Schools similar to Rice, Tufts, WashU, but easier to get into?

College Search & Selection
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I think you might really enjoy Brandeis. Also check out Clark. Both in Massachusetts.

Similar size to the others you named.

As Brandeis notes, there you “don’t have to choose” between the vibrancy and opportunities of a Tier One research university and the intimacy of a small college with close student-prof relationships. You get both!

Brandeis has excellent and very accessible professors, two of whom recently won a Nobel prize.

Both have a mix of students, many of whom would check your “quirky” box.

Also, neither is fratty. Social milieu is friendly and welcoming. Kids were super friendly to my son at both when we visited.

Brandeis is not known for having a “pretty campus,” though— it has modern buildings, not Gothic or Georgian charm. The Clark campus is attractive enough. Neither competes with the beauty of a Vassar or Middlebury.

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@dolewhip1 has been on CC recently and should come back here to give us feedback.

There are a lot of good suggestions, but to me, when OP says easier to get into, there a several good schools mentioned here that do not fit that bill. Emory, Wesleyan and Colby are reaches for all. Skidmore and Brandeis are nowhere near a safety. Northeastern is a reach for all these days.

Compromise is necessary. Based on your preferences, I definitely second U Rochester and Clark U. Clark could probably be considered a safety, depending on your stats. Both pretty much meet all your stated criteria. But there are other schools that are worth considering. Oberlin might be a good fit, but not a safety. Lewis and Clark would probably work, could be a safety. Evergreen State might be worth considering.

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