<p>I would second Lake Forest, especially if you are not the typical student (white upper-middle class B student). the school wants more racial and geographic diversity. </p>
<p>We were also very impressed by Lawrence, especially for physics majors.</p>
<p>And I’ll second the College of Wooster. Would not have even known it existed except for Colleges That Change Lives. What a perfect fit for my daughter. Senior independent study only second to Princeton. She is having a great time amid great academics.</p>
<p>I appreciate all these suggestions, but can you add why you think they are a hidden gem? Those responses are especially helpful. Thanks.</p>
<p>Well in my case each school that I recommended have kids that grauduate more accomplished than when they go in. The student mature, have great opportunities to interact with professors, have oportunities to get research, publising, and internships that can be used to further their time after school. Most of the schools that my DS is expolring are under 3,000 students, so it is an insular community where the teachers put their students first. In the case of Wabash, the professors continue to publish and bring their students into their research</p>
<p>University of Evansville - right-sized (about 2800 undergrads), lots of personal attention, decent FA, gem of a campus.</p>
<p>Illinois Wesleyan - excellent academics, strong sense of community.</p>
<p>Lake Forest - lots of personal attention, wide variety of programs for its size, excellent FA</p>
<p>Truman State - very affordable even for OOSers who do not qualify for FA, excellent academics, wide variety of programs, excellent dorms</p>
<p>I second (third?) Truman State. It should get a lot more CC love than it does.</p>
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<p>This is one of the wonderful things about alot of LACs – there are no graduate students to act as research assistants, so undergrads do it. At my D’s college, the research is often abroad, and undergrads get to go on fantastic study-abroads to help the prof.</p>
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<p>While it is good (for engineering and architecture), does it qualify as “hidden”?</p>
<p>This whole notion of hidden is difficult because it’s completely regionally based. I wouldn’t know Cal Poly San Luis Obispo if I tripped over it (and where’s San Luis Obispo? Some place in California, I suppose, beats me). OTOH, you’d say the same for Beloit or Knox or Lawrence. And to me, the idea that Grinnell is “hidden” is ludicrous – when to me that’s been known for years where really, really smart kids go, and where anybody would be proud to send their kid. Hidden is regional, not truly hidden.</p>
<p>I’d also like to mention Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois…excellent small university, very loyal alumni, generous merit money, and also strong academic supports for those who need them. It has several very excellent programs.</p>
<p>Hidden is only hidden if you don’t live near it, don’t read this forum and are new to the college search in general. My husbands cousin teaches at Truman. I live in PA. My niece goes to Wooster. I read Colleges that change lives (twice), those schools are NOT hidden. They even have their own road show. [CTCL</a> Programs & Information | Colleges That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/events/programs]CTCL”>College Fairs & Information Sessions – Colleges That Change Lives)</p>
<p>It’s more of an exposed gem by now. Elon University.</p>
<p>Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is often “hidden” even for Californians because it’s not a UC or CSU. The guidance counselor at my son’s California public high school never even mentioned it, not that we thought she was particularly on the ball. Otoh, the rigidity of the majors may make it appealing to a smaller self selecting group.</p>
<p>A local school we ran into while searching the Bay Area was the University of San Francisco. The location is unbelievably great, prime SF real estate with views that won’t quit. It’s a Jesuit institution, but feels very open and liberal. Beautiful campus, the academics are quite good and the administration seemed very nurturing and responsive. The opportunities for internships in the city are amazing! Kids with SATs over a certain number (1850 or 1900, although I’m now unable to recall) get an automatic $20,000 scholarship. The University of Santa Clara gets most of the recognition, but USF is really a hidden gem.</p>
<p>Cal Poly is a CSU, not sure if you know that.</p>
<p>Flagler College in St Augustine, Florida</p>
<p>The town is gorgeous.</p>
<p>The college is located in an old restored hotel from the 1890’s.</p>
<p>Tuition is surprisingly cheap for a private school.</p>
<p>And an over-supply of pretty girls.</p>
<p>BeingSLO, wow, no I didn’t know that. Thanks, goes to show how hidden it is.</p>
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<p>Cal Poly SLO is a CSU, and it is the most impacted (popular) CSU. The difficulty of changing majors probably applies to any impacted major at a CSU, since CSUs admit freshmen by major and probably have no excess capacity in impacted majors to absorb major changers into them.</p>
<p>I second Gustavus, Lawrence and Luther…I know something of them. Son graduated from Lawrence and it is such a great location, top interaction with faculty and admin, I loved to visit Appleton. Miss it now. I have seen Gustavus; son’s wife’s family were very much involved with school; Luther and its location. How can you beat it? Great music, top professor there! But then I like eagles and wilderness and quaint towns.</p>
<p>Have any of you seen a map of US colleges? When I was first looking at colleges, I had no idea of how many more we had on the East coast. In Pennsylvania alone, we have 235 colleges. Compare that to a state like Oregon that has 45 or Kansas that has 50. [College</a> Map | US College Locations](<a href=“http://college-map.com/]College”>http://college-map.com/) To someone that is new to the college search, it’s eye-opening to hear about so many new colleges but what is the point of a “hidden gem” thread if it’s just pointing out a college that one person perhaps didn’t know about until they found it? There’s a great little college close to me that has a wonderful theater program (NOT Muhlenberg) but someone that is looking for that program is not going to be looking on this thread. </p>
<p>I think this section of CC [CampusVibe</a> - Recent College Videos, Photos, and Visit Reports](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/]CampusVibe”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/) is the most helpful in describing lots of these ^ hidden gems and I’d like everyone to post their reviews there. </p>
<p>BTW - the close by school with the great theater program is DeSales University.</p>