<p>Parts of Amherst are really quirky - Zu, anyone?</p>
<p>When I read "The Gatekeepers," my impression was that the risky essay girl had other factors under consideration-- it sounded like academically, she was on the bubble to begin with, and the essay just made matters muddier.</p>
<p>I like honest essays, even if they do mention illegal/immoral acts. You want a college to admit you for who you are, not who you pretend to be. Or am I too much of an optimist?</p>
<p>I am not an admission counselor, but it seems to me that honesty and writing about illegal/immoral acts can be mutually exclusive; I'd advise the former and discourage the latter.</p>
<p>Just got back from Family Days at Williams. Although it is not its reputation at all, all the kids we met were a bit quirky. Our son certainly is. They're quiet, introverted quirky kids by and large. In his entry (20 kids on a floor who socialize together -- it's a complicated Williams' system) there are hippies, hipsters, musicians, classics majors, film geeks. </p>
<p>The guys have longish hair (I was surprised, not preppy looking at all) and my S has facial hair.</p>
<p>The most unique thing about Williams students is that the kids have very diverse interests -- not as a group, but as individuals. The same kid taking oddles of classes of evolution and genetics is also fascinated by the Trojan War. </p>
<p>Here's a group of people who are in love with a purple cow!</p>
<p>A few more quirky LACS: Earlham, Beloit, Lewis & Clark, Pitzer, Smith, Sarah Lawrence, Bennington, and, perhaps quirkiest of all, Hampshire.</p>
<p>How do you guys define this 'quirky-ness?'</p>
<p>For my son, who prefers the term "weird", it's all about how people think, not about their appearance. Thinking in an unconventional way and being open about it--not worrying about what other people might think about you as a result--that's the kind of weird he was looking for. Maybe being happy about being different--celebrating weirdness.</p>
<p>Or how about this: unhampered by a crippling need to appear cool--joyfully dorky.</p>
<p>I like that -- joyfully dorky. My daughter's admissions essay started, "I am a dork."</p>
<p>Mythmom, this is a non sequitur--or maybe not!--but has your quirky Star Wars-loving son seen the new Yoda-only stamps? (You've probably seen the sheet of all Star Wars, but this is ALL Yoda! My S used them on his teacher recommendation envelopes.)</p>
<p>1190-I don't mean to butt in on someone else's thread, but why do you say that Chicago is the poster child of quirky Us?</p>
<p>I like quirky :) but not in the sense that "I'm-weird-because-I-don't-share-answers-with-others-and-I'm-a-genius," but rather the kind where ppl aren't afraid of stating random comments or laughing at..a tree? :p</p>