only ~40 colleges in the US that are need blind and meets 100% of demonstrated need and a ~$1Billion endowment helps achieve its diversity.
Our DD’s academically profiled the same as you (34/35 ACT, 750-800 SAT 2’s, 4.3 W GPA with 6-8 APs each) and they both say the vibe is both really intellectual (Class 2021 median ACT 32) and really caring. DD’s are also both Bernie Sanders kids so social justice matters a lot; our xc/Track DD is a gov major and she spent all Tuesday on the phones getting out the vote with a big group of classmates so I know they walk the walk.
If you are considering Williams (an isolated outdoorsy LAC in the Northeast), then you might want to also consider Whitman (an isolated outdoorsy LAC in the Northwest).
@valkyries, here’s this year’s Freshman move-in day; we were in the midst of the chaos with our DD’s - it’s a good representation of the students at Hamilton https://youtu.be/FduCkiOxD3o
Consider Sarah Lawrence. It’s a very liberal and politically active school, but I don’t think it’s that cheap. It’s outside of New York City, so I don’t know how outdoorsy it is, but it’s a really nice campus.