Pros and Cons to Earlham, Beloit, Knox, and Lawrence?

College Search & Selection
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DD has some great acceptances. All have given good aid, with the exception of Lawrence and Wooster (they’re Profile schools; we are in a divorced situation and have three in college next year with two in her last three years so the cost will go up). Lawrence and Wooster are a bit over our price range, but for the moment we still have Lawrence on the list.

If you have any experience with Earlham, Beloit, Knox, and Lawrence, I would love to hear them. Info on course offerings, financial strength, President, on-campus activities, town, food, convenience to airport, professors. Anything!

All schools on her list seem to have a graduation rate of 65-70%.

She has no major in mind. She likes to write, however.

Culturally, I think they are good fits for her. She is hipster-like, quiet and doesn’t party or drink. She is quite liberal and into social justice.

The only school above she has visited is Earlham (and Wooster); she can take advantage of their fly-in program to visit again.

Also on her list is Agnes Scott. She and I will be heading to Scholars Weekend next week.

Thanks!

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My current college student spent time as a recruit at all of those besides Beloit, so we felt we got to know them pretty well. There is much to recommend each of them, and there is a lot of overlap.

Knox remains one of my favorite hidden gems. It had a rough patch financially but is now on the rise - alumni giving is up and the college is investing in new buildings and renovations. An open campus, 2-3 blocks from “town” where there is a stretch of student-type restaurants, coffee shops, pizza, pubs. After sitting in on classes from Grinnell to Kenyon to Bates, my kid said his favorite class was at Knox, where the Poli Sci prof was riveting and the classroom discussion passionate. I found myself chatting with the President while we were both watching an athletic event – she is very impressive – engaging, open, willing to discuss hard questions. The students were a blend of types. and I was particularly impressed when I had to pick my kid up from campus on a Sat night around 11pm, to see that the students walking around campus were not acting drunk and stupid (I have another kid who went to a “party” school, and Sat night there was very different). There is greek life at Knox, but it is non-traditional – more geeky than anything else. I have also taught at the graduate level a Knox alum, who took advantage of every opportunity afforded at Knox, and had great internships, mentors on campus etc. Galesburg is on Amtrak, so can be accessible that way. I think there are shuttles to Chicago airports for break, about a 2 1/2 hour drive, I think.

Earlham is smaller student body, and campus buildings generally feel a little more polished than at Knox, at least 2 years ago when we were visiting. I’ve heard that Earlham is expanding the student body, but I don’t know if that is true (it was a student reporting it on CC). Richmond is about an hour or more from Indy, almost just as close to Dayton, Ohio, as it is to Indy. There is no greek life, though one of the reasons my kid lost interest in Earlham was the weekday party scene – though I think that didn’t really distinguish Earlham from other schools he was looking at, it just happened to be one of the few where he was able to do an overnight at, so saw it first hand. A fair amount of recruiting seems to involve taking the recruit to parties – wasn’t his scene then, so he judged Earlham more harshly, I think, than was warranted. Sciences are reported to very strong at Earlham.

Lawrence was on the list because of the music opportunities for a non-Con kid. Gorgeous student center perched above the river bank, the Con building is gorgeous, and a professor in his instrument spent over an hour talking with him. My kid was not a fan of the Varsity athletic facilities being on the other side of the river and some other parts of campus felt a little dreary. Like at Knox, there is greek life, but again, the geek factor is pretty high so it would not be traditional greek life as you might think of it at a place like Gettysburg, for instance. More like Knox, campus is right there, in town, so more accessible. Milwaukee would make sense as the place to fly in and out of, if you don’t want to mess with connections to Appleton – Milwaukee is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Appleton.

Wooster has, in some ways, the most traditional campus feel of all of these – impressive Gothic buildings (the science library is gorgeous), also “in town” with streets bisecting parts of campus. My kid loved the coach in his sport, but just didn’t connect with campus generally. The independent research project didn’t really excite him, and unlike the other schools he visited multiple times, he was not able to connect with arts faculty in his fields of interest, so he did not get a feel for those opportunities. Non-traditional greek life, like Knox and Lawrence (and Beloit). A legitimately hip part of town, maybe a 1/2 to a mile from campus, with really wonderful farm-to-table restaurants, brew pubs etc. St Paul hotel is one of my favorites. Wooster is about an hour of back roads, no matter which way you come, and is practically smack dab between Cleveland and Columbus, not especially convenient to either.

We hear good things about Beloit, it is well known for its Anthro, and is not too far from O’hare, maybe an hour or more. It is literally just over the Illinois/Wisconsin border, and if you keep going another 45 minutes or so, you get to Madison, WI.

Sound like your daughter has some wonderful opportunities, good luck to her!

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Fwiw, DS spent time with the same team at Earlham as @Midwestmomofboys and did not encounter the partying. (I asked directly as part of note comparison.) So ymmv… He sat in on a chem class and found it highly engaging -’ there’s a big emphasis on teaching there. (And DS isn’t a STEM kid). I know several people who have gone there and become doctors. One chose midwifery. But all have been very grounded and thoughtful.

