<p>Drew University, Madison, NJ</p>
<p><a href="http://www.drew.edu%5B/url%5D">www.drew.edu</a></p>
<p>For a safety, check out Clark U in worcester. An excellent safety for him- good history and fun, quicky student body. I expect it will be my son's sfety in a couple of years.</p>
<p>My D is also closer to the "quirky" than preppy type. Her stats were similar to your son's. She was accepted ED at Brandeis (also considered but was not very keen on Drew and Skidmore--for academic reasons). She will start Brandeis in August- so far her impressions suggest she will be happy with her choice. History is one of her potential preferred majors. It is a small university with an LAC "feel"--about 3,000 undergraduates. If you PM me later this year, I know my D would be happy to answer you son's questions from first hand experience. There are also some helpful people on the Brandeis thread here. </p>
<p>Vassar is a very good school but my D felt that Boston was far more attractive than Poughkeepsie. From what I know through friends about U.Chicago, it is an intellectually stimulating school but could be very lonely for a kid who is already "more of a loner". I have heard that many Brandeis applicants use Clark as a "safety" choice. You might also consider Bard College.</p>
<p>I think you are getting a lot of good advice here. A few other smidgens of information:</p>
<p>You may want to look at Franklin & Marshall (Lancaster PA, probably 3-hour drive or less from NYC). I don't know that much about it, but it seems to be very popular now as a "safe match" type school for kids who are not quite shoe-ins at Vassar, Wesleyan, etc., and who do not love the "alternative" places. It has a very dynamic, ambitious, young President, John Fry, who impressed a whole lot of people when he was effectively Judith Rodin's chief of staff at Penn.</p>
<p>Earlham, as many have mentioned, is also a popular choice, especially for kids who are smart but not loud or aggressive self-promoters. I know a bunch of kids who really like it there. My kids' GC always pushes Clark, too, but I know very little about it. </p>
<p>Has anyone mentioned Hamilton? I have a quiet, serious nephew who absolutely loves it there after a gap year starting and running a business with a friend.</p>
<p>Re your other thread: I know several kids who have gone through Bard and Hampshire recently (and a sister-in-law went to Hampshire years ago). All bright, interesting, lovely. All fit the stereotype. I'm sure there are plenty of kids who don't fit it, and I'm not sure how much difference it makes. As for Bennington, social/academic life there has been documented nicely (if fictitiously) in Donna Tartt's The Secret History. It's a little out of date, and of course exaggerated for literary effect, but I would read it if I were your son and see if the "feel" appealed to me.</p>
<p>I, too, would suggest you look at Oberlin and Earlham.</p>
<p>Boston is more attractive than Poughkeepsie. Vassar's campus is more attractive than that of Brandeis and offers a slew of on-campus activities - all the time. You just never know what will turn a kid on!</p>
<p>I concur that Haverford is not out of reach for your son. I think he should apply to Haverford ED if its his clear favorite. And if the ED news from Haverford is not good, remember that Vassar has ED II (January 1 deadline).</p>
<p>Chicago sounds like his school. Less than 6 hours door to door if he doen't mind flying. With gas prices, it won't cost much more.</p>
<p>I am a big fan of Chicago (where my kid goes), but several things the OP said makes it sound less than optimal: wants small college, small groups with professors, hates grade grubbers, loved Sarah Lawrence curriculum, likes history, 6-hour drive from New York. None of those things apply to Chicago, exactly. It does have a thoroughly intellectual atmosphere, and it's not large like a big state u, but it doesn't feel intimate, and access to professors takes some gumption. There's a fair amount of competition and grade anxiety, although the fact that it has a reputation for taking smart kids with imperfect records means that perhaps the competition and anxiety is less than at Harvard. But it's more than at most of the places discussed so far.</p>
<p>The core curriculum means that your ability to shape your own course of study is very limited the first couple of years. And if you look at the actual core offerings, I don't think you'll see a lot of stuff that looks like "history" exactly.</p>
<p>Although travel time is less than 6 hours by plane, it feels a lot farther away than places I can drive, and even with discount airfares it's a lot more expensive for more than one person to make the trip than it is for us to drive someplace 6 hours away.</p>
<p>JHS-Are you joking about The Secret History being an accurate portrayal of the social/academic life at Bennington? For one thing Donna Tartt graduated twenty years ago, and for another, I'm sure that even at the time the book, a murder mystery by the way, was not terribly close to the average student's experience. I was there every day last year and believe me, it was not that creepy, romantic or bizarre!</p>
<p>Here's a safety not far from NYC. Richard Stockton College, a public liberal arts college in New Jersey. Very strong history department and an overall liberal arts cirriculum that is far from ordinary. It sounds like your son would appreciate the general education courses, which are intellectually rigorous and broad. For more intimate than Rutgers. Small college atmosphere a few miles from Atlantic City, so it's definitely accessible. Nice campus near the shore.</p>
