Southern LACs

College Search & Selection
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<p>@Dadof1, Congratulations! </p>

<p>This has been one of my favorite threads. D applied EA to 6 schools: Eckerd, New College of Florida, Hendrix, UNC-Asheville, Willamette (OR), Cornell College (IA) - so not all in the southeast. She was admitted into Eckerd ($19K merit) and Cornell College ($22K merit). Waiting anxiously for NCF, Hendrix, UNC-Asheville and Willamette. I’m not expecting her to get admitted to all of the final four but it would be nice. She still has to apply to St. Mary’s College of Maryland and University of Puget Sound. </p>

<p>I hear you on the CoA as a more important factor than previously thought. Like your daughter, all these schools have at least one flaw and one draw. </p>

<p>@4kids4colleges, I didn’t realize you were in Colorado. Your daughter’s looking to go far for college! I would have like D to apply to Beloit but that was just too far north.</p>

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<p>Congrats @SlackerMomMD‌! Ditto for D that all of her potential schools have at least one draw and one flaw. Well said! Did your daughter visit St Mary’s in Maryland? We didn’t visit, but D has heard great things about it. Although the reviews indicate that it is pretty remote - the dreaded flaw!</p>

<p>@4kids4college‌ D visited Roanoke College last spring and really liked it. Roanoke was originally #1 on her list, but it has slid to 3rd or 4th after hearing their French language department is not very “robust.” Not sure who D is quoting with that remark! We will find out more if she gets accepted and attends the Scholars Competition. First she needs to apply! </p>

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<p>

4kids4colleges, Beloit is a great school. I would encourage you to visit if it has everything she is looking for. It’s a compact campus so she wouldn’t have to do too much walking in the cold…plus, that’s what cute winter gear is for. :)</p>

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<p>Great to see all of the replies and acceptances being received! It’s like an extended xmas with all of the admission and financial aid letters! Here’s hoping none of us receive too many lumps of coal… nah, you’re all too motivated!</p>

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<p>@Mominsc, D visited twice. We went to an Open House in spring of her sophomore year to get a feeling of a small LAC in the middle of nowhere (their words). She loved it. Very friendly students, staff and faculty. She liked the fact that it was small and remote. But it was a beautiful spring day, kids on the water, etc. So I scheduled an interview and visit on a child winter day, in between snowstorms. They matched the interviewer to her interests. We got a personal tour (just us and the guide). When D peeked into a bio lab class, she was encouraged to “come in and chat” (that was too much and she declined). It was at that point her first choice. Since then, other schools have risen on her list (drat)</p>

<p>The biggest drawback of SMCM is its location and size, and in Maryland, its cost. It is the most expensive public college/university because it is the only school whose tuition was not frozen over the last few years.</p>

<p>Regarding its remoteness, I asked about the availability of food during snowstorms. The guide said snowstorms weren’t the problem, hurricanes were and then he described what happened when the kids were confined to dorms for safety reasons (this happened his freshman year).</p>

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<p>@SlackerMomMD‌, Thanks for the description.</p>

<p>St Mary’s seems about a two hours drive from everywhere, while still being in the middle of nowhere. D wants small LAC and not urban, so SMCM might be a good fit…or not. I guess we’ll see…or not. :slight_smile: </p>

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<p>@mominsc, our daughter is going to Hollins University which is a small private women’s college in Roanoke. They have cross-registration with Roanoke. If your daughter is concerned about a particular department at Roanoke College, she might want to look into offerings at Hollins. (Or she might want to look at Hollins, which appears to have very generous merit aid!) </p>

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<p>@momzie, Great info on Roanoke! D goes to a private girls’ school now, which she loves. She says it is probably time for boys; she has been at this same school since she was 2! She won’t consider Hollins for that reason. It is actually a great fit for her though. </p>

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<p>Hi, Long time lurker, first time poster. Really enjoy this thread. </p>

<p>D visited numerous LACs in the NE and MW over the spring and summer, but was reluctant to look in the south because of climate (prefers the cold). We persuaded D to visit Sewanee for their Admissions 101 program in July 2014. It was a great experience and she was intrigued. Went back last month for a fall visit day and then she stayed overnight Sun with a student and attended classes Monday. She had an exceptional time. They paired her up with another student from the Midwest, who really made her feel comfortable. So between July and Nov, a total of three and a half days on campus!</p>

