<p>I had to laugh a little when I saw the other post about a counselor using the word quirky to describe a student. "Quirky" is the word I have been using with son to encourage him to make his essay more personal, less abstract and academic--son embraces his quirkiness and I would like to see that come across more in his essays.</p>
<p>But the point of my post is to ask, inspired also by the "my daughter hates her safeties" thread, can anyone comment about a quirky kid fitting in at Rhodes or Birmingham Southern? These are son's matches and while he is fine with them I am worried we have not thought carefully enough about whether these would be good social fits. Academically, I think they are good fits (his stats are in the top 25 percent), but how should we assess other factors that make for a good fit? We have visited both, but over the summer, and another visit before apps are due is not possible. I am thinking we should add some more matches so he will possibly have more options.</p>
<p>curmudgeon's daughter is an upperclassman at Rhodes...you might PM him with questions on campus culture. She is having a great experience and getting great science instruction</p>
<p>Faline, Thanks for the reply. I have followed curmudgeon's comments for awhile. I suspect that our kids are quite different--son is interested in languages and international studies and decidedly not interested in the Greek life (we live in a southern university town and he has been exposed to the most all-consuming kind of Greek system).</p>
<p>Rhodes is a fine school, but it is fairly "straight" and thus, would not be on my short list for a quirky kid. If you're looking at southern schools, I would suggest Hendrix, Guildord (definitely a safety), UNC-Asheville and Goucher, though the latter is probably more artsy than quirky. Quirky/artsy farther north would be Sarah Lawrence, Bard and Hampshire.</p>
<p>Any comments about Birmingham Southern? I know its a CTCL. Just how "Southern"? I ask this as a resident of South Carolina but a mom of a S who definatly not "southern."</p>
<p>hmom: Good question. I am sure there are lots of varieties of quirky. First, as I mentioned, we live in the deep south so the norm for boys is sports. Son is not an athlete. He does play in the band, and is very involved in community charity work, but not terribly involved in school clubs (no student governemnt or math team or mainstream kinds of things like that). Has a small group of close friends but is not part of the popular crowd (see above reference to not an athlete). He is well-liked and actually is invited to a fair number of parties but does not like crowds of people so is happier spending a Friday or Saturday night watching a rented movie at a friend's house. Also, has studied a fairly unpopular foreign language through several summer programs and wants to continue that in college.</p>
<p>Based on your description and post #3, I'd start by checking the % of students in frats at each school. At Rhodes the % of students involved in frats was a negative factor for me (I prefer that no more than 20% of the students be involved in frats). Also, a number of college guide books described Rhodes as cliquish. On paper, it didn't sound like a good match for D, so we never visited.</p>
<p>I am not saying that Rhodes is Berkeley, but I have friends who are ministers, artists, novelists and pediatricians to name four Rhodes grads I know in their fifties now. Peter Taylor was a Rhodes grad and a very great artist although he died in my state of VA. A solid liberal arts college education can lead people on many roads. I am a Furman grad and I also have friends who are college profs now, in law, orchestra conductors,...also doctors and novelists. So...interesting to me that the students who seemed "conventional" at at my more judgmental age of 20, often grew into the most quirky and interesting adults. If a specific foreign language is on the list, that will shorten lists. Dickenson in PA has a strong rep for foreign language instruction. I think you will find that many LACs are also getting more female than male applicants, so do not hesitate to apply with that gender advantage. Middlebury is a hard admit but famous in foreign language instruction.</p>
<p>Already, your quirky son sounds a lot like mine. He loved UNC Asheville -- great town, great LAC focus, "quirky" students, etc.. It's the only school he's at all interested in. He applied EA and I hope he gets in because he is going to have to start from scratch if he doesn't. I'm concerned about his "all the eggs in one basket" approach and continue to look for alternatives.</p>
<p>Have you looked at Guilford? It's Quaker foundation really emphasizes service, equality and community. My son thought it was fine, but didn't apply (yet) because it didn't feel "right" the way Asheville feels.</p>
<p>Assuming an ACT score of 31 or 32, or an SAT score of 1360/1600, then consider:</p>
<p>The University of Chicago or Haverford College.</p>
<p>If the SAT score is closer to 1300/1600, then consider:</p>
<p>Grinnell College, Oberlin College, Bard, Reed, Dickinson, Pitzer, Vassar, Bates, Wesleyan, Wheaton in Massachusetts, Hampshire, Hendrix college in Arkansas, Beloit, Sarah Lawrence & Skidmore College. Also the New College of Florida may be an option.
It would help if the adjective "quirky" were further defined, however.</p>
<p>1360/1600 SAT is well above Haverford College's 25th percentile SAT & it is above Chicago's 25th percentile of matriculted students. So a 1360/1600 SAT is not even close to being low for either school. (Plus both schools may award extra points for quirkiness.)
Chicago's mid-range SAT scores of matriculated students for Fall, 2007 was 1330-1530.
