<p>UC Santa Cruz–the fighting banana slugs. Not warm and sunny year round, but near the coast.
VCU is in Richmond, VA and has a good diversity reputation. It is an urban type campus a couple of hours at most from VA Beach.</p>
<p>Warblersrule, that pops my bubble… I always think of Darren Criss when you post!</p>
<p>We visited St. Mary’s of Maryland not long ago, and I have to say that it did not strike me as at all counterculture. In fact… very sailing and “laxbro”-like. If my D2 WERE more preppy, it might very well have ended up on her list. Great price (even OOS), a decent school, and LAC-ish. But it did have a preppy summer camp feel to it (which would be GREAT for some kids – D1 would have loved it).</p>
<p>Yeah, I hate to say that St. Mary’s is not a fit. We have a relative who works there and know a bit about it. (But fabulous that the state has a good public LAC!)</p>
<p>Another vote for New College.</p>
<p>I taught at A&M Corpus for a while. There are some great faculty members and really interesting things going on there. I have a tremendous amount of respect for my former colleagues. However, it is a very local (south Texas) student population with few out-of-staters, and a not-insignificant portion of the student body is sadly unprepared for college-level work.</p>
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<p>The pictures of the campus look very nice. And we are in state, so the price would be right. But it bothers me that with three kids, two of whom are in college, I don’t know a soul who has gone there. </p>
<p>I hate to say it but with the myraid state schools in Texas, the majority of them seem to fall into the “not all that good” category. Whenever I’ve heard of people straying beyond the usual suspects to schools like UT Tyler, A&M Commerce, UTSA, the reports haven’t been great.</p>
<p>I don’t know that she would get into New College…her stats might put her kind of low in the applicant pool. Also interesting that they strongly recommend “at least 5 academic classes per year.” She has a lot of sports and music credits. The pictures of the campus look lovely, however!</p>
<p>My banner ads are now for VCU.</p>
<p>ODU would be my suggestion as far as the Virginia schools go. It is really getting to be quite popular with kids around here. They have done a lot for the aesthetics of the school-torn down some of the buildings in the more seedy areas and replaced them with very nice facilities. (Helen Dragas, leader of the recent UVA BOV mess, has been a huge contributor to the schools’ development)</p>
<p>The addition of the football team may not be her thing, but the money/influx of applicants it is generating for the school is pretty awesome. School spirit is strong, too. You have a real mix of students. Some from military backgrounds, some who are there because of the nearby beaches. Academics in many of the departments are gaining ground. </p>
<p>Another small school private close to the beach is Virginia Wesleyan. Not as diverse as ODU, but not preppy either and maybe worth a look.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone! This certainly gives me a good list to research. Right now, University of South Florida is looking good. It has a Music Studies major specifically designed for people who want to double major. (I have told her that the only way I would let her major in music is if she double majored.)</p>
<p>Anybody know about the repuation of USF?</p>
<p>My D is @ Eckerd and loving every minute of it. She is an Art major, but is also athletic and outdoorsy. There are all types there and she decribes the vibe as welcoming to all. She paddleboards between classes and had joined the Scuba, Yoga, Surf and Swim Clubs. She was a good students and is a talented potter. She turned down a full tuition, and all but $1,500 offer to attend and we were not thrilled! But now that she is there and thriving we know that she made the right choice.</p>
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<p>Heck, and here I figured you were a Glee fan. :D</p>
<p>First places I thought of were New College of FL and Eckerd.</p>
<p>Both our S and D went to Eckerd. Wonderful LAC, very welcoming to all types of students, everyone seems to find his or her niche.</p>
<p>My impression of USF has always been major Greek party school, not exactly what you said you were looking for. But it’s a big school, so there might be a more diverse social scene than I have heard about.</p>
<p>If you are looking for music, check out University of North Florida.</p>
<p>UCal Santa Cruz - lots of great coffee bars and “interesting”-looking students - piercings, mohawks, tattoos etc. Definitely a funky scene. Popular with surfers. Beautiful area.</p>
<p>Eckerd, Rollins, New College are all great recommendations.</p>
<p>Also consider the University of Miami. You can actually double major in music and another major through the arts & sciences department. And their school if music is phenomenal. Very diverse & multicultural campus.</p>
<p>I finally looked up Eckerd…hey, we’re even Presbyterian!</p>
<p>Just looked up UC Santa Cruz…for OOS: $56,169 per year! Not quite in the budget…</p>
<p>Dunno if anyone recommended Rhodes College in Memphis yet… might be a little preppy, but it’s worth checking out.</p>
<p>EDIT: I also highly recommend Eckerd as many people have clearly said.</p>