<p>Hello CC, I'm currently in the process of revising my list of reach schools. I'm looking primarily for a top liberal arts college that has strong math and science departments, specifically in physics, but is also all-around academically sound. Less important attributes include: a) a diverse student body; if not by race, then by character/personality/interests, b) a pretty, rural location with a decent-looking campus, because I'm shallow and enjoy nice scenery, c) outdoorsy-type stuff, and d) a decent college radio station. Any one or more of these is pretty sweet. I'm also open to any suggestions, and any interesting catches (like Bard's Science Initiative) are cool as well. Thank you.</p>
<p>LAC + Physics = Harvey Mudd</p>
<p>thats where I am going and thats what I am studying</p>
<p>Pomona, Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, Williams, and Carleton come to mind.</p>
<p>Seiken and brassmonkey: Harvey Mudd is not rural.</p>
<p>I am not familar with the physics departments of the various LAC's, but Rugg's Recommendations can steer you in the right direction. However, for LACs in a rural, outdoorsy location you can look at Middlebury, Colby, Colgate, Bucknell, Whitman, Colorado College, Bowdoin. Also consider Dartmouth even though it's a university. All great choices. I'm sure I'm not thinking of all of them.</p>
<p>Presumable though a is more important than be, which definitely brings down the selection since most LACs focus more on the liberal arts than math and science. </p>
<p>Although with that in mind, how is physics at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology? I dont know if thats an LAC or not, but it has a top rated engineering department but does not give out PhDs.</p>
<p>And what about Reed?</p>
<p>Check out Grinnell. It has 14% domestic minorities and 10% international, and they claim to be intellectually diverse (but all colleges do that). It's in a rural location (aka in the middle of nowhere). With a huge endowment, it has quite a lot of money to burn on undergraduate research and science facilities.</p>
<p>Definitely Carleton.</p>
<p>a) a diverse student body; if not by race, then by character/personality/interests
Check.
, b) a pretty, rural location with a decent-looking campus, because I'm shallow and enjoy nice scenery,
Definitely check - Carleton has a large arboretum.
c) outdoorsy-type stuff,
Check - running through arb, big intramural program, cross country skiing, large ultimate program, winter broomball courts, etc.
and d) a decent college radio station.
Check out KRLX on the Carleton website.</p>
<p>Bowdoin....</p>
<p>^ I agree with the poster above. Bowdoin is a top LAC, and I think that they have good science programs.</p>
<p>Definitely Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Amherst, Williams then at lower level Bucknell and Holy Cross. Holy Cross is curently spending over $60 million in new science facilties and its campus radio stadio is good.</p>
<p>Carleton-good science, rural
Williams-good science, rural
Swarthmore-good science, not rural but pretty (woods, arboretum), though less outdoorsy than the others, War News Radio is good if you agree with their stances, not sure how strong the regular radio station is, diverse
Harvey Mudd-probably best in physics/science, but lacks other criteria somewhat</p>
<p>I'm sure other posters' suggestions are also good, I'm just less familiar with them.</p>
<p>Dartmouth sounds like the perfect school for you.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is outdoors heaven from what I've read. There is a difference between rural and rural with scenery. Trust me I know.</p>
<p><---location</p>
<p>And how in the hell is anything at Claremont McKenna rural? It's a suburb of LA. That's called suburban NOT rural.</p>
<p>Lol SO true! I never understood how people never get this...rural is the perfect college environment when the place looks like an outdoorsey resort (Dartmouth, Bowdoin, etc). Having rivers, oceans, frozen ponds for sledding, sledding hills, etc can be so much fun in college.</p>
<p>ZaSP63:</p>
<p>Carleton, as fireflyscout has already suggested, is clearly the perfect fit given the specific criteria you pose. </p>
<ol>
<li> Though only 35 miles from Minneapolis, the school sits adjacent to a historic college town surrounding by farms and woodland. Their own arboretum constitutes most of the 1,000 acre campus and serves as a base for study for a renowned geology program.<br></li>
<li> More than a third of students major in math or the sciences, among the highest proportion of all top LACs, and is the top producer of PhD’s in the sciences.</li>
<li> It's accepting, self-effacing student body is a defining characteristic.</li>
<li> Virtually everyone is involved in intramural/club/varsity sports in some form, from the athletically inept to top nationally ranked men’s/women’s Frisbee teams. </li>
</ol>
<p>Many other schools mentioned above are wonderful in their own right, but don’t fit your specifics (Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore, rural?).</p>
<p>Williams, Oberlin, Middlebury and Grinnell, all great schools, are certainly others to strongly consider. Colorado College, Whitman, and Bowdoin as well. While not rural, Reed fits other criteria and is readily accessible to lots of wilderness/outdoor venues.</p>
<p>I didn't apply to Carleton just because I refuse to live in Minnesota. The weather is extreme enough where I am now.</p>
<p>Yeah, Minnesota isn't for the light of heart when it comes to weather</p>
<p>Although not rural, Wesleyan does have access to a rural surroundings. I believe they claim to be the leading LAC in science funding.</p>
<p>W&M is a good match. Very beautiful on the James and York rivers. Non conformist student body. excellent for Physics major and poetry minor.</p>