Student Bodies at these top LACs?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a rising junior and I've been looking closely at a few reach-y LACs. I was wondering how they differ, especially in terms of student body (though feel free to include differences in other areas as well!).</p>

<p>If you could, please say where you're getting your information from - CC, a college guide, having gone there yourself, etc.</p>

<p>The schools:
Carleton.
Wesleyan.
Amherst.
Smith.
Brown (I know it's not an LAC but it's the only bigger LAC-like school I'm considering).</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I'm transfering to Wesleyan for next semester. Wesleyan is extremely diverse, and it consistantly noted as so (proclaimed "Most Diverse" by Forbes). I've heard that it more athletic than most LACs, but I didn't see many athletes on my tour. It seems like there is alot of school spirit, and lots of people go to all kinds of events (art shows, sporting events, musical preformances). I'd say there is a good mix of kids, so you can find the kind of people you want to hang out with.</p>

3

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Bump.</p>

4

<p>From my understanding, Smith is an open minded womens' college that is good for the sciences. From what I have gathered it has, compared to other womens' colleges, a larger lesbian population.</p>

5

<p>It has, according to a recent survey with more than 50% of the student body taking part, a lesbian population of 11%, roughly one-third the number of gay males at Yale, and likely pretty much the same as at Wellesley and Bryn Mawr. But they are welcoming to folks of all sizes shapes, and proclivities. </p>

<p>The larger difference between Smith and the others is that you will find only about 50% of the binge-drinking (in the case of Carleton, less than that) that you will at the other schools named.</p>

6

<p>Mini, I'm afraid I don't quite understand your last statement: Are you saying that Carleton has more or less drinking than the other schools?</p>

7

<p>I encourage you to look at Smith College. It has a wonderful supportive, caring sense of community. It’s known for academic excellence and small classes. Students are provided with terrific advising and mentoring and available, committed professors. Smith creates women leaders, and has a strong, involved alumni network.</p>

<p>Thank you, Mini, for clarifying that Smith's lesbian population is about the size (11%) of that of the general population. While students are open-minded and respectful of each other, the idea that Smith is a gay school is nuts. The majority of students are straight. </p>

<p>Smith is a member of the "Seven Sisters," the colleges that were the women's counterpart to the Ivy Leagues before they admitted women. Smith is part of a 5-college consortium (with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Univ Mass). You can take classes at any. There is a free shuttle bus to get to classes at the other campuses. Students told us that it wasn't hard to meet men and they did so in classes (5-college consortium), clubs, projects, organizations, parties. One student noted it was nice to be able to focus on academics and work during the week (without distraction), and then socialize on the weekends.</p>

<p>Here are some facts: <a href="http://www.smith.edu/collegerelations/SpeakingofSmith-0414.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.smith.edu/collegerelations/SpeakingofSmith-0414.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>You can check it out at: Smith</a> College</p>

8

<p>Forgive the cop out. I can't remember ever before quoting a college guide to describe Carleton but Princeton Review actually has it pretty right:</p>

<p>The "creative, warm, compassionate, and helpful" undergrads of Carleton are "super smart and nerdy, but fun-nerdy, not scary-nerdy." Notably, they "don't form cliques based on [conventional] criteria" such as "socioeconomic background, race, gender, [or] sexual orientation"—students report they're more "interested in each other's quirks." An upbeat studio art major writes, "We have a wonderful mix of people that reach[es] from nerds to jocks, people who dye their hair to [those] who swear by Abercrombie, people who are Republican to those who are Democrat to those who are Independent to those who don't care; we have vegetarians and we have people who would live on steak if you let them. We have a truly rich mix of all sorts of people and we all enjoy each other and end up with the most amazing groups of friends." Basically, you'll find the campus to be "a place where energy, creativity, and a good sense of humor get you really far."
"There is a sense of community that's hard to find elsewhere" at Carleton College, a small, liberal arts school "well known for its all-around academic rigor." One undergraduate explains, "You'll find yourself striking up conversations with complete strangers at the post office, in town, and along sidewalks in the middle of a snowy night. New friends are found everywhere."</p>

<p>I think the uniqueness of the school lies in its lack of pretension and remarkable acceptance/open-mindedness. Academics are rigorous - everyone works hard - but "fun" is the operative word here. Students never take that work, or themselves, too seriously. The cohesion of the students on campus (and among alumni) is near legendary.</p>

