Passionate learner looking for LAC!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am a current first-year at Bates College and have not been particularly happy with my experience, as the students I have met so far don't seem very curious or hardworking. Though this is a blatant overgeneralization, the student body seems oblivious, self-centered, and averse to work.</p>

<p>I am your typical high school nerd, though not so socially-awkward. I graduated with a 4.0 (unweighted) taking 10 AP courses over three years and getting 4s and 5s on all the tests. I was Editor-in-Chief of my school's literary arts magazine, led the school's chapter of Amnesty International for two years, earned my Girl Scout Gold Award, played violin in the pit orchestra, and received extensive community service recognition. I list this not to put myself on my high horse, please don't think that, but rather to illustrate the kind of person I am. I do many things, I am passionate about what I do, and I get very involved. </p>

<p>My interests: Political Science, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Languages (Spanish, Chinese, hopefully Arabic), Visual Arts (Ceramics)</p>

<p>My fairly definite transfer list as of now: Swarthmore, Reed, Wesleyan</p>

<p>Others I am considering: UChicago, Grinnell, Oberlin, Hampshire, Carleton, MaCalester</p>

<p>My question: What other schools should be on that list? I don't care about the name, but I want a school with good humanities where students are motivated to (yes, I'm going to say it) "learn for the sake of learning."</p>

<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>How about Haverford College, in a suburb 8 miles from Philly?</p>

3

<p>Hmmmm... that is disappointing to hear, as I had always envisioned Bates as a fairly intellectually engaging atmosphere. I think you have the LAC front well-covered (looks like a good list). A few unis that seem to be similar to Chicago are Brown, Tufts, and Brandeis.</p>

4

<p>Of those on your list, I would probably see Carleton, Chicago, Grinnell, Reed, and Swarthmore as the best fits. </p>

<p>If you'd consider including larger schools and location is not an issue I'd certainly consider adding Brown, Columbia, and Yale.</p>

5

<p>You sound like a match for Tufts.</p>

6

<p>Kenyon college</p>

7

<p>Pomona fills the bill.</p>

8

<p>Oberlin would be a very good fit. For examples of typical hard-working, passionate Oberlin students, see the admissions blogs: Oberlin</a> Blogs.</p>

9

<p>Check out Furman University, its a small LAC with a reputation for having students committed to serving their community and excelling in school. It's not as prestigious as the others you named but you seem like you would fit in.</p>

10

<p>Haverford!</p>

11

<p>I agree with most of if not all the suggestions already posted, but what about Amherst and Williams for reaches? They're both extremely hard to get into for transfer students but judging by your HS credentials you have a good chance, and I think you'd definitely fit in at both I think. I second the person who said it's disappointing Bates has that less-than-intellectual atmosphere; I was considering applying there next year. Good luck with your applications!</p>

12

<p>Thanks for the feedback! And to those of you who were/are considering Bates: don't be dissuaded by my reaction. I'm not completely sold on the whole transfer idea yet, but want to keep my options open. It's definitely not a bad place to be, but it's just not clicking as much as I thought it would. We'll see how second semester goes....</p>

13

<p>I agree with, in no particular order, Haverford, Pomona, Oberlin, Carleton and Grinnell. Be aware that while Reed is an outstanding school, it also has a reputation for being academically very intense. Several years ago I read somewhere their 6 year graduation rate was approximately 65 - 70%. Since S goes to Grinnell, I can say that the students love to learn for the sake of learning.</p>

14

<p>Rather than pass on vague memories (though they aren't far off in this case), look at Reed's Common Data Set: Reed's six-year graduation rate for the last two classes to hit their sixth year was 77% (entered 2002) and 75% (entered 2001). </p>

<p>Reed</a> College 2008-09 Common Data Set SecB</p>

<p>Pomona's, by contrast, is 95%:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.pomona.edu/institutionalresearch/collegedata/CDS2008_2009.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.pomona.edu/institutionalresearch/collegedata/CDS2008_2009.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>And Grinnell's is 87%:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalresearch/reports/GC_CDS_0708.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalresearch/reports/GC_CDS_0708.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

15

<p>Washington And Lee University is good :D</p>

16

<p>Swarthmore and UChicago sound great.</p>

<p>Haverford is insanely hardcore, but a little too much on the academic side.
I recommend it.</p>

<p>I don't know about Williams, but word of warning on Amherst: it's tough on transfers from good unis and colleges, and prefers CC applicants.</p>

17

<p>If you want better weather, check out Davidson or William & Mary.</p>

18

<p>kwu, do you think Haverford is more hardcore than Swarthmore? than UChicago? I would have thought the latter would be more hardcore, but I'm hardly an expert. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning.</p>

19

<p>I don't know much about UChicago, but I imagine it would be tougher than both Ford and Swat, since it's a large university and lacks the small, intimate learning environment of the other two. There would be far fewer safety nets, understanding advisers, and lenient professors at UChicago. Students would have a tougher (not necessarily more challenging) time there, certainly.</p>

<p>I sat in on a number of classes and attended numerous student panels at Haverford. I spent more than a week on campus, and observed the students and the academic mood of the place. I had also decided to enroll there for about a day (long story) The... er, unusual (introverted, weird) sort of student who chooses Haverford's extremely small environment and excessive emphasis on purely self-directed academic integrity leads me to believe that only the most intellectually inclined individual would choose Haverford over other LACs and universities that person would have been accepted to. It is a very personal and peculiar choice that leads me to have great respect for their student body and how seriously Fords take their academics.</p>

<p>I may have incorrectly implied that Haverford is more intense than Swat (that question can't be answered definitively), but I do want to establish that more of its students are academically-oriented. </p>

<p>Have you read Gawker's critiques of the worst LACs?
It's really Haverford's total lack of pretension and its bubble-like quality that impress me.</p>

20

<p>Just looked up Gawker's; funny, but scary since I thought I wanted to go to a liberal arts college--then again really I've only been looking at Haverford and Swarthmore. Haverford likes to propagate that 40% of students are athletes, but perhaps that's just to dispel other myths/realities? I'd also heard that Haverford was slightly more laid back than Swarthmore. Also that grades were not discussed. Is that what you meant about the honor code? Were the main reasons you chose against Haverford the size of the school and the honor code? I'm just curious because I visited and basically fell in love with the place--I'm considering applying ED. Thanks for the help.</p>