<p>The fall visit day gave us a chance to meet in breakout sessions with department heads and faculty members in relatively small groups of 6-10 or so. Our family split up to attend multiple sessions. I was particularly interested in the logistics of double majoring, and got to speak to faculty from 3 different departments about their experiences with students who have done so. When we were wandering around later in the day, students from the Tennessee Williams Center stopped their work tearing down a set to give us an impromptu tour of the amazing facility!</p>

<p>Sewanee is gorgeous, and we did a hike on the perimeter trail. D has sampled many college dining halls on her visits, and rates Sewanee far and away the best. The superlatives just kept piling up one on top of another. She was in touch with her Sewanee admissions rep throughout the fall, and applied EA. She can’t wait until she finally hears next month.</p>

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<p>Welcome, @midwestdad3. Thanks for your review of Sewanee. Sewanee is a gem in many respects, and you wrote a great review! Care to share any more information about other LACs your family has visited? I’m sure we’d all like to read more of your thoughts. Good luck to your D!</p>

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<p>I agree, Sewanee is amazing. It must be seen to be believed! It is currently my D’s first choice – based on her own incredibly positive overnight visit. D also applied EA and is waiting to hear! Good luck! </p>

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<p>Thank you @dadof1. Early in our search we heard a dean at one of the CTCL colleges say that half of their applicants were “stealth” candidates - hadn’t visited and showed little or no demonstrated interest. D and I discussed this and we agreed that she would try to visit all of the colleges that she intended to apply to. After about two dozen visits she narrowed her list down to 8. Here is some of what she experienced (not all southern, though):</p>

<p>SOME OF D’s LIKES</p>

<p>Sewanee - impressive sense of community; loved the science labs; host took her out to a field late at night to see the stars</p>

<p>Savannah College of Art & Design - Very cool in so many respects, but D decided ultimately not to go the art school route; loved the city</p>

<p>Wooster - D really liked their nationally-known senior thesis program, and that you get a tootsie roll when you turn it in; large oak trees and squirrels all over campus; smart, funny & outgoing tour guide from Atlanta</p>

<p>Denison - great interview with a very impressive admissions counselor; beautiful campus, but dorms only so-so IMO; D’s favorite actor is an alum</p>

<p>Ithaca College - SLAC feel with large university options; cross-registration with Cornell; Finger Lakes area is beautiful</p>

<p>D DIDN"T CARE FOR</p>

<p>Centre - unfortunately visited on a hot summer day with no students around; didn’t click with the tour guide or admissions interviewer; though it’s not for D, many students absolutely love it and they have an incredible auditorium for a SLAC!</p>

<p>Earlham - I loved it, but D said it felt too small for her; she didn’t care for Richmond; their science grads have impressive success and the Quaker influence is very community-oriented</p>

<p>Kenyon - great science facilities, but summer science scholar slots seemed uber competitive; assoc dean of admissions came across as quite arrogant; since 2013 it has become exceedingly hard to get into</p>

<p>Skidmore - looked great on paper but D just couldn’t connect with the campus vibe (D quite liked Union which is close by, however); dorm room at Skidmore was dark, small; </p>

<p>We had considered looking at Roanoke, but just didn’t get there.</p>

<p>D applied to her final 8 choices EA wherever possible, has received 3 acceptances so far (Ithaca, Wells, Wooster) and some decent merit aid which is all in line with what the NPC’s predicted. She is very happy and relieved (as are her mom and I!).</p>

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<p>^^ Thanks for the input. I wonder if the large number of “stealth” applicants is the wide geographic diversity of CTCL schools and the rise of the common app? It was made clear to during our visits to Sewanee and Rhodes that “showing interest” in the school was a fairly important factor in the decision process… maybe could tip a borderline applicant over the edge.</p>

<p>Of the two schools were we have received merit information, the awards were right in line with the NPCs. Our financial situation is easily predicted however (no businesses, etc). I’ll post more actual vs NPC estimate as we receive it. </p>

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<p>@MidwestDad3 We visited a lot of the same colleges with S14 and D15. Some of our experiences were similar some were quite difference. It’s amazing what a difference the tour guide or weather can make. Here’s our experiences:</p>

<p>Kenyon: Kenyon splits the parents and students into two different groups. I thought my tour was fine but S and D came away disliking Kenyon after the tour.</p>

<p>Wooster: We visited twice the tour was so-so each time. I felt like the admissions folks were more interested in the boys than the girls on the tour. D does like the senior thesis program and the opportunities for undergraduate research so she did apply EA. Has not heard back yet.</p>

