<p>Everybody knows that the top schools are attracting more and more applicants, and as applications get more competitive, students who want to go to good schools are working harder and paying more attention to extracurriculars, so we have "qualification inflation" along with more kids applying to more schools every year. </p>
<p>Schools that were relatively open even four or five years ago are increasingly selective as a result or a larger pool of more qualified applicants looking to go to selective colleges.</p>
<p>This is a fun thread--get out your tea leaves and try to spot the next Wash. U--let's identify some schools that are high quality, but lower profile and as a result less flooded with applications. </p>
<p>I'll start--we were at a Lewis and Clark presentation earlier this year. Our tour guide was quite upfront about L&C being her safety and not her first choice, but she's very happy there now and loves the school. I got the impession that they really want to move from being the safety to the first choice. The admissions director was quite upfront about wanting to attract top caliber students, and implied that they have an open checkbook for ivy-caliber applicants. They are right across the Willamette from Reed, have a beautiful woodsy location, have invested serious capital into new academic and new residential facilities, and seem to be intent on moving from a local/regional liberal arts school to a national name.</p>
<p>We didnt' look at Lewis and Clark, teh only way I even got my D to look at Reed was because our neighbor was an alum who said they had great finaid.
BUt that whole area- is very nice- mildish weather much of the time and fairly laid back and college student friendly.
In fact my daughter is staying there after graduation because she likes it so much- so that is always something to consider
If it is a pain for them to visit "home" during holiday breaks, what is it going to be like when they live there? lol</p>
<p>Lewis and Clark shot themselves in the foot with their policy of not allowing high school junior prospies to stay overnight. Our junior daughter spent nights at Reed and Willamette, and loved both, but came away from her day visit at L & C with a much less positive impression. It was the after-hours interaction with students at Reed and Willamette which allowed her to feel like she got to know the schools much better.</p>
<p>So I think L & C would do well to rethink this policy. The campus is indeed beautiful.</p>
<p>Looking into a crystal ball, and not predicting how long it will take, I think a future up and comer is Chapman University in Orange, CA. </p>
<p>I have no ties to the college whatsoever, no inside knowledge except a magazine piece in the L.A.Times not too long ago but I think that it is a "sleeper" that will grow in reputation and selectivity in coming years. If colleges were stocks, I would buy shares. Around here, it is mostly known as THE place to go for film or television studies if you can't get into USC or UCLA's film and tv programs --- which are super selective --- because the Chapman program is hands-on productionwise (as opposed to theory based) and has excellent ties to working professionals in "The Biz." Chapman is also attracting big donations to its law and business schools. </p>
<p>The campus is not gorgeous, but it's leafy and pleasant and the town of Orange is quaint and safe. The older section of Orange is a favorite location for film companies that want the old-timey Mayberry look for scenes. The town is near Santa Ana in Orange County and by car, depending on traffic of course, it's about 20-30 minutes to the beach, about the same to fashionable spots in Newport Beach, and indie spots in Costa Mesa and to UC-Irvine and the campus activities there, and about an hour or 90 minutes to westside L.A. again, depending on whether you're driving at 3 p.m. or 6 a.m.</p>
<p>What about Knox? They offered my daughter a ton of merit aid but she turned them down to go to another school. Are they actively trying to recruit out of state?</p>
<p>St. Mary's of MD appears to be trying to make itself into a national name too. They do a lot of recruiting here. </p>
<p>I think Rice University may be poised to be the next regional star to move to great national popularity (a la WashU). Their numbers are great (including endowment, class size, and tuition) , with great science, engineering, sports, a world-class conservatory. No one I know was talking about Rice a few years ago here in the east. Now it seems like everyone is.</p>
<p>I think Rice is already there as a national star (way before WashU got there). But maybe I am just on different grapevines from driver. Have been very aware of it for years as both and left and right coaster.</p>
<p>PITZER COLLEGE Claremont, Calif.
SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY Santa Clara, Calif.
MILLS COLLEGE Oakland, Calif.
SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE Olympia, Wash.
WHITMAN COLLEGE Walla Walla, Wash.
COLORADO COLLEGE Colorado Springs
University of Oklahoma
MACALESTER COLLEGE St. Paul
CARLETON COLLEGE Northfield, Minn
GRINNELL COLLEGE
CORNELL COLLEGE Mount Vernon, Iowa
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE Kalamazoo, Mich.
EARLHAM COLLEGE Richmond, Ind.
Miami University Oxford, Ohio
KENYON COLLEGE Gambier, Ohio
COLLEGE OF WOOSTER Wooster, Ohio
SUNY GENESEO Geneseo, N.Y.
UNION COLLEGE Schenectady, N.Y.
WHEATON COLLEGE Norton, Mass.</p>
<p>although colorado college is usually listed amoung the top 25 LAC's, it doesn't tend to have the same name recognition and applicant amounts as other top LAC's. I think they are working hard to change that.</p>
<p>Because it isn't located on the east or west coast, it doesn't hit many kids radars -- but they are working hard on improving the school. They are spending millions and millions on a new facility for art/theatre/music that will be across the street from the now-being-completely remodeled Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. The plan is for the city and college to work together to create an arts area for those few blocks. They have been working hard upgrading the general look of the campus (and it is looking great). Their students do well with grad admissions (top schools for those that want them) and nationally recognized awards. </p>
<p>Colorado Springs was just named top place to live by Money Magazine and I think that the next decade will see Colorado College getting more selective and pulling more applications each year.</p>
<p>I think the University of South Carolina is gaining more national attention from applicants. It's a great school, and I suspect that as schools like Michigan, Virigina and the UC's tighten up admissions that state U's like USC will become more attractive to out of state students. Other state U's in the same category of being set to become more national-rising stars: James Madison, Indiana U, U of Pittsburgh, U of Delaware, Ohio University, U of Washington.</p>
<p>In reply to Mombot's question: I don't know if Knox is actively recruiting out of state. However, I do know that their last two classes were their largest ever and that they had way more enrollments per admits this cycle than ever before.</p>
<p>When D started looking for colleges they had to be 1.) on the west coast and 2.) offer merit and need based aid. Places we looked at were Loyola Marymount, Pitzer, Scripps, USD, Occidental, University of Redlands, University of Oregon Clark Honors College, Lewis and Clark and Willamette. That list was wittled down to 4 applications (Redlands, Oxy., U of O, and Willamette). D was accepted to all and given financial aid ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 COA (few loans, mostly scholarship and grants, some enough to put us under our EFC). All schools had great programs to offer and I was glad it wasn't me making the decision. I would like to see a list of this caliber of school and the aid packages peoples Ss and Ds received as I am trying to inspire others from my kids' HS to look further than state schools.</p>
<p>USD is a rising star. For class of 2009 they had 7000 apps. for 2010 they had 10,000 a 40% increase. It will be harder to get into than BC in two years.or maybe even Georgetown.</p>
<p>Definitely means San Diego, because every post made by parent2010 is touting that school - not that there is anything wrong with that! :D (Piedmont CA - used to live 1 block away, in Oakland near the rose Garden)</p>
<p>Speaking of Knox- this year class is largest in recent history. Last year class had about 25 more students that school was aiming for but this year they had 100 more students. Dorms seems to be filled to capacity bur haven't seen halls being overcroweded.
During freshman move in president as it is his habit was seen carrying lots of stuff helping togheter with rest of volunteers.
I suspect that school will make it tougher for IL students next year but for OOS will be as welcome as ever.</p>
<p>Occidental College in L.A. rose up 5 places from 41st(2006) to the 36th place in the 2007 U.S.News Best Liberal Arts Colleges. That should qualify it as a rising star in my book.</p>