<p>Most similar on your list: Wesleyan and Brown</p>

9

<p>"Mini, I'm afraid I don't quite understand your last statement: Are you saying that Carleton has more or less drinking than the other schools?"</p>

<p>According to the most recently available survey (which they made public - many schools don't), approximately 50% of the student body binge drank in the past two week period from when the survey was conducted. This is roughly 10%, or a standard deviation, above the national average.</p>

10

<p>When I visited Amherst, the school impressed me. To me, the campus was gorgeous and large (my point of comparison is my smaller high school). Although the number of undergrads is small, like 1600, that's less than half of the population of my high school! Everyone was friendly and willing to help. The students seemed happy in their classes (I visited a few before leaving) and it was just such a warm environment, and I'm not referring to the weather (although it was hot that day). Of course, it's not heaven. An instance of awkwardness occured when I sat with my pre-frosh roomie at the dining hall. He was talking to some upper-classmen who had, well, different interests that I had, so we didn't strike up any conversation or anything. So I finished eating, left the table, and never looked back. But that happens everywhere since not everyone always "meshes."</p>

<p>I will repeat what someone told me while I was there. In Amherst, you will find the drunk legacy kid who loves to party, the most studiest kid who loves to talk over coffee or watch a movie, and everyone in between. So, you will definitely find a social niche and make lots of friends.</p>

11

<p>yea, I wouldn't obsess over the athletic thing at Wesleyan. They're visible because the playing fields are centrally located, that's all. the main thing about Wesleyan is that the party scene is off the chain. Many, if not most, upperclassmen move into small bungalows that surround campus. They actually had to call in riot police at the end of classes this spring (not that the students <em>were</em> rioting -- but, that's another story.)</p>

12

<p>My daughter is currently at Carleton. The students are amazingly smart, inquisitive, have a goofy (trying to avoid the overused "quirky") sense of humor (the guy who created the "Daft Hands" video on YouTube is a Carleton student), are supportive of each other (not competitive with each other), and have high expectations. They are nerds in that they have a passion for learning. They enjoy being among others who allow/encourage them to be who they are. Some students are outdoorsy and really enjoy the Arb. Some aren't, but they still enjoy the setting. Athletic programs are there, some are good, some aren't. Carleton is really know for its ultimate teams (mens' and womens' are nationally ranked). They also have a championship quiz bowl team.</p>

13

<p>If you want some better weather and close to the beach, check out William & Mary. Southern version of Brown.</p>

14

<p>Carleton... I have a friend who goes there, and from what she says, Carleton students are (in general) very bright, a little nerdy (but not in an MIT- or Caltech-style), and hardworking. At the same time, however, they're also down-to-earth and very accepting: you won't find a ton of pretentious people there. </p>

<p>Wesleyan... based on the people I know at Wesleyan and what they've said, the school has a bit of an alternative feel to it, in that it is very liberal (a good thing, if you ask me... but then again, I do go to Vassar :D). Students are passionate about their work, but at the same time pretty laid back. In other words, they might work hard, but they also find time for extracurricular activities and, of course, partying. Wesleyan also sounds like it's a very accepting place... people are more interested in getting to know you as an individual rather than what you look like, who you date, or what your political affiliations are (although seeing as it does have a liberal reputation, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a bit more challenging to be a strong conservative at Wes).</p>

<p>Amherst... My input on Amherst comes from a tour I took from the school, my college counselor, and a friend who currently goes there. Unlike Carleton and Wesleyan, which are both quite politically liberal, Amherst is a more moderate campus. That's not to say it's conservative... it's just more of a politically middle-of-the-road type of school where you'll be able to find a fair share of both liberals and conservatives. It's also a bit "preppier" than Carleton and Wesleyan (I remember seeing a fair share of polo-shirt wearers). The student body seems to really rally around its sports teams and displayed a lot of school spirit when I visited (but it's definitely not a jock school). Lastly, I have heard that Amherst students can be a bit more competitive amongst one another than Carleton and Wesleyan students... but that's more hearsay than anything else. </p>

<p>Smith... Most of what I know about the Smith student body comes from a girl who's a current student there. From what she says, Smith students are a very bright and liberal bunch, who are very politically active and not afraid to speak their minds. I've also heard from her that they're very accepting on just about every measure, with the possible exception of strongly conservative individuals (she's a conservative).</p>