<p>Earlham: 3 visits. Everyone seemed very nice. D loves the museum and the nature reserve. Also interested in the equine program even though she has very little experience with horses. The weather was beautiful the last time she was there for an overnight. She also likes the way they do study abroad. It is a little on the small side though. She applied EA but has not heard back.</p>

<p>Denison: 2 visits. D and S liked it a lot on the first visit. (Maybe because it was right after the Kenyon visit they didn’t like) D visited a second time and that visit was so-so. Okay tour guide but the student interview was not a positive experience for her. It was D’s first interview and the student did not help her feel at ease. D loves the nature reserve and the look of the campus and plans to apply.</p>

<p>Centre: The weather was atrocious the day we visited. Starting with cold rain and strong winds and ending with freezing rain and icy roads. However, both S and D liked the look of the campus and all the admissions folks were very nice. S had an interview and that went well. S ended up going there and is happy there. He likes his professors and classes a lot. The huge emphasis on study abroad and the fact that study abroad is billed the same as an on campus semester were major factors in his decision to go there. Also he felt the academics were strong and the school is well regarded. D liked the school and if S were not there she would most likely apply.</p>

<p>D is also applying to Allegheny and Beloit. Allegheny was her best visit by far. She and the tour guide were practically clones and it was the only individual tour we have had. Every club, activity, class, study abroad etc… the tour guide had participated in was exactly what D would like to do. It was really rather uncanny. Every other person we met was very friendly. On her overnight the students played board games with her which is exactly what she would have chosen herself. Plus they also have a senior thesis and a nature reserve. </p>

<p>It is amazing how much the campus visits influence the college choices. Sorry to turn this in to a Midwest college post but there do seem to a lot of similarities between the southern and Midwestern LACs.</p>

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<p>@4kids4colleges Good luck to your D! Wish Sewanee posted EA acceptances sooner . . .</p>

<p>@tigerfish Nephew went to Allegheny and really liked it. Good luck to your D, too!</p>

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<p>Welcome tigerfish. You slipped in a Centre review, so it’s all good!</p>

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<p>Welcome tigerfish. You slipped in a Centre review, so it’s all good!</p>

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<p>This fall D toured Furnan, Wofford, and Clemson where S goes to college. With 15,000 undetgrads, Clemson is an outlier on her top 5 list. Clemson does have a small feel and a walkable attractive campus. And I think Clemson might be the friendliest place on earth! </p>

<p>Furman - D liked the feel and size of the campus, not too small and not too big. Furman has attractive buildings (inside and out), It is is overall very well-kept and clean. D said the dorms and food options were great. She also liked the friendliness of the students. Part of her tour was on foot while the rest was by golf cart. D did not like that about half of their undetgrads go Greek. The biggest downside for us is cost. Furman does give limited merit aid, which requires a separate application. Most merit scholarships are fairly specific and seem to target STEM stand-outs or those who want to be teachers or major in the arts. She did apply EA. </p>

<p>Wofford:
D found the campus attractive, but said it felt very small. She did not like that Greek life seemed a dominant force. As an aside, D received a grey Wofford t-shirt from Admissions, which she wears often, but she did not apply. I think D crossed off Wofford before she even visited. She sees Wofford as a college version of one of our private college prep high schools, and D would really like to branch out - have a little diversity. </p>

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<p>This fall D toured Furnan, Wofford, and Clemson where S goes to college. With 15,000 undetgrads, Clemson is an outlier on her top 5 list. Clemson does have a small feel and a walkable attractive campus. And I think Clemson might be the friendliest place on earth! </p>

<p>Furman - D liked the feel and size of the campus, not too small and not too big. Furman has attractive buildings (inside and out), It is is overall very well-kept and clean. D said the dorms and food options were great. She also liked the friendliness of the students. Part of her tour was on foot while the rest was by golf cart. D did not like that about half of their undetgrads go Greek. The biggest downside for us is cost. Furman does give limited merit aid, which requires a separate application. Most merit scholarships are fairly specific and seem to target STEM stand-outs or those who want to be teachers or major in the arts. She did apply EA. </p>

<p>Wofford:
D found the campus attractive, but said it felt very small. She did not like that Greek life seemed a dominant force. As an aside, D received a grey Wofford t-shirt from Admissions, which she wears often, but she did not apply. I think D crossed off Wofford before she even visited. She sees Wofford as a college version of one of our private college prep high schools, and D would really like to branch out - have a little diversity. </p>

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<p>One of the things D struggles with is the heavy greek influence at most Southern LACs. At a school like BSC with greek houses, the system is a major social force. An outlier is a school like Hendrix with no greek life and damn proud of it.</p>