Hi, I’m a junior in high school. I have started looking at schools, and mostly have been drawn to liberal arts schools such as Williams College. I’m looking for a school where students don’t do as much drinking and partying as at other schools, where hook-ups are not as common as they are at other schools, and where students lead healthy lives. However, I am not looking for a very religious school. In college, I hope to find a serious romantic relationship, to engage in culture, and to do a lot of learning! If you know of any such school(s), I’d love some recommendations! (My academics won’t really pose boundaries to the schools I apply to.)
How about schools in the Claremont consortium? You get the benefit of a larger pool of students to find “your people”, but also the benefits of a LAC. Pomona and Scripps could be good choices.
Hmmm. The student we know who went to WIlliams complained about the social scene. She studied abroad her junior year for the full year to get away. She griped her entire senior year because it is such a small school and she didn’t want to date someone younger. She said that she wished that she had gone somewhere larger.
Reed, Carleton, Hamilton and Swarthmore appear highly in a Princeton Review survey, “Students Study the Most,” and, based on your *academic[/i[ criteria, may be appropriate colleges to research further:
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=students-study-most
I’d suggest you do not, however, interpret the list too literally. Hamilton, for example, would be influenced by their students’ participation in extensive sports programs.
I’d recommend Vassar as well.
Thank you! I know that no school is perfect, but I was attracted to this one because it seems like the partying/drinking is at bay and that there is an intellectual atmosphere. However, I see that I may want a larger school, and I’ve also heard that Williams does have more of a hookup culture than I would want.
What I wrote may have been misleading: while I am looking for an intellectual atmosphere, I also want to pursue a romantic relationship and lead a healthy lifestyle in which I do not stay up all night studying and I do not drown in stress.
You probably could choose both to be in an intellectual atmosphere and limit your stress. Surveys with titles such as “Students Study the Most” will naturally seem intimidating, but if you were to research the included colleges individually, you may find a few that would be suitable for you on several levels.
That said, students at these colleges often later marry:
(Re #3, ignore italics formatting.)
well most college students are looking for hookups over serious commitments
i would look at bigger colleges if you want more relationships only because you’ll have more opportunities
You should be able to find what you want at many schools. It is a matter a choosing your friends wisely.
I read an article not too long ago that said there is less of a hookup culture at schools where there are more males than females. In these schools, the males are more likely to want to actually date more seriously. The article said that when women outnumber the males you will find the guys less likely to commit. I have no idea where I read this, but you can probably google it. Schools will more males would be places like RPI and Purdue, for example.
I’m not sure if you are interested in science and engineering but agree that a school with a focus in those areas might be something to think about, not only for the reason mentioned by citymama9 but also because of the personality types in those fields. It’s anecdotal but I know two guys just finishing up engineering degrees at a very good state engineering school. One has been dating his girlfriend for six years, the other for three-four years. Engineering, particularly, requires discipline, diligence, and hard work. Science is somewhat similar. Personally, I think Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Georgia Tech are E/S schools with great vibes.
I also agree that schools contain all types of people and most often it’s a matter of gravitating toward those who share your values.
Good luck in finding a school that’s a great fit for you. You seem self aware and thoughtful about the process, and I’m confident it will work out well.
Carnegie Mellon…not an LAC but maybe what you want.
To add to intparent’s suggestion…Scripps might be a good choice because it doesn’t really have much partying. The parties are generally on the other 4 campuses. That’s not to say the Scripps students don’t participate in parties — it may help you avoid the parties but not necessarily the party-goers.
I don’t know if you have a religion, but I would think that campus religious groups would attract people less interested in partying and more relationship oriented. That may be a stereotype, but it’s something to consider. Every campus has those kinds of groups.