All these schools make bets on students that some of the "fancier " schools pass on, and I think that’s reflected in the grad rates. And at least in the case of one of the people mentioned above, there was a period in which she stopped out to really explore her direction, which seems to have been supported.

Great options for your D! I suspect the revisits will help her quite a bit in terms of what feels right.

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Regarding Earlham party scene – I should have been clear that my kid did not feel any pressure to participate, just reported that it was happening after a particularly lopsided team loss, and he was surprised by the willingness to party, in season, after a bad loss, rather than the existence of a party scene itself. As a member of a team at another school, he is undoubtedly taking prospective recruits to parties himself now . . . .

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Lastly, on the party scene at all these schools – there seemed to be plenty of social opportunities for kids who aren’t interested in “partaking” and no stigma whatsoever in not partying – which is, I think, what matters.

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Midwestmomofboys, the note about the party scene is well received here! It would absolutely crush any interest in that school if it were her first experience there.

With Earlham, I am worried about a lack of town and on-campus activities. Is that a valid concern?

Gardenstategal - love the comment about Earlham grads being grounded and thoughtful!

Thanks!

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I don’t want you, or anyone to think that Earlham has a big party scene that dominates campus, so please don’t extrapolate from that one experience. His frustration was really about the team not seeming to be tormented by the outcome the way he was – if he were looking at it now, he’d probably realize that, sometimes, just chilling with the guys after a collective blow like that is the best way to relax and prepare for the next challenge.

Richmond has some quirky student hangouts off campus, coffee shops with music performances at night etc. The town itself, like Galesburg, Illinois, where Knox is, is not much to look at, though the college adds some flavor to the local scene. At Earlham, the music and arts building is gorgeous, and my kid was excited about the opportunities in the arts. I was impressed by the focus on both international experience and cross-disciplinary focus, and the Earlham grads we know are interesting, thoughtful people. We live in Indiana, so know a number of kids who have gone to Earlham as an affordable LAC option and they have had phenomenal experiences. As with a number of these midwest LACs, it seems that, if Earlham, or Lawrence, or the others, were on the Northeast Corridor, they would be a lot more popular, with lower acceptance rates and more “buzz.”

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Your D has some great choices.

My daughter visited Beloit last weekend and really liked the campus museums. The Logan and Wright museums provide excellent learning opportunities for Beloit students. Beloit sits on the Rock River, and our tour guide told us they are now converting an old coal-burning power station on the river into a student center. It sounds like it’s going to be cool. The students there were very friendly.

I was on the campus of Wooster several times in college for cross country and track meets and agree with @Midwestmomofboys that the campus is quite beautiful.

A close friend of mine graduated from Agnes Scott and loved it. It was perfect for her. She’s now a university math professor.

I graduated from Earlham, and loved my time there. I was never a partier, and always felt at home. The quality of teaching was excellent, and I remain in touch with professors to this day. Teaching quality in my graduate program at an esteemed private R1 institution (with the exception of 1 or 2 classes) was a letdown after 4 years at Earlham. Grad rate is similar at all these schools, though EC is on the lower side of this group. Echoing @gardenstategal: Earlham definitely takes chances on some students. This was certainly the case with me: a high need, first-gen kid from a tiny, rural public (180 kids total in my high school). I’m forever grateful to EC for the education they gave me.

I was a bio major, which is a big major at Earlham. The sciences are strong, and Earlham sends a high percentage of bio, biochem, and chem majors to top PhD programs. I also took many Latin and Greek courses, which were excellent, though this major is small. As a Quaker school, social justice issues are important to many students and faculty at the college. Earlham has several new buildings on campus for the arts, sciences, and social sciences; they’ve done a nice job with these spaces. Feel free to message me if you have more Earlham questions, as I’m down there fairly often.

Galesburg, IL, Richmond, IN, and Beloit, WI all have a similar feel and are similarly sized. There are things to do in these towns, but the restaurant/nightlife offerings are not extensive. Richmond felt big to me as an 18 year old, but I was coming from the middle of nowhere. Appleton, WI is larger and, accordingly, has more going on. I like Appleton.

Regarding your question of financial strength, all have respectable endowments, with EC on the high side:

Wooster $294 Million (146k per student)
Agnes Scott $223 million (240k per student)
Lawrence $283 million (201k per student)
Earlham $384 million (372k per student)
Beloit $130 million (100k per student)
Knox $127 million (94k per student)

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The daughter of a good friend of mine went to Knox, she was an English major and liked the program. However, she did find Knox to be a very insular place, described the student body as “incestuous,” and knew kids who transferred because Knox was too small and too isolated.

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My neighbor, although not an academic himself, is very interested in higher education. I’m pretty sure that he told me that the president of Beloit College (https://www.beloit.edu/president/biography/) has done a good job of rebuilding the college’s financial situation. My younger daughter considered attending Beloit but ended up going to Carleton. My older daughter considered Earlham but ended up at a private university in southern California. I have a client who teaches at Agnes Scott, and she’s such a good person that I have a high opinion of the college as well, even though I’ve never been there.

