@twoinanddone very good point!
Anyone know anything about College of Idaho? S got a brochure from them. It looked intriguing, but he wasn’t interested…I’m sure it fits the “not talked about much on CC” category!
D’s co worker’s husband went to Cabrini College. Apparently he played a sport there. Another of D’s friends went to Albright College in PA. According to D she liked it. I haven’t seen much about either school on CC. Can’t offer much more info though…
My D will be attending Marist College in the fall. She’s going to be at their campus in Florence for her first year (a student could spend all four years of undergraduate study at the Florence campus and walk out with a Marist diploma). In addition to the first year program in Florence, they have one for Dublin as well (don’t think they have their own campus in Dublin–I may be mistaken, though), plus your standard study abroad options. The Poughkeepsie campus is lovely, with fantastic facilities. Every student we talked to on our various visits seems to have landed at least 2 internships (these are rising juniors and seniors). Strong ties to companies based in Manhattan with good internships (with housing) there. Strong programs in business and communications. Home of the Marist Poll. Not sure what the deal is with sports, but not a consideration for my D. Sunday trips to Manhattan for $25, includes a ticket to a Broadway show. Can’t wait for the adventure to begin!
Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX (outside of Austin). Wonderful LAC, led by an incredible President, beautiful campus, well-funded, and excellent merit aid. If it was on the East Coast it would be impossible to get into. Check it out in the Colleges that Change Lives book or website.
@4kids4colleges I have an old friend who lives in San Antonio and she’s been to Southwestern for conferences and she says it’s a wonderful campus.
So I looked up College of Idaho and St. Martin’s University…Here goes:
College of Idaho:
Location: Caldwell, Idaho about 30 miles from Boise
It was founded in 1891 and is Idaho’s first private liberal arts college. It has about 1100 students. They have 26 majors and 58 minors to choose from. They have this PEAK curriculum, where students earn a major and 3 minors in four years across four academic peaks (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and a professional field). They have a first year experience program to foster a sense of community. They also have ample study abroad opportunities and off campus trips and excursions. The location is great for outdoorsy kids. Lastly, they have a 9:1 student faculty ratio and there is lots of student faculty interaction. And it’s test optional! Sounds like a great school for students who want a close-knit liberal arts school in a wonderful location!
And you never hear much about it on CC, so definitely a hidden gem!
St. Martins University:
Location: Lacey, WA, about 1 hour from Seattle
One of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities in the US and Canada and it’s the only one west of the Rockies. It was founded in 1895 by monks of the Roman Catholic order of St. Benedict. It has 1300 students. From their website: “Guided by the principles of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Saint Martin’s University endeavors to unite academic rigor and excellence with moral thought and social responsibility – higher education that seeks to serve and promote the common good – higher education that seeks to transform lives by grappling with issues of Faith, Reason, Service and Community. We come together, faculty, staff and students, to form a community of individuals who are learning to live a meaningful life. Saints think, pray, serve, play and live with heart.” (From St.Martin.edu/about)
They have 26 majors(includes engineering). They recently added some new majors. They have 10 graduate degrees. They also have certification and fast track/dual programs. And they have ample study abroad programs as well. There is a diversity and equity center. The student faculty ratio is 12:1 and all classes are taught by faculty. And average class size is 12-14 students. Another school for kids who want a small nurturing environment. Also, another school that isn’t mentioned much on CC and is probably quite underrated!
Lawrence in Appleton, WI. I always thought of it as just a music conservatory. It is that but I know a few students that entered very good PhD programs in the sciences because they had excellent research opportunities at Lawrence.
Deep Springs doesn’t get much love on CC. Daughter’s classmate was admitted to Deep Springs and his parents were appalled that he was turning down T20 schools. Thankfully the college counselor had a long talk with his parents and convinced them that those same schools would be happy to admit him after two years at Deep Springs.
@toomanyteens UConn is a fine school but they need some time for people to forget about the jalapeno mac and cheese kid.
+1 for Augustana but it is very liberal.
H and his brother in law went camping once out near Deep Springs. Very remote but scenic!