Haverford College's was 1290- 1490.</p>
<p>LOL. "Quirky" has so many possible meanings. I just say mine is traditional but "wired funny". For some quirky kids Rhodes or BSC would probably not be very good choices. Best to spend some time there if you like what you read but you think/fear the environment might not be the best fit, but folks...that goes for every school. And environment is important. </p>
<p>Example...I fell in love with Grinnell. My D got a vibe that "wasn't her". Try as I may, I could not get her to accept the fact there were plenty of kids just like her. We saw plenty of kids that looked just like her, acted just like her, had academic stats and goals just like her, but there is no disputing that the vibe she felt was real. </p>
<p>I am not my D. She is not your kid. What one person likes about a school..... another gets a "feeling" that "this is not the place for me" . Sometimes they can't verbalize a reason. Trust it when you feel it, but don't let your pre-conceptions get in the way of solid research. You lose some good options that way. In our case D wanted rural/small-town and non-Greek and under 3,000 students and the last two standing were Rhodes and Yale. Huh? Go figure. What's that? 1 for 3 for both of them? </p>
<p>Anyone who wants info on Rhodes, which is not a perfect school for all, search on my name + Rhodes. You'll find a lot. An embarrassing amount, in fact. ;)</p>
<p>BTW, my D's best friend is a "hippie-type" (whatever that is) from Nashville and another roomie is a young lady from Maine into kayaking and all things "natural". Mine has been known to wear pearls. They love each other.</p>
<p>Yes, but a 31 ACT = 1360/1600 SAT I score. A 32 ACT = 1410/1600 SAT.
Since the OP did not share the precise ACT or SAT score but did give a hint, it is better to assume on the side of caution when making recommendations without all the pertinent facts.</p>
<p>36 ACT = 1600/1600 SAT (2400)
35 ACT = 1580/1600 SAT (2340)
34 ACT = 1530/1600 SAT (2260)
33 ACT = 1460/1600 SAT (2190)
32 ACT = 1410/1600 SAT (2130)
31 ACT = 1360/1600 SAT (2040)
30 ACT = 1320/1600 SAT (1980)
29 ACT = 1280/1600 SAT (1920)
28 ACT = 1240/1600 SAT (1860)
27 ACT = 1210/1600 SAT (1820)
26 ACT = 1170/1600 SAT (1760)
25 ACT = 1140/1600 SAT (1700)
24 ACT = 1100/1600 SAT (1650)
23 ACT = 1060/1600 SAT (1590)
22 ACT = 1030/1600 SAT (1530)
21 ACT = 990/1600 SAT (1500)
20 ACT = 950/1600 SAT (1410)
19 ACT = 910/1600 SAT (1350)
18 ACT = 860/1600 SAT (1290)
17 ACT = 820/1600 SAT (1210)
16 ACT = 770/1600 SAT (1140)
15 ACT = 720/1600 SAT
14 ACT = 670/1600 SAT
13 ACT = 600/1600 SAT
12 ACT = 540/1600 SAT
11 ACT = 480/1600 SAT
10 ACT = 430/1600 SAT
9 ACT = 400/1600 SAT</p>
<p>Curmudge makes a great point - - despite the factors on a sutdent's "must have" and "no way" lists, if it feels right during the visit s/he may abandon the list - - for better or worse. And, one of the great things about college is meeting, interacting and making friends with kids who are differnt than yourself. That said, most adolescent don't want feel left out or like outsiders, so a critical mass of kindred spirits is understandably important. </p>
<hr>
<p>"*nteresting to me that the students who seemed "conventional" at at my more judgmental age of 20, often grew into the most quirky and interesting adults."</p>
<p>This is not uncommon, but it doesn't necessarily indicate that they were quirky as students or that a quirky student would have been comfortable on campus at that time. </p>
<hr>
<p>1360/1600 is above the 25th percentile for Haveford (25th percentile is about 1300), but so not so far above that is it a solid match. The same is true for Swarthymore (25th percentile about 1350) and UChicago (25th percentile about 1330). Also, the schools listed in the thread's title suggest OP is interested in southern schools. </p>
<p>If OP is interested in schools outside the south, several on Cold Wind's list would be good choices, though admisson to most on that list is more competitive than to the two schools about which OP initially inquired. That said, I wouldn't describe Bates (outdoorsy), Dickinson or Wheaton (increasingly jock-y) as quirky. Oberlin and Skidmore - - I 'd say more artsy that quirky, but a quirky kid would not feel out of place on either campus.</p>
<p>folishpleasure: I don't agree that the OP's child is interested in Southern schools, in fact, it seems clear to me that the student is a much better fit for other areas of the country & that is why the student is not comfortable with the two named Southern choices.
Also a student from the South may receive geographical preference at schools such as Haverford College & Bates College. The problem remains in too little relevant info. being shared by the OP; for example, does quirky mean socially awkward, gay, hippieish or just off the wall unpredictable? Or something else? When a parent doesn't share a more refined definition of their child's preferences, it may be for good reason. But, we really don't know. "Quirk" is defined as a peculiar trait by Webster's Dictionary. Synonyms for "quirk" are "freak, eccentricity, curiosity, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, mannerism, habit, trait, foible, whim, caprice, turn, twist." = Essentially this leaves the definition of "quirky" to be in the eye of the beholder; it is whatever the writer wants it to be so long as it is deemed unconventional. What is "quirky" in the South, or at certain Southern schools, may be the norm at Bard, Hampshire, Vassar, Sarah Lawrence & other non-mainstream campus cultures. Chicago students often describe themselves as "quirky".</p>
<p>I'm not saying a southern school would be a better fit for OP's son than a midwestern or notheastern school, and I have absolutely no idea what OP's S wants. But, the fact that OP asked about two southern schools and said her family was from the dep south suggests that OP is intersted in southern schools; if that is the case, most of the schools offered up don't fit the bill.</p>