<p>Hi,
my daughter has a variety of schools she's trying to choose from and I thought CC could help with some advice!
We just finished a visit at Elon and are seeing UNCA later this week. Elon was a beautiful campus with what appears to be a lot of opportunity...but we're concerned about the lack of diversity and the heavy greek scene. My daughter is a liberal/hippie type so she's not sure how well she would fit in there. Same concern with Rhodes, which we have not seen yet.
We've read a lot about Hendrix and it sounds like a hidden gem!! The only concern is the location (far from home/how many opportunities can Conway provide?). and maybe the small size?
Please let us know what you know/think about these schools! Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!</p>
<p>If your criteria is a “liberal” liberal arts college in the south, you might want to look at Agnes Scott (Decatur, near Atlanta, selective women’s college), Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC), and Guilford (also NC). Also consider reading “Colleges that Change Lives” by Loren Pope.
Agnes Scott, Rhodes, and Hendrix are all covered there.</p>
<p>Some of the most famously liberal LA colleges in the nation are Grinnell (Iowa) and Oberlin (Ohio). Rhodes is becoming increasingly selective (thanks in part to free applications) and pushes community service for students. I remember checking out Elon and seeing that they weren’t strong in all the majors we were interested in. UNC-Asheville I don’t know much about, but it is in a beautiful part of the country.</p>
<p>Molly, Hendrix has a “canoe on a old Volvo” vibe and excellent academics. If I had a liberal/hippie kid, I’d certainly have her look at Hendrix. That being said, Rhodes has a share of artsy folks, too. Politically, but maybe not as much culturally, Rhodes campus has plenty of liberals in attendance. She wouldn’t be alone. </p>
<p>Rhodes Greek scene was not very exclusive. My D was Greek and maintained her closest friendships without regard to sorority status. The lack of sorority houses makes for a very different (and “looser”) Greek scene. </p>
<p>My daughter considered both but Rhodes fit her better. Your kid will spark at one more than the other, and then you’ll know. ;)</p>
<p>You have to have to have to visit Rhodes and Hendrix. They’re 3 hours apart, so you could possibly get both in on one weekend trip.</p>
<p>My daughter the hippie is happy at Rhodes. She decided against joining a sorority but Curm is right, the Greeks are not exclusive. It is also true though that the social scene is dominated by the fraternities and sororities. This is a flaw, but in my daughter’s search no college was perfect so this just went in the “con” column. It was balanced out by the strong academics at Rhodes. For what my daughter is interested in, Rhodes offered more and better opportunities than Hendrix, but that might not be true for your kid’s interests.</p>
<p>My Rhodes D is also a hippie type (very liberal, green, vegetarian), and has been happy at Rhodes. She also considered Hendrix, which has been associated with our family for about four generations. There was much she liked about Hendrix, but ended up feeling that Conway seemed limiting. (The full tuition scholarship at Rhodes sealed the deal.) She has really appreciated the spirit of volunteerism at Rhodes and the excellent opportunities in her major (biochem).</p>
<p>I should add that Little Rock is nearby, and there are many opportunities there. I grew up in Arkansas and was there for a visit last week. I went to a fabulous exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center (Impressionists), and it was as good as anything I’ve seen in much larger cities in the US and Europe. And some people enjoy the small town vibe of Conway!</p>
<p>sorry i have not checked since March. Thank you all SO much for your great advice! We will visit both schools next fall since this year slipped away so fast.
Enjoyed hearing all of your opinions…they were very helpful!</p>
<p>Molly3-If your D is on the hippie side, then UNC-Asheville may be a great option for her. I love Rhodes and it was in the top 3 for my now senior Furman twins. Just researched UNCA for another family member and was impressed-it is the liberal college for the UNC system. There is some excellent information on the school in the UNC system website. Admissions are very competitive and both the school and Asheville are much more “laid back” and liberal than Elon. Our kids have friends who are at Elon and the Greek scene, as well as major alcohol consumption is standard fare. It really depends on your child’s comfort level with the party and Greek scene as well as the more typical Southern campus feel. All of the schools are your list are good schools-I always take Curm’s advice, FWIW.</p>