<p>I was gonna say that campuses where the weather brings people together- like the Midwest,have a well deserved reputation for being friendly.
Theres something about all being trapped on campus because of snow, or borrowing a sled or jumper cables that makes friends.</p>
<p>Ok - I admit I haven't read all the posts in this thread - everyone has an opinion of what is "nice." I have a dd who has a similar personality - voted "most likely to brighten up your day" last year. In our 10 college tour last summer her top two choices for friendliness were Villanova and Emory. But that was all she liked about Villanova and she decided not to apply. In our early days of the college road trip we wanted a campus like Penn State, kids like Villanova, academics like UPenn, set in NYC like NYU!
SO - it truly is a matter of the combination of things offered. I think what you need is that feeling of "yeah, I fit here" that can come when you do the college visit. I never even considered Emory and she really loved it at the visit.</p>
<p>W&M has been mentioned multiple times, and I am really impressed with how nice people here are... however, there is no engineering program (and it doesn't snow too much). But, W&M does have 3+2 programs with: Case Western Reserve, Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Washington University in St. Louis.</p>
<p>Emeraldkity is right there are nice kids everywhere. </p>
<p>I'm biased, but I'd say the highest concentration of nice kids are at the service academies and the nicest kids of all of the service academies go to Kings Point.</p>
<p>Look for a small school! Schools with under 2,000 students would be your best bet. These schools tend to have most of the student body knowing eachother and as a result get along.</p>
<p>St. Olaf College in Minnesota. They don't have engineering on campus, but they have 5-year engineering programs where she'd get a B.A. in Physics from St. Olaf and then spend a year at WashU or UMinn and get a B.S. in Engineering.</p>
<p>If she's interested in boys....all the "boys" at Michigan Tech complain about the lack of "girls", but it is a hidden gem and a well respected engineering program. Mt. Bohemia for skiing is not for the faint of heart, also a hidden gem.</p>
<p>There is a "Happiest students" list in the Princeton Review's book. Top school doesn't have engineering, but several of them do.<br>
If you are looking for the out and out "nicest" students - as in friendly, helpful, kind, curteous, cheerful,clean and reverant (help me old Boy Scouts, did I miss any?) try Texas A&M. They're the kind of kids you just are proud to know.</p>
<p>Whoops, just noticed most of this thread is pretty old. The OP has probably moved on to new ideas by now...</p>
<p>
[quote]
I am not against frats, per se, because most of the time frats are not threatening. I guess I may not be the best judge of this since I go to a school, Princeton, where frats are pretty much the outcasts (although well attended) of the social scene. However, as a witness of sexual molestation and assault at frat houses, I always promote an air of caution.
[/quote]
The Tulane frat boys who pour hot oil on their pledges each year and the U of Texas frat boys who are in a bit of trouble because they burned their pledges' faces with an iron are not nice. They may have been nice before they joined fraternities and got involved in hazing, and maybe they were hazed themselves when they were pledges, but seriously... not nice.</p>
<p>I agree that most of the time frats are not threatening, but I think there are far more incidents of "not nice" at fraternities than there are associated with any other college organization or activity.</p>
<p>You may want to check out some of the Jesuit schools. BC, Fordham, Holy Cross, Marquette, Santa Clara, the list goes on...</p>
<p>With the true emphasis on service and living with a purpose (which can be a religious faith or a philosophy, your choice), you tend to find kids who like being around people. When I started at BC, I was nervous because so many of the students are SOOOOO attractive that I thought they would be distant or cold. In reality, I found that they were the prototypical "all-American kid" with a slightly more liberal political view-point. One year off the BC campus, I am adjusting to a more average looking, harsher world.</p>
<p>I agree that the Jesuit schools tend to attract kids who are more inclined towards service given the Jesuit philosophy of promoting the development of men and women for others. Holy Cross is one of the smaller Jesuit schools with an enrollment of around 2700 students.</p>
<p>This is an old thread, but I found it interesting. We also found that certain schools had a friendly/happy "vibe" from the beginning--in particular, Tufts and Brown had this, as others have mentioned.</p>
<p>My son goes to the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY and I haven't met one Midshipman there that I wouldn't want my two daughters (6 & 8) to grow up to be like.</p>
<p>It is the most amazing collection of smart, dedicated, and public minded kids I have ever met.</p>
<p>Holy Cross has the highest rank of the 28 U.S. Jesuit colleges and universities in the percentage of its graduates who go on to serve in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Not sure if it is happiness, guilt or lack of employment ;-></p>
<p>I think that those who are interested in volunteering at that level- two years away from US is fairly intense IMO, may be more interested in meeting people outside of their circle and could be percieved as friendlier.</p>
<p>At least for my own D ( who used to be so anxious she hid when going to the Dr at 5 yrs), it has made her more confident and comfortable in new situations.</p>