What LACs are good for ill equipped students?

[2plustrio]

TO (test optional)

[murray93]

Yes, test optional. Her UPS talent scholarship was for music. They do have a very nice music program welcoming all different levels of participation.

[Midwestmomofboys]

Agreeing that Lawrence is a wonderful community! My LAC kid visited Lawrence and met at length with the professor in his instrument and was very encouraged by the ensemble and lessons that would be available to him as someone who loved his music but did not want to go the Con route. There is greek life but, like Knox and Wooster, it is small and “non-traditional.” The greek life kids we met at Lawrence looked like they were burrowing in for an evening of dungeons and dragons rather than beer pong and formals.

[Hippobirdy]

So nice to hear about your son’s strengths and interests in music and volleyball.

I appreciate learning about these LACs, so much variety and lovely possibilities. There are places that will be eager to enroll him and have him as part of their communities.

[MYOS1634]

If they’re musicians, check out St Olaf (mostly for your daughter). Excellent non conservatory music. Music scholarships and meet need financial aid (I think they stack but check, because that always changes).

Out of curiosity, I looked at D3 colleges with men’s volleyball that are also quite supportive academically and here are a few more to explore: Hiram, Wentworth, Carthage, Endicott (and Juniata, which you’d already found).

[Pnwfamily]

Yes, UPS can be expensive. On the other hand, give Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University a try. Also there is a book similar to Princeton’s Best Colleges called America’s Best Colleges for B students. It goes into detail about the help each college offers students and it lists the companies that recruit from each college. Good Luck, it seems you are getting great advice so far.
ETA also, Western Washington University is always on the Best Value Colleges list. It is bigger and will be more of a party school than Seattle U and SPU, but thought I would throw it out there. Central Washington is a great value if they have your major.
Whitman is very academic and doesn’t seem to fit with what you are asking for.

[twoinanddone]

@UCDProf

Again, not so much looking to be directed in a totally different direction than the question.

@UCDProf

He’s not going to apply to many sub 50% acceptance schools even though he might get in.

@UCDProf

He just needs to go somewhere where it’s going to be easy, and a non drinking non partying kid can get a good gpa in the first year even when he’s not prepared at all,

@UCDProf

Taking big state universities out of the picture (for other reasons) and also community college, and just limited to LAC’s, which ones can you recommend him that he won’t sink in right away?

@UCDProf

They also need to have good merit aid.

@UCDProf

Willing to go anywhere, any kind of location. Except conservative and/or very greek or doused in alcohol.

@UCDProf

But to pick up on one point that you bring out which I did not reveal-- yes I’m kind of asking about how a mathy techy student can get by at an LAC which puts so much emphasis on LA. (However the powerful and crude factor of money is hanging over it).

@UCDProf

But again the premise was to ask about LACs and not other things, and I don’t want to debate my premise

The OP has said that’s what he’s looking for, and rebuked all other suggestions, although OP listed non-LACs on the ‘possible’ list (BC, U of Denver). He wants the school to be selective (as long as it accepts his son but doesn’t admit 50% of those who apply). He wants little to no alcohol, but not conservative (although son doesn’t know ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’). He wants his son to have a very social experience, but one that doesn’t involve alcohol.

He ONLY wants suggestions for LACs, and only those with merit aid.

[Bill_Marsh]

For a “mathy and tech” kid who wants a college where he won’t get overwhelmed, I’d take a close look at Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. Named the #1 transformative college by Money Magazine a few years ago, their Center for Academic Success simply doesn’t let students fall through the cracks. If a student is struggling in a class in the first 5 weeks, they don’t wait for the student to come to them, they seek out the student. Although undergraduate focused with a liberal arts core, they have lots of majors for kids who don’t read a lot of books - from engineering to computer science to business to nuclear medicine technologogy.

[Sweetgum]

Re: the alcohol, you might look for schools that have substance free dorms.

[Mwfan1921]

And to drill down on that…many substance free dorms mean the students agree not to partake in the dorm, but they can (and do) drink, etc. elsewhere. So if that makes a difference to OP’s S, definitely ask that question.

IMO with the exception of religious colleges, there is a high prevalence of alcohol at the vast majority of schools. Hopefully OP’s S can socialize yet not drink at parties, events, etc. Lots of kids in that group.

[Sweetgum]

@Mwfan1921

And to drill down on that…many substance free dorms mean the students agree not to partake in the dorm, but they can (and do) drink, etc. elsewhere. So if that makes a difference to OP’s S, definitely ask that question.

Well sure, but if he is looking to be with kids for whom alcohol is not a priority you could do a lot worse than start with kids who are in a substance free dorm. Presumably at least some of the kids in the substance free dorms are there because they don’t want to be around alcohol, marijuana, drugs, cigarettes, etc. I’m sure some are there because mom and dad told them they should choose that dorm, but some kids will have picked it themselves.

[Publisher]

Great point regarding who selected the substance free dorm–the student or the parents.

[Mwfan1921]

I agree with all of that….just wanted to make that distinction in case it matters to OP’s son.

[Tigerle]

I think St. Olaf is a dry campus, and it does seem to work somewhat as advertised, ie somewhat less drinking in the community. From what I’ve read.

[ucbalumnus]

@Mwfan1921

IMO with the exception of religious colleges, there is a high prevalence of alcohol at the vast majority of schools.

But some college characteristics are associated with lower or higher drinking.

082-Presley.pdf

College and student characteristics associated with lower drinking:

• Historically Black colleges and universities.
• Black and Asian students (versus White and Native American students).
• Women’s colleges (obviously not an option here).
• Lower or no presence of fraternities and sororities, and participation in them.
• Participation in athletics (especially if also participating in fraternities and sororities).
• Two year colleges (versus four year colleges).
• Commuting from home < living off campus < living on campus < living in fraternity or sorority house.
• Larger college (versus smaller college).
• Region: South, West < North Central < Northeast.

Since the OP wants to avoid colleges with a heavy drinking culture, it would be wise to investigate drinking behavior carefully, especially at small LACs in the Northeast with heavy participation in sports, fraternities, and sororities, and low Black and Asian populations.

[Hippobirdy]

This federal site lists efforts for collaborative town gown programs to reduce college drinking
“
The Safer California Universities study, funded by NIAAA, examined a variety of environmental-level strategies that could be implemented on campuses and in their surrounding communities. A free toolkit for implementing the collaborative model is available.“

FAQs | CollegeAIM

[Sweetgum]

@ucbalumnus

• Presence of fraternities and sororities, and participation in them.
  …
• Commuting from home < living off campus < living on campus < living in fraternity or sorority house.

I’m confused by these two bullet points. I would guess that frats and participation in them would lead to more drinking which seems to be what the second bullet point means, but the first one is saying having frats and sororities decreases alcohol consumption??

[ucbalumnus]

Forgot to write “Lower or no” for “presence of fraternities and sororities, and participation in them”.

Edited in post above.

[vwlizard]

While looking for schools with high admit rates, make sure you also take into consideration their retention rates. High retention rates indicate the admissions officers find “good matches” and that once in, the institution is supportive enough that students stay. Many of the > 50% addmission rate schools also have < 50% graduation rates.

[Mwfan1921]

Low retention/grad rates are often a reflection of affordability rather than academics/support, meaning you see lower grad rates at schools with relatively lesser financial aid (don’t come close to meeting full need). Definitely need to dig into the details and ask questions about retention rates and 6 year grad rates.