<p>Hope others out there can help brainstorm. Looking for a more moderate to conservative leaning student body a la Dartmouth or Princeton in a safety or match school that might also have potential for merit aid.</p>
<p>Not trying to stir the pot, but most acknowledge that student types are similar across a Brown, Vassar, Wesleyan, Bard (artsy, hipster, left-leaning). Now am looking for the equivalent type on the other side of the spectrum. And not all the way over to Bob Jones or Liberty. In the middle of the thought spectrum.</p>
<p>If male, Wabash College for safety. Coed, DePauw for safety. Both give excellent merit aid, and both attract a student body that is more conservative than their professors. Lots of Greek life and campus traditions. Both also actively recruit outside their region for talent.</p>
<p>Rhodes College in Memphis? I think it has a reputation as being a little less conservative than other southern schools but community seems to be on the moderate side and it has a strong Greek system. Also: Centre College in Kentucky?</p>
<p>Part of the reason I suggested Rhodes is that it is known for giving reasonable merit aid.</p>
<p>My son’s safeties were Univ. of Texas at Dallas and Baylor. (Also U Pitt but I’m not thinking it’s conservative)</p>
<p>FWIW, I also thought Princeton was supposed to be a little less liberal than other Ivies, but when my son went for accepted students weekend in April, he felt it was pretty darn liberal, at least in terms of the other prospective freshman and campus clubs.</p>
<p>I would have said Colby for Dartmouth. Princeton is tougher just because personally I just don’t think there is a Princeton “type.” I dunno, IMO they aren’t as outdoorsy as Dartmouth, they aren’t as nerdy as Harvard and they aren’t as liberal as Brown…so Michigan for Princeton sounds possible.</p>
<p>Any geographic preference? Can you share any stats/EC’s etc. so we’d know if the school would really be a match/safety? We can make certain assumptions when you mention Dart. & Princeton…but…some further information would let us know if we’re on target.</p>
<p>I don’t understand how anyone is answering this post. One man’s “safety” is another man’s “dream school.” How does anyone call Bucknell, Colgate or William and Mary a safety without knowing a kid’s stats? These are schools that are admitting about 1/3 of applicants!</p>
<p>^^ If a kid has a realistic chance at Ptown or Dtmouth, then Bucknell Colgate WM etc are the lower matches. That seems doable.
I would add my two cents though - there are no safeties anymore. There are high reaches, reaches matches and lower matches. And with people applying to 15 colleges at once, its all a lottery in a way.</p>
<p>Kid prefers a mid-size range of 5000 to 10,000 undergrad population that is not necessarily homogeneous and will value thought diversity.
A suburban to rural with fair access to highway (i.e., not remote) for travel purposes. Ideally in Northeast, but along the East coast or moderately towards the mid-section of the country.<br>
The key is a student body that will engage on all fronts - academically, socially, and with E/Cs.
Would like to avoid Greek life and heavy partying or pressure to engage in such (presence on campus is not an issue, rather forcing one to participate in order to have a social life would be).
Has fairly strong academic credentials in context of hs, and diverse interests ranging from art museums and choral music to outdoors and sailing (for fun, not regattas or anything) to ultimate and basketball.<br>
Wants to be active physically as well as mentally - loves learning and discussing and debating ideas and problems and material. Would like collaborative learning environment rather than competitive, where hard work is expected but rewards for such effort are not out of reach (grade deflation).
Likes colder climate over hot, humid and oppressive heat.</p>
<p>Hope the extra details help flesh out any more possibilities. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>True…but it may be a bit “too liberal” if what colleagues who lived next to the BC campus, several alums, and my own visits to that campus indicated. </p>
<p>Notre Dame would be a better choice if one is going for a more conservative Catholic college with great academics.</p>