<p>willow--where exactly do you get these ideas?? First of all, 1970 was the year that Hampshire started, I hardly think you can say that it has slipped since then. By pretty much every measure, reputation, endowment, quality of the student body, etc. I would have to say that it has grown. Bennington is definitely in better shape now than it was during the '70's when it first went coed (1969) grew too fast, and built too many ambitious buildings, borrowing money to do it. Bennington spent almost the next 20 years trying to recover (having trouble mostly because of faculty that did not want to see any changes made to the school and who bullied a couple of presidents in a row, until the current one came along and cleaned house) Bennington is in better shape now than it was in either the 1970's or 1992. I think to make a general statement that alternative schools have slipped, and to single out these two in particular, you should have some facts to back it. If you do, I would be interested in hearing them.</p>