<p>D1 (HS Sr.) loves literature and is a good writer. She has no idea what she hopes to major in, so some room for academic experimentation would be welcome. Prefers an earthy/crunchy vibe. Financial aid will definitely be a factor in our final decision. SUNY New Paltz is already firmly on her list. High school GPA will fall somewhere above 95 with decent number of AP's. Awaiting ACT score....</p>
<p>Bard, Skidmore and Ithaca are on our "to see" list, and there's not a whole lot on the college search postings. Any parent or student input regarding academics, social life (esp. since some are on the small side), financial aid, etc, would be most welcome.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Bard is somewhere between earthy/crunch and black/goth. The English department is extraordinary, and it may have best undergraduate writing program in the country. The setting is gorgeous. We found their financial aid excellent (though my d. decided to attend Smith, which simply had more of what she was looking for). Beautiful setting - it is decidedly rural.</p>
<p>I’ve heard good things about Bard’s academics. Don’t know too much about the other two schools other than the fact a high school classmate turned down NYU for Skidmore because they awarded him a full ride. </p>
<p>Out of curiosity, has your D looked into Oberlin? It may not be in NY state, but they have a wonderful English lit/creative writing program and has strengths in many other areas from the humanities to the natural sciences. </p>
<p>Also, is there a reason why she’s not considering Vassar?</p>
<p>Ithaca is not earthy. The largest student population is from NYC, upper middle class, and the college life reflects this. Has great literature and arts classes, though, and the surrounding area is wonderful for nature lovers. </p>
<p>Cornell is much more laid back, at least in the liberal arts departments.</p>
<p>Ithaca isn’t as small as the other two school, either. 6000. </p>
<p>My S toured Skidmore and the kids seemed “normal” to me. Girls were walking around in sweats, tee’s/long underwear tops and Uggs looking like they just rolled out of bed and the guys were in jeans & tee’s, flannel shirts. The arts are big there. </p>
<p>Saratoga is a lovely town, lots of nice restaurants and small shops and within walking distance of the campus. </p>
<p>I applied years ago right after it went co-ed and made the mistake of choosing U of Colorado over it.</p>
<p>D2 is a lit/photo double major at Bard. It’s an incredible program with a creative writing program that’s very competitive. There’s definitely an earthy/crunch vibe there, much more so than either Ithaca (which we looked at for both D2 and her sister) and Skidmore (which struck her sister as a more preppy vibe).</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all the helpful replies! I will show these to D1–</p>
<p>We actually may visit these schools as early as next weekend. Ithaca seems to be the outlier in the group, but we’re told it’s strong in some departments, and may be one of those places that has something for everyone. Same goes for UMass, which sounds appealing but is also a bit overwhelming. </p>
<p>And cobrat, you’re right - Oberlin seems like it would be a good match. She saw Vassar a couple years ago when her brother was looking, and liked it well enough. Like Wesleyan, though, it may be too far a reach. Reed, Macalester and Whitman are also high on her list. I’m not sure how I feel about the long distance thing, but realize the issue is more mine than hers, so am trying to be open-minded!</p>
<p>Bard was not nearly as gothy-arty as I expected. (We did visit in February.) I love the way they do academics there, but was not completely convinced that it works as well in fact as it does in theory. The sidewalks and paths were all really icy - dangerously so, which I found off-putting. My son hated the location and the lack of some central quad where you really feel like you are on a traditional campus. He also wanted a place that was bigger than his high school, which Bard is not. One friend of my son’s went there, but hated it and has transferred to a less rural, more diverse school. My son saw Vassar the same day and liked it much better, though ultimately Vassar was also deemed too small.</p>
<p>My child liked Bard on paper but was turned off after visiting. The school has nice facilities but she found too little diversity among students. We would describe less earthy/crunchy, more hipster - all guys seemed to wear tight skinny jeans and it seemed like EVERYONE smoked. </p>
<p>For writing, I would suggest looking at Kenyon as well.</p>
<p>Those three were on our list, as well as Bennington and Hampshire, in the “crunchy” range. My younger daughter choose Bard and, by the way, the kids are all very different once you get to know them, tight pants aside.</p>
<p>The town of Ithaca definitely has an earthy/crunchy vibe. Ithaca College has more of that vibe than Cornell. (Ithaca has no frats or sororities.)</p>
<p>Although it is true that many students are from the NYC area and from upper class backgrounds, I personally don’t feel that the school has that feel. (Ithaca College is NOT preppy, with girls carrying just the right bag, etc.) </p>
<p>There are lots of artsy types, and the school goes out of its way to give students the opportunity to ply their craft – as an example, the Ithaca magazine we receive is largely written by students. And the crafts vary widely, music, filmmaking, communications, business school, etc. </p>