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My D is a senior at Lawrence and has loved her experience there. She was able to do research in a Professor’s lab both her freshman and sophomore year and then at BU this past summer, her jr. year. There are lots of opportunities available to students and many of her friends have also had research opportunities and internships on and off campus during her time there. She knows many of her professors well and has really enjoyed the smaller class sizes.
The campus overlooks the fox river and many of the buildings are situated to take advantage of natural lighting and beautiful views of the river. The athletic complex being across the river is somewhat of a downside but my D is a 3 season athlete and it has not been a big deterrent to her. The college has shuttles that run back and forth during the main times that students are using the athletic facilities.
The college runs right into the downtown of Appleton and Appleton as a larger town than a lot of LACs are located in and has a lot to offer. There are lots of great restaurants and fun shops in very easy walking distance of the campus. We have been very impressed by the quality and variety of the local restaurants there. Starting in the Spring and running through the Fall there is a large farmers market on college avenue running through the downtown on Saturdays.
The food in the dining hall is very good with lots of choices including vegetarian and vegan options. They have a student run garden that contributes produce to the food service.
My D is involved in Greek life as it has helped her broaden her social circle but it doesn’t seem to dominate the social life of the campus and many of her friends are not involved at all. The frats have houses but the sororities do not. Partying seems to be low key and low pressure and there are lots of other things to do outside of parties. The conservatory offers lots of events for students to take advantage.
She has found her fellow students to be generally down to earth, friendly and intellectually serious and curious. Her friends I have met have all been highly motivated and engaging young people with a wide array of academic interests. The campus has a very friendly, welcoming vibe.
As far as airports. There are flights to Appleton through Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis and I think flying from other parts of the country to Milwaukee you would also get routed through those bigger cities so it makes more sense to just go straight to Appleton. The college provides a shuttle from the airport for returning students after Christmas and Spring Break and they have also offered a chartered bus from Chicago and Minneapolis as there are a lot students from those areas who attend Lawrence. I think some students from farther afield can also fly to Chicago or Minneapolis and take the bus to help minimize costs. The bus from Chicago does make a stop in Milwaukee so that is a possibility also.

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My daughter has been accepted for admission to both Knox and Lawrence and her older sister was very serious about Beloit (final 2) before choosing somewhere else. While I have no complaints about any other school my daughter has been in contact with, Knox by far has gone out of their way to leave a good impression. After visit this past summer, her admissions counselor sent a 3-4 page email outlining all the opportunities available to a pre-vet student. My daughter is interested in pre-vet and the counselor was unable to answer a few of her questions during her interview. The campus is in need of some TLC. The science facilities pail in comparison to other schools my daughter is considering, don’t judge book by cover and all that but appearances do matter to 17-18 year olds that are investing the next 4 years in a school.

Lawrence is my daughter’s current favorite although, we’ll see if that holds once all admissions and merit decisions arrive. One thing to note about Lawrence’s graduation rate is that it is low because there are a number of Conservatory students that pursue a 5 year dual bachelors program. Not sure what the 4-yr rate is for Non-Conservatory students but it is considerably higher than the other schools. Impressions are that Lawrence science programs are a bit stronger than Knox.

It has been a few years since we visited but Beloit is a great fit / school in the realm of midwestern LACs. A beautiful science facility but other buildings, like Knox, seemed to be in want of some upkeep. Also, Beloit’s alcohol policy is very liberal and isn’t for every kid (or parent).

13

Wow. I am overwhelmed with gratitude! Thank you all for such thoughtful and lengthy comments! So many details I have to let sink in. Thanks for your candidness.

We will have to do some more number crunching for Lawrence and Wooster. We are within our budget for her first year, but not for the next three.

My hope is that Agnes Scott is a great fit. On paper it is. But you know…just one little thing can make or break it.

Knox and Susquehanna gave us the best financial deal, but Susquehanna is off the table (our son is currently a junior there).

I can’t thank you enough. I may reach out tomorrow with some questions tomorrow; I’ll have more time. :slight_smile:

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@lisbees Feel confident that with this list of schools, while one might be a better social / comfort fit, and each has academic strengths and some areas that are probably less than stellar (like any school), that you really can’t go wrong with any of them. They are all generally, really good academically, that will provide a great education in the liberal arts tradition

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I am a Knox alum. Ask away.

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My daughter applied to Knox Early Action, encouraged by a wonderful interview to which I dragged her kicking and screaming. Knox was her first interview, and her first acceptance. I will be forever grateful for the confidence boost Knox has given her.

Of all the CTCL schools and the pantheon of great Midwest schools, she chose Knox for EA because of the glowing recommendation of a classmate’s sister, now pursuing her PhD at UC Riverside. (The fact that we can take the train to Galesburg directly from LA was also a plus!).

We’re still waiting to hear from all of her schools, but the generous package and outpouring of uplifting communications from Knox has made me a proselytizer.

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@megawillmae The graduation rate is actually a 6 year graduation rate for standard 4 year programs. Not sure what they do with 5 year dual degree programs but that shouldn’t be pulling down the regular graduation rate.

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