<p>I'm looking for schools similar to Princeton in a few things. </p>
<p>-Setting (calm suburban Northeast but close to major cities).
-same type of architecture
-same focus on undergraduates
-focus on writing
-LAC setting.</p>
<p>Is there anywhere less selective than Princeton that fits this description?</p>
<p>Have a look at Williams College (although it isn’t too much less selective than Princeton.)
Swarthmore, Vassar, URichmond, and a number of other LACs more or less fit your criteria.</p>
<p>How much less selective? How large or small do you want or need the college to be? There are a number of good liberal arts colleges in PA, ranging in degrees of selectivity. Some Catholic colleges would fit the bill, if you’re open to them (e.g. Fordham, Villanova, Holy Cross, BC, Providence College, et al). Drew, in Madison, NJ, is small, and located in a town with easy train access to Manhattan. </p>
<p>@woogzmama i would rather have an undergraduate population around the same or slightly larger than Princeton. Less selective meaning maybe around 20% or higher. Would Haverford be one of those good PA colleges?</p>
<p>Haverford is a fabulous college. Its acceptance rate is around 20%. </p>
<p>Bucknell, Lafayette</p>
<p>Check out Tufts.</p>
<p>have you run the net price calculator at any of these schools? what have your parents told you they can provide you each year?</p>
<p>I second Tufts and Haverford. Both are suburban schools with easy access to cities, though Medford, MA is a true first-tier suburb with its own vibrant downtown in Davis Square, and closer to Boston than Haverford is to Philly, I believe. Tufts has about 5000 undergrads and Haverford 1200. Writing is a strong focus at both. Both campuses are lovely/ traditional. Tufts’ admit rate, though, is 16-17%–lower than I think you wanted.</p>
<p>Depending on what you consider “close to major cities”, neither Bucknell nor Lafayette fit this bill. Bucknell is quite remote, actually.</p>
<p>consider Vassar, Tufts, BC, Villanova, Haverford,</p>
<p>Tufts and Rice are the two schools that are similar in size/focus to Princeton</p>
<p>Boston College, Wellesley (if you’re a woman, though it is small).
Georgetown - though its in DC, not technically, the Northeast
BTW Williams College is incredibly selective and is not near a major city
Vassar is about 1.5 train ride to NYC not really near a major city
Tufts is near Cambridge and Boston but may not have the architecture you’re looking for</p>
<p>If you really care about that grey-stone Gothic architecture and suburban NE location, your list is pretty short. If you’re a girl, Bryn Mawr fits the bill (same architects), but that’s the only school that fits every single criterion you listed.</p>
<p>I think Haverford is a good suggestion. The architecture may not be gothic, but it is colonial, with nice gray stone buildings for the most part. The campus is located in a nice suburban area, not far from a large city. And while very selective, it is definitely not as selective as Princeton. </p>
<p>Boston College and Georgetown are also a good suggestions. </p>