Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA has a very well regarded intelligence studies program. I’d never heard of the university until my niece started there a few years ago. When I mentioned to my husband where she was going, he said his company has hired many kids who have gone through the intelligence studies program as it is recognized as one of the top notch and innovative programs in its field.
I know nothing about this school…Belmont University in Nashville but a relative is headed there for its well known Music Business/ Video Production program. Another school I’d never heard of (I live in MD). Shortly after learning my relative, who lives in the Midwest, was going there, I heard of two girls we know from two different local high schools who are also going there. I have no idea their intended majors. From what I hear from my mother, my relative, who comes from a true middle class family (parents are teachers), Belmont is very affordable for them. He may have gotten some merit aid, I’m not sure, but he definitely does not have high stats. More of a B student with average test scores. It’s a Christian school but I’m not sure how religious it is. My relative is Catholic but not religious so I guess that part was not an issue for him when deciding.
Dominican University in River Forest, IL. (~10 miles west of Chicago)
A lovely campus with about 2,100 undergrads and nearly as many grad students. Dominican has a strong commitment to the liberal arts as well as an emphasis on social justice. They do an amazing job with first-generation students.
Dominican is generous with merit aid. And they have one of the oldest study abroad programs in the country. Really nice honors program, and a new science building. Great opportunities for internships.
Davidson is kinda cool. Enrollment is somewhere around 1800. So small LAC, BUT they have D1 sports! Beautiful campus situated in a small suburb (but growing) w/ an adorable walkable downtown. It’s also only 30 minutes to Charlotte, a major business hub… especially for banking. There are too many internship partnerships to list here, but it’s alot.
Their application process was interesting. You had to submit a list of everything you had read in the 12 months previously, as well as a letter of rec from a peer. There were other supplements, but those were the two that stuck out for me. They are also very generous with aid & I believe they are need blind. Being ranked 10th for LACs by USNW, they are a tough school to get into though.
As of 2018, they had 23 Rhodes Scholars… which I believe was at one time the highest number awarded per capita.
Yes Davidson is fantastic. It doesn’t get the same constant drumbeat for the same lac names we hear most often. Top ten ranking makes that a head scratcher.
We hear more about the women’s lacs than this school when best lac options are bring discussed.
My references were for a school deemed underrated. I disagree with the poster about that. Many schools can do a fine job but do not deserve being thought as highly of as some state. So many are just other schools that teach some students. First heard of Kalamazoo college from a medical school classmate from Michigan who went there; she named it as if it meant something- I think the blank stares she received made her realize it was not known across the lake. Sure a few students get places but I still don’t think it, like most schools that were/will be mentioned here, are worth the tuition. No better or worse than so many other schools. Most definitely NOT fantastic in my book. But then, I don’t go for limited small schools.
This will generate “hate mail” but- there are reasons so many small schools aren’t worth notice. They do nothing for the vast majority of students who get equally good educations elsewhere.
@wis75 what is wrong? No one has disagreed with anything you’ve said here.
It’s awfully cynical to think every school not “being worth” it and some people go places. Actually kind of hurtful to many. Or someone’s school drew blank stares. It seemed to be good enough for the med school admissions team.
Although Wisconsin Michigan and Wash U level schools aren’t the point of the thread.
We all just moved on.
Do you know people who have you attended all of the schools mentioned somehow? I couldn’t possibly know what they are doing well or not?
Most of these schools are regional and posters are relating real time information on outcomes and campus vibe/facilities, based on in person observations. I trust they are being honest and well meaning.
The ones I’ve mentioned are in fact worth the tuition for the right student and family.
We at least went 66 posts before a simple and pleasant thread turned negative. I’ll take it.
I would expect Davidson to be popular these days because of one of its alumni (although officially he shouldn’t be cosidered one since he hasn’t graduated yet)-Stephen Curry.
I’ll give a plug for my son’s college Kansas State. People look at low selectivity and grad rate which tell very little of the story. They have a great honors college, superb study abroad programs. They have a happy student body, great college town, and faculty that care. I know they have a superb agriculture department and wonderful pre-vet, pre-med, and architecture programs. There are other very strong departments. They have a veterinary college, masters of architecture and are adding a physicians assistant masters. They give excellent merit aid IS and OOS. The Greek system is good, not crazy and not overwhelming.
Research is readily available for undergrads as are campus jobs. D1 sports are fun and school pride is high. High achievers feel challenged and average students are welcomed and given lots of help as long as they ask.
School is compact and feels smaller than the numbers. They say they are family and that is the feeling I get when I visit. My big city OOS kid is totally happy there and finds tons to do.
St Mary’s in California I agree is a very beautiful school with a good local reputation. It is very ‘sleepy’ - although only about 40 min from San Francisco it has no real college town. Maybe your kid is looking for that. Curious what anyone has to say about University of Denver and University of Pittsburg.
Davidson had their highest number of applications last year. Could probably be attributed to Curry and the baseball team’s 2017 Cinderella postseason run. They beat UNC Chapel Hill to get to the Supers before hitting the Texas A&M juggernaut.
A small private LA college worth a look is The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor Maine Of particular interest to the environmental and ocean directed studies. See https://www.coa.edu/
Maine Maritime Academy is another very real public gem for the ocean science and marine engineering. See https://mainemaritime.edu/
Denver is a really nice school and a has a great reputation regionally. I think it still doesn’t have much of a national profile. The campus is nice and it’s a great location. It’s not cheap, but if you can get a good deal, it’s definitely worth considering.
Denver has a pretty famous alum who is currently a Stanford professor who served as provost at Stanford and Secretary of State. So obviously a good school which is a hidden gem.
I know I rarely see Eckerd (FL) mentioned on here. It’s the only school my youngest wanted to attend back when he wanted to be a Marine Science major. Even though he changed his major and has since graduated, he loved the school and the school itself seems worthy enough for me to mention. He’s shared a lot of things he’s learned (in various classes) with me. For anyone wanting Marine Science, it’s absolutely a contender. We found it because literally everyone working in the field that we contacted for “good schools to consider” advice mentioned it, but it’s good for more than just the one major. Science, in general, has a big focus there along with being Green and highly encouraging Study Abroad for students to get to know more of their planet instead of a little slice of it.
Washington & Jefferson (PA) is one I’ll often encourage students who want a small school to look at, but other than my recommendations I hardly ever see it on here (a few times, but not many). They seem to produce more than “their fair share” of quite successful graduates.
Western PA has a bunch of schools not well known outside of the area, as do a lot of localities. W&J, Allegheny (probably the most mentioned here), Westminister, Grove City. Some of the smaller directional state schools like Edinburg, Slippery Rock, Clarion, Penn State Behrend, Indiana U
(which has a very good honors college) Are just some of them.
When son and I were touring Dickinson, a family from overseas who were doing a family tour had just come from a nearish Penn State satellite campus that they were considering. Beautiful, they said, and everything on their list, including a nice merit award on the table and an auto transfer to the main campus. I didn’t check it out but it was clear they were considering that option heavily