We are interested in learning more about schools that might be a good fit for our daughter, who will be a junior this fall. She has a strong interest in science, and would like to continue her study of German, with the hope that she’d have an opportunity for a semester or year abroad. Any suggestions? She is a student w/ high stats, fwiw.
Look into Hamilton, Bowdoin and Haverford.
https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/departments/Home?dept=German%20Studies
Really helpful, @merc81 - we will definitely look at those schools!
My S graduated from Bowdoin, where he double-majored in German. He studied abroad in Germany for a semester. Of Bowdoin’s twelve 2016 Fulbright students, a quarter were headed to Germany.
My S didn’t double-major in a science, but Bowdoin is very strong in that area.
He studied at Freiburg, but they also have approved programs in Berlin, Munich and Vienna. They also have provisionally approved programs with other schools in Dresden and Salzburg.
Bowdoin typically sends 5-6 students a semester to study abroad in German.
Vassar has a new $130 million integrated science building. The German dept is also excellent.
Vassar has its own JYA program. Additionally, Middlebury’s, among others, JYA program is available to Vassar students.
https://german.vassar.edu/
https://german.vassar.edu/students/studyabroad/jya.html
https://science.vassar.edu/
Vassar’s Undergraduate Summer Reasearch Institute is unparalleled.
http://ursi.vassar.edu/
Of interest:Ivy-equivalents (ranking based on alumni outcomes)
4 metrics:
- Percentage entering elite professional schools (for MBA/JD/MD).
- Production of “American Leaders”, who are mostly leaders in business, government, and the arts.
- Percentage winning prestigious national student awards.
- Percentage getting PhDs.
This site, though seemingly incomplete, and which doesn’t purport to evaluate the German studies programs themselves, could nonetheless be helpful for locating additional potential options:
No kidding 
Middlebury isn’t on the list
Boston College has a great track record of German Studies students winning Fulbright & other awards. The science options are excellent too. If she has great stats, there are 20 or so full ride Presidential Gabelli Merit Scholarships offered each year via Early Action. Here is a link to the German Studies department. http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/german.html
@garvey
Big/Small ?
Research/Lib Arts?
Urban/Suburban/Rural?
Will you hope for merit aid?
There are lots of schools in NY/NE (and even more if you’re willing to include NJ/PA ie Haverford) that might fit the bill.
Though we have a high EFC, she will definitely need to pursue merit aid. At this point, we’d be happy to see a range of different kinds of schools. Apart from what she’d like to study, she doesn’t yet have a strong sense as to the kind of setting that would be the best fit. We are in Boston, and will have some time this summer and fall to visit schools. I’m hopeful that if we see a good mix, she will start to get an idea of what might work.
Mount Holyoke and Smith offer generous merit aid and no application is required. Skidmore has a limited number of merit awards. An application is required. Even without merit aid, Skidmore has been known to be * very generous* to high stat applicants. In recent years, Skidmore has placed a great deal of emphasis on the sciences. Saratoga Springs is also a great college town.
I’m very fond of Dickinson as well. How far are you and your D willing to travel?
Alas, Bowdoin meets full need, but doesn’t have merit aid.
Dickinson, Skidmore, Moujt Holyoke.
Not in the NE but strong in science and foreign language, St Olaf.
I don’t think they have merit aid… But Barnard, Vassar, Middlebury?
I just recently graduated from Wellesley with a degree in German, and I loved my experience there! The department is pretty small, but that makes it very close-knit; there’s support for internships in Germany and many of the students go abroad. They don’t offer merit aid, though, so that may be a negative.
@garvey - Glad you are using CC resources to get some help. Sometimes it’s more than you asked for!
Since @MYOS1634 mentioned St. Olaf, I will also suggest looking at Macalester and Grinnell. All three have great programs in languages, science and study abroad. The students are very smart, collegial and welcoming. And importantly, they all offer very nice merit packages to high stats kids. AND schools in this part of the country really love to recruit kids from both coasts. (Confession my S16 attends Grinnell and S17 will attend St Olaf, in the fall.)
http://catalog.stolaf.edu/academic-programs/german/
http://wp.stolaf.edu/financialaid/academic-scholarships/
https://www.macalester.edu/academics/german/
https://www.macalester.edu/financialaid/about/merit/
https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/areas/german
https://www.grinnell.edu/financial-aid/merit-scholarships
Send me a message if you want more info. Have a wonderful time helping your daughter in her college search!
@CrewDad, if I recall the list that you imbedded into #4 is simply someone’s opinion and isn’t based on any quantitative data; neither the schools that were omitted, nor the rankings make any sense to me - do you recall where this can from?
Tufts might be worth a look.
@garvey One thing to consider is the extent of her desire to pursue German. The study of German at the university level is greatly varied, not every department covers the full range of academic course work. In terms of breadth, departments cover the full gamut:
a) German language
b) German language and culture
c) German language and culture + literature
d) German studies: language, culture, literature and philosophy
If your daughter’s interest covers the full range, she needs to look for a school with a well regarded German Studies department. If her interest is more directed at advancing her language skills, you have many more choices.
It depends also on what level she has or will have by the end of senior year. Most students are at the elementary or lower intermediate level but if she’s more advanced she needs to check the catalog and ask what level students are supposed to reach by the end of the major.
The best merit in relation to academics is likely to be found in the Midwest and South.
Looking at Pennsylvania and Ohio should be fruitful too.
Great questions - you have definitely given us much to consider. She is quite strong in terms of her German - is fluent conversationally after four years of study and a summer spent in Berlin in an immersive language program. She has twice won “gold medals” for her performance on the National German Exam, and will complete AP German as a junior. Your very helpful responses have helped me to realize that she hasn’t really specified whether her focus is a more broad one, or instead, just limited to developing her language skills.