<p>(My daughter is in the Park School of Communications so I can’t give any insight into the liberal arts courses.)</p>
<p>Ithaca does not have a lot of immediate curb appeal. It is lacking in buildings with tradition and leafy charm. There is a good view of the lake, however.</p>
<p>It sounds like your daughter’s stats are above average for Ithaca applicants, so she most likely would receive merit aid. Ithaca’s base costs are not quite as high as many liberal arts schools. (As an example, I just looked and tuition at Bard this year is $42,476 whereas at Ithaca it is $35,278.)</p>
<p>We are also looking for a sort of crunchy vibe. I loved St. Lawrence University for D1, and will visit with D2 soon. Also soon visiting University of Rochester, Cornell, and Kenyon. Maybe Geneseo. I haven’t seen these yet, so not sure if they will meet D2’s needs.</p>
<p>Regarding Reed, is your daughter prepared for the heavy academic workload and rigor they provide for all their students? The reputation of their workload I got from high school classmates who attended Reed or knew about its academic workload very well was that it was above and beyond what you’d get at most schools…including ones like Oberlin or Vassar* and similar to UChicago and Swarthmore. </p>
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<li>Have several friends who are Vassar alums and a relative who is a current student.<br></li>
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<p>From what I heard from friends/high school classmates who attended or visited Bard, impressions can vary depending on the personality of the student concerned and the type of student body desired. </p>
<p>The ones who loved Bard tended to love the unstructured feel of the academics there and didn’t care about the wider variablity in academic capabilities/seriousness from their classmates. </p>
<p>The ones who hated Bard tended to be those who didn’t like that unstructured feel and/or wanted a school with less variability in academic capabilities/seriousness among the student body…with them always preferring the greater/more serious side of the spectrum. These were the kids who opted not to attend after a visit or transferred out.</p>
<p>As a Bard parent, I’m fascinated at the perception of the school that people seem to have gathered. D’s experience has been quite different from some of those mentioned here - she’s found intelligent and engaged classmates, a well-organized curriculum that still allows her the flexibility to pursue avenues of personal interest, a diverse group of friends (many of whom smoke, in fairness!), challenging academics (especially writing), and she likes the food in the cafeteria.</p>
<p>She did purchase a pair of skinny jeans after enrolling, however.</p>
<p>I know kids who have had a broad variety of experience at Bard, so much so that it’s tough to believe they went to the same college. The range includes complete stoner, non-intellectual; smart, committed dancer who hated it; classics-oriented pre-med musician who loved it.</p>
<p>I am interested in why Vassar isn’t on the list. Or Hamilton. My very crunchy nephew had a near-perfect experience at Hamilton, where he constructed his own major in philosophy of agriculture. It just doesn’t get crunchier than that!</p>
<p>I heard wonderful things about Hobart and William Smith recently from the parents of a recent graduate, whom I respect a lot. It’s tiny, but their child had a dream experience there.</p>
<p>Hobart and William Smith has a heavy Greek social scene and is very preppy from what several colleagues and acquaintances who attended told me. This was underscored last night when I chatted with a bunch of recent Hobart graduates where the conversation centered on wild college frat parties, over-hyped dangers of Manhattan neighborhoods, and ownership of expensive real estate in Connecticut and the Hamptons. </p>
<p>If someone is looking for a earthy crunchy vibe like the OP, Hobart’s the last place I’d recommend.</p>
<p>Glad to see Whitman on your list, my son is there and loves it. It is very strong academically, but doesn’t have the same uber-intellectual academics that Reed is known for. The student body is a range of nerdy, crunchy, sporty, and outdoorsy. I think the prevailing vibe is happy, nice and engaged. The town is small and charming, and very friendly. I love the campus: there’s a central quad where the students flock on warm afternoons; the architecture is integrated, so old and new go nicely together; the landscaping is gorgeous; the academic facilities are top notch and everything is superbly maintained. I hope you get to visit.</p>
<p>Wow, thank you for all the added input., everyone. We will read and reread carefully–</p>
<p>Also some good questions raised. </p>
<p>Cobrat - re: Reed, No I am NOT at all sure daughter estimates the workload, or that we really have a good handle on the school. It sounds like a very different type of place, where some kids thrive, and some will not. Our very bright next door neighbor transferred after his first year. </p>
<p>Of the long distance schools, I think Macalester and Whitman sound more appealing for her. If she is truly OK with distance then it’s OK with me, but finances and travel expenses will be a real issue.</p>