A friend of my daughter applied to Lawrence. Didn’t end up attending, but I’ve heard only good things!
Just noting that Southwest Texas State U changed their name to Texas State. Texas State is receiving a lot of support from the Texas university system and has some great departments including Anthropology with both forensics and archeology.
As a Texan I will also say that the Southwestern campus has a very collegiate feel. I know many happy students and grads. Everyone I know who went there wants their kids to go there, too.
@NJWrestlingmom Drexel is very urban, but I consider it a relatively safe area. You do need to be big city alert.
It’s a short walk from 30th St train station so easy access to Amtrak and Septa trains. And the campus is really across street from Penn so there are always plenty of students. Of course, a block in the wrong direction can get dicey.
Personally I think University City would be a cool place to attend college, but it’s all a matter of perspective. I do know a bunch of smart kids who used that coop system to land good jobs upon graduation
My niece goes to Southwestern and loves it. 
Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN.
All women’s college, excellent alumni network, many shared benefits with University of Notre Dame…football tickets, marching band and academics.
Wonderful professors, small classes.
@privatebanker I’m a huge fan of DePaul. Superb location. Friendly student body. Good honors program. Strong Chicago alumni network. Super helpful staff. Excellent merit. Both of my boys applied and got in though, in the end, both ended up in school in Canada. (Why have the cold of winter in Chicago when you can be even colder in Montreal?!) DePaul deserves more love.
Lawrence is one of my favorite hidden gems.
A kid from D19’s class is going to Lawrence…he’s an outstanding jazz musician and athlete who will play his sport there, a perfect situation for him. It’s an uncommon combination that he could not have found many places.
I really like DePaul!
If it hasn’t been mentioned, Millsaps is a LAC in the middle of Mississippi. A real hidden gem!
+1 for Webb Institute. My son is finishing up his freshman year there, and is having an amazing experience. He will be in school until the end of June, because everyone does a winter work term in January and February. Freshman go to work in various boatyards and sophomores spend two months on ships at sea. Upperclassmen do internships all over the world. Even the freshman are nicely compensated for their winter work.
Webb has a 100% job placement rate, and yes, free tuition for all U.S. citizens.
Campus life is unique, including an English style student-run pub in the basement. Webbstock music festival is coming up and so is a Gatsby themed party. Billy Joel is a boat geek and likes to hang out with Webbies on campus. The sailing opportunities are incredible. And the honor code is a cherished tradition, allowing students to not worry about belongings.
The alumni group is tight, often providing students with free housing as they caravan across the country on their way to and from Webb at the beginning and end of the school year.
It’s not for everyone—the work load is intense and the environment quirky, but for the right kid, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Mount Allison in Sackville, New Brunswick. A small LAC in the Canadian maritimes. Two of my nieces(both smart as whips)went there and loved it. One a country girl, the other from the city. One of those places that seems to engage their students.
St. Mary’s in Moraga is a nurturing place. My son’s best friend in grade school finished his sophomore year there and is thriving.
Son’s friend is a good kid and very well mannered with a lot of friends, but was diagnosed with mild autism/processing issues and wasn’t the best student in grade school, although he had no issues with social interactions and his teachers liked him. St. Mary’s was very supportive of him and the environment was perfect for him.
And another St. Mary’s that is never mentioned. St. Mary’s University in Halifax. Most mentions of Canadian universities will be McGill, Toronto, UBC, and Waterloo, but St. Mary’s is an underrated Canadian gem.
My wife’s sister graduated from there and the school has a highly rated business program. Plus Halifax is probably the most English city in North America with a culture completely different from most of Canada apart from Quebec.
I still get emails from Westminster College in Fulton, MO. It’s a small liberal arts school with 800-ish students, but it has lots of impressive alumni, especially in business and law. They have a pre-med program that includes a cadaver lab, which grosses me out but it’s apparently a big deal for undergrads.
Great for students who want a small/supportive school – it’s way, way too small for me but it’s oddly sucessful…it used to be an all-male college back in the day and Winston Churchill gave his Iron Curtain speech there, to give you a sense of what kind of place it is. They keep telling me I can still apply, so it’s not too late!