<p>Apply to Haverford ED ONLY if you can still apply Vassar ED2. Shot at Vassar is better than Haverford but I would still not call it a shoo-in, especially regular decision. Better chance Vassar ED than Haverford ED --you don't want to apply Haverford ED and then blow both of them. Just figure out the timing. If Haverford ED lets you know in time for Vassar ED2 that could be your ticket, but am not sure if chances Vassar EDII are as good as ED. Perhaps someone else can comment.</p>
<p>I am so glad I posted! Thank you thank you thank you for your replies!!! There are some wonderful, thoughtful suggestions here, which my son and I will research in more depth over the next few weeks and months. </p>
<p>I deeply appreciate those of you who are suggesting my son not abandon his dream of Haverford. Perhaps we should go back to plan A from last spring, which was Haverford ED and in the likely event that that didn't work out then go for Vassar ED round 2, and if that didn't work out then... well, then.... here's where your suggestions come in. :)</p>
<p>Keep 'em coming! They are great!</p>
<p>Jjsmom</p>
<p>Based on what you've said, I'd make a guess that he might actually be more comfortable at Vassar than Haverford, and he should be about dead center in stats for Vassar. Haverford does have that wonderful relationship with Swat, Bryn Mawr, and Penn, though.</p>
<p>Let me throw out a few names that haven't come up. I can think of two really wonderful LACs in Pennsylvania that too few people know about: Dickinson and Gettysburg. Dickinson definitely has a strong flavor and is heavily focused on internationalism. Gettysburg is also a wonderful school and is virtually a living history museum.</p>
<p>Here's another: Mary Washington University in Virginia. Mary Washington was formerly the girls school for the University of Virginia (sort of a little version of the seven sisters I suppose) and is public, to boot, so it's relatively affordable. The campus is beautiful and the students appear to be both bright and focused. My understanding is that it has a strong honor code, and its traditional ties to UVA may provide a transfer "boost" if he is ever interested in moving on to a larger school with a very strong honor code.</p>
<p>Well, you asked to keep 'em coming so here goes: Colorado College. Unique block schedule that makes for a thorough, intense academic experience. A small, well-regarded school. Increasingly competitive academically. Spectacular 4-season climate & more than 300 days of sunshine. The only drawback is its location: Colorado Springs is pretty but boring & conservative. CC students - intelectual & liberal - don't have much interaction with it. And it's a bit of a haul to the mountains (but worth the drive.)</p>
<p>I believe that Vassar gets very few students applying ED II but they do promote it - so chances are that those students have a good shot. Colleges that offer ED II know that they are often (but not always) picking up those students that were rejected ED I elsewhere. I agree that you should see what Haverford's date is for notification of ED ... I am fairly certain that ED II for Vassar is in January but do check that.</p>
<p>Here are the stats for this year's admitted students to Vassar (this comes from their admitted students website):</p>
<p>Profile of the Students Admitted to the Vassar College Class of 2010</p>
<p>Completed Applications
6075</p>
<p>Total Admitted
1778</p>
<p>% Admitted
29%</p>
<h1>Admitted via Early Decision</h1>
<p>266</p>
<h1>Admitted in Regular Decision</h1>
<p>1512</p>
<p>Academic Credentials</p>
<p>High School Percentile Rank</p>
<p>(1130/1778 with rank=64%)
Cum. # followed by %</p>
<p>Top 5%
623
55% </p>
<p>Top 10%
845
75% </p>
<p>Top 15%
968
86% </p>
<p>Top 20%
1040
92% </p>
<p>Top 25%
1078
95% </p>
<p>Mean GPA (unweighted)
A-</p>
<p>SAT Distribution</p>
<p>750 +
Verbal 34%
Math 21%</p>
<p>700-749
Verbal 29%
Math 32%</p>
<p>650-699
Verbal 24%
Math 28%</p>
<p>600-649
Verbal 10%
Math 14%</p>
<p>550-599
Verbal 3%
Math 4%</p>
<p>550 or less
Verbal <1%
Math 1%</p>
<p>Mean Score
Verbal 715
Math 698</p>
<p>Combined Mean
1413</p>
<p>Mid 50% Range
1350-1480</p>
<p>Mean Writing Score
705</p>
<p>ACT Composite (417 total)</p>
<p>Mean Score
31</p>
<p>Mid 50% Range
29-32</p>
<p>Home Residence </p>
<p>49 US states, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are represented, as well as students from 39 nations.</p>
<p>Top Ten States</p>
<p>New York
421</p>
<p>California
204</p>
<p>Massachusetts
135</p>
<p>New Jersey
133</p>
<p>Connecticut
92</p>
<p>Pennsylvania
85</p>
<p>Illinois
59</p>
<p>Maryland
51</p>
<p>Texas
44</p>
<p>Washington
31</p>
<p>39 Nations represented, including: Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. </p>
<p>About 1/3 (32.6%) of those admitted are students of color.</p>
<p>11% of those admitted hold foreign citizenship.</p>
<p>Notice that they pool the ED I and ED II kids together. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>One more thing ... Vassar requires submission of a graded analytical writing sample along with the essay ... and also allows "Your Space" where the applicant can submit anything he chooses along with his application for the adcom to peruse. Writing is highly valued there so if applying, be sure that the essay is gramatically perfect (as it should be everywhere!) and a knock your socks off writing piece!</p>
<p>Hampden-Sydney College, is worth a look (<a href="http://www.hsc.edu%5B/url%5D">www.hsc.edu</a>) honnor code and great education, not mention the alunmmi connection!</p>
<p>A few people have mentioned Brandeis already, but I'll throw that in as well. Your son sounds quite a bit like me, and that's where I'm going next year. Every single person I've met so far has been quirky and seems to have been either a loner, a band geek, or an arts nerd of some sort in high school.. which is awesome.</p>
<p>Also look at Bard and William and Mary.</p>
<p>ewww...hsc is so gay!</p>