<p>Brown... I know a few people who go to/have gone to Brown and also visited the school over the course of my college search. One of the thing that struck me about what I've heard is how many different types of experiences it is apparently possible to have there. I know, for instance, a pre-med student who talks about how studious and academically-focused his friends are. Meanwhile, I know of another student whose "Brown experience" has a large academic component to it, but also is strongly connected to activism (the school is quite liberal, as well). Lastly, the tour guide I had when I visited Brown talked for a great length about his own experiences as a member of a fraternity and the partying that happened alongside the work. So, in conclusion, other than giving the student body the labels of "liberal" and "academic," it's hard to make many other generalizations about it.</p>

15

<p>I saw more empty cans of beer at Amherst than anywhere else...and in a freshman dorm we visited (on an OFFICIAL TOUR, no less), two girls were sipping from an open bottle of vodka.</p>

<p>Not a pleasant sight.</p>

16

<p>Wow, so many great responses! Thanks, everyone :)</p>

<p>1190: Ahh, I was hoping PR's view of Carleton was accurate, because it makes me really excited and happy everytime I read it. And Carleton is probably my first choice right now, followed by Brown and then Wes, so I'm glad you think they're alike.</p>

<p>Mini: Wow, that's a really interesting point. I hadn't known that Carleton was more of a drinking school than the others...to be honest, I wouldn't have expected that.</p>

<p>swish: Is William & Mary really all that similar to Brown? I've heard that it's pretty conservative. I don't really know much about it, though, to be honest.</p>

<p>A lot of you have confirmed what I've heard about these schools in general - i.e. Carleton students are smart, quirky, and unpretentious; Amherst is more moderate than the others and rather more preppy; Wes and Smith and, to perhaps a smaller extent, Brown, are the most activist-y schools.</p>

<p>I'm very close to knocking Amherst off my list. The academic freedom it offers appeals to me, and they have the BEST website, but as I learn more about it otherwise it appeals to me less and less.</p>

<p>Then again, I haven't visited anywhere yet and I'll be sure to visit Amherst before knocking it off for good...</p>

<p>But now I'm just ranting...</p>

<p>Again, thank you all!</p>

17

<p>cliche-</p>

<p>maybe a hybrid of Brown and Dartmouth. Intellectual and non-conformist like Brown, mixed with political and social moderation of Dartmouth. Equal to both in undergrad focus.</p>

18

<p>Hybrid of Brown and Dartmouth?</p>

<p>Seems almost impossible. Quite frankly, I think it is.</p>

<p>OP: You'd probably be best in knocking off Amherst in place of something more, ah, liberal?</p>

19

<p>I think if you can visit Amherst, you definitely should and not consider the comments here as facts (especially since it has appealed to you academically, so why not see the student body yourself?). When I visited, I actually heard that the students mostly had a liberal perspective, and therefore, were less outspoken and "active" about it. Also ,the preppy thing, I didn't see it. It's overemphasized due to the school's small population I think.
This is an excerpt from a thread in the Amherst College forum. I suggest looking through there to see more pros and cons for Amherst if you want (and visit if you can - it's just 1-2 hours from Boston!).</p>

<p>"I also didn't grow up in a prep school culture and have to explain to everyone at home where Amherst is (or why anyone would want to study the liberal arts) and I love the place. Amherst's reputation as "preppy" is pretty overblown I think. While there are plenty of kids who went to prep schools, none of them are the stereotypical Charles Arthur St. John-Smith IV types. If you decide not to come to Amherst, don't let preppiness be the reason."</p>

20

<p>teenage_cliche: </p>

<p>Direct from campus, not Princeton Review this time.</p>

<p>Overall substance use at Carleton is a bit below average compared with peers. Alcohol use is very middle of the road, "light" drug use a bit below average, "heavy" drug use certainly below average. </p>

<p>Typical for the administration in general, they follow a "trust the students" tack regarding responsible alcohol use on campus. RA's give their floors reasonable latitude so long as "responsible" remains the operative word. There are lots of choices for sub-free housing and it's a pretty popular option. Teetotalers are common and never feel excluded - from anything at any time. The student body's reputation for inclusion and acceptance extends to alcohol as well.</p>