Similar Schools? I don't know where to look!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
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<p>hey guys - I’m a junior just starting the oh-so-wonderful college admissions saga, and am extremely interested in Brown! What I’m not so sure of, however, is where else to look. So far I plan on visiting Vassar, Wesleyan, and Oberlin in addition to Brown. Any other suggestions as to whwere to look? Any less-impossible-to-get-into options? Anywhere with a Brown-esque atmosphere (academic freedom, etc)?</p>

<p>As for a quick “stats” summary…
very competitive nyc private school
over 2200 SAT, over 720 on all SATIIs
my school doesn’t calculate gpa’s or ranks, but my average is probably around an A-, putting me towards the top of my class. I take the hardest classes I can.</p>

<p>EC’s:
theatre ~
-head of theatre company, multiple shows per. year
-organizing/acting in school-wide, student-run show this semester
-editor-in-chief of theatre newspaper</p>

<p>piano~
-i’ve played for 12 years. in city’s youth symphony. playing at carnegie hall this year.</p>

<p>employment~
-english tutor during the year, full time english and theater teacher over summers (yes, teacher - with my own classroom and everything! i teach motivated middle school kids from public schools in my neighborhood in the awesomest [yes, i’m aware it’s not a word. well, it should be!] program ever!)
-theatre teacher during school year, 3 hrs./wk</p>

<p>random coolness~
I’ve had two things I’ve written (a personal essay and a fictional story) published in Teek Ink, which is a nationally distributed teen magazine.</p>

<p>I’m not asking for “chances” or a stats evaluation or anything…just suggestions! I’m competitive, but relaxed at heart. A learner for learning’s sake, as silly as it sounds.
Only requirements: the school can’t be on the west coast (too far from home), and it has to have a decent (at least!!!) theatre department.</p>

<p>thank youuuuuuuu!!!</p>

2

<p>Consider NYU and Hampshire College maybe?</p>

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<p>What about Tufts? Have no clue about theatre department.</p>

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<p>Dartmouth, perhaps Amherst, and a lot of LACs (including the three that you mentioned, too).</p>

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<p>P.S. "LACs for someone who loves Brown", a thread I started when I was trying to finalize my college list:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=240559%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=240559&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If you do a quick search, I remember there being a couple threads about various schools similar to Brown (and not just LACs).</p>

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<p>For academic freedom, look at Grinnell. Like Brown, it has no requirements outside of your major, but is much smaller and easier to get into and more generous with fin aid. There are probably lots of people who wouldn't like it, due to its isolation, so visit if you get in and are interested, but from what I remember, there's no app fee and the supplements are pretty small, so it's worth applying to if you're even a little bit interested.</p>

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<p>Definitely Tufts. It has a great drama dept.</p>

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<p>Carleton and Bard. Possibly Bennington and Muhlenberg as safeties.</p>

<p>A learner for learning's sake might also like Brandeis--they have lots of requirements but they are very easy to fulfill with lots of choices and encourage using one course to serve multiple purposes. Good theater. Easy to combine visiting if you also look at Tufts.</p>

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<p>I get why people are mentioning Bennington but it is WAY to small to be truly similar in feel to Brown. And it has ONLY the artsy/groovy crowd, not the sciencey people, the preppies, the euros, the athletes, etc. Brown has the whole mix.</p>

<p>I would think Vassar, Wesleyan, Tufts, Amherst, and Carleton are the most similar to Brown. All would be one tick easier to get in, but all are very competitive. </p>

<p>For someone with your theatre strength 'applying against type' to tough but less 'artsy' schools might be smart-- JHU, Dartmouth, MIT? So long as you feel you'd be happy at those places too. They may not get an abundance of Theatre people applying. Just a hunch.</p>

<p>Some Brown kids love U Chicago, some don't. Is Rice too far? Because it may be easier to get admitted to excellent schools outside your own 'hood.</p>

<p>Along with Bennington, more lopsidedly-artsy schools would be Bard, Sarah Lawrence, & Hampshire. Probably all fairly safe for your stats. If you are female, consider Smith. Lopsidedly female, of course, but well rounded in other ways.</p>

<p>Skidmore and Union are two more places worth investigating that are relatively easier for admission and seem to have happy students and a nice vibe. I believe Skidmore is open curric; not sure about Union.</p>

<p>PS agree about Grinnell</p>

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<p>Everyone - thanks so much for your responses!! Definitely very helpful...</p>

<p>Bennington is definitely too small for me - even Amherst and Grinnell, which, I believe, have ~1,500 undergrads each, sound a bit claustrophobic. </p>

<p>SBmom- I am female, but am not really considering all-female colleges. Vassar and Wesleyan I already adore; Tufts is a newer concept to me, but after a little investigation I'm thinking it could be a good match =) of course, the visit is what really matters...</p>

<p>also, re: applying against type - good idea!! In terms of Dartmouth: is it excessively sports/fraternity/sorority-oriented? I like the school's location and size, but I'm not so sure about the atmosphere...(same goes for JHU - I'm not sure what it's like there. MIT, essentially, is out, because I have virtually no interest in pursuing science or math.) Thanks for all your help!!</p>

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<p>Dartmouth questions would probably get much better answers on Dartmouth forum... When I visited D it had JUST gone coed, very frat/macho. I suspect it has softened somewhat in the intervening 30 years.</p>

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<p>I wouldn't say that it is easier to gain acceptance to Amherst than Brown. Amherst does not feel very small because it is in a vibrant college town surrounded by other colleges. It's a close knit community, but it's extremely easy to get out of the bubble.</p>

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<p>Just for the record, Bennington IS small (we like to think of it as cozy!) and it doesn't sound like the right place for the OP, BUT it is a misconception that the school is made up of all "artsy/groovy" people. There are certainly plenty of those types, but we do also have the sciencey people and the euros. There are actually a lot of music/math types and technology geeks as well. True, not so many preppies or jocks (though on any nice day there is a big football game out on the common lawn, and we have a hilarious co-ed soccer team!)</p>

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<p>a lot of people who dont get into brown end up at connecticut college</p>

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<p>I will be a freshman at Brown next year. Other schools I was considering:</p>

<p>Dartmouth--similar to Brown in its low-key yet intellectual atmosphere, relatively open curriculum, size (although it ends up being much smaller because of the quarter system), and campus
U Chicago--It has a core curriculum, so maybe you wouldn't like it, but it has a lot of options for fulfilling it (and is very good about AP credit). It is a similar size to Brown, also in a great city, with really intellectual kids who love "learning for learning's sake." Also, really nice campus.
Brandeis--as someone above said, has a lot of ways for satisfying its requirements. Encourages people to study lots of different subjects. Great arts program.
Wesleyan--You're already looking at it, which is good. Similar liberal atmosphere to Brown, broad curriculum, etc.
Oberlin--See Wesleyan, although with a much better arts program (the conservatory is a great resource for non music people, since it holds so many performances and will involve non-conservatory people in them, as well).</p>

<p>Also, think about Macalaster in MN as a safety. It may be too small for you (I think its under 2000 students), but it is in a nice city--Minneapolis-St. Paul, has a broad curriculum, and seems to attract interesting intellectual kids.</p>