Freaks and Geeks
August 15, 2011 11:48 PM Subscribe
Nerdy/quirky colleges. Give this rising senior some suggestions.
So, I don't have access to a counselor because I'm homeschooled, but I do have the internet! I'm a potential anthropology or English major in search of a veritable nerd utopia. My extracurriculars and test scores are such that I can reasonably look into top-20 schools, but I'm going to be relying on the Hey, That's Kind Of Interesting factor rather than the Wow! You're So Accomplished! factor. My family will be able to contribute very little to my education; generous financial aid is a must. I think I like the idea of a liberal arts college more than a huge research university. Urban and rural environments are equally okay.
I know virtually any college is going to have its share of misfits and rogues, but I'm specifically looking for the institutions that have built reputations for their student bodies' eccentricities. The hive mind's opinion is much appreciated!
So, I don't have access to a counselor because I'm homeschooled, but I do have the internet! I'm a potential anthropology or English major in search of a veritable nerd utopia. My extracurriculars and test scores are such that I can reasonably look into top-20 schools, but I'm going to be relying on the Hey, That's Kind Of Interesting factor rather than the Wow! You're So Accomplished! factor. My family will be able to contribute very little to my education; generous financial aid is a must. I think I like the idea of a liberal arts college more than a huge research university. Urban and rural environments are equally okay.
I know virtually any college is going to have its share of misfits and rogues, but I'm specifically looking for the institutions that have built reputations for their student bodies' eccentricities. The hive mind's opinion is much appreciated!
St. John's College has a quirky curriculum and culture stemming from it.
posted by michaelh at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by michaelh at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011
Reconsider places with huge endowments. I know MIT is crazy-good with financial aid, especially if your folks don't have much $$. Harvard also has increased its aid considerably to kids with less $$.
And MIT is all crazies. They are all crazy in different ways. From my undergrad, I know people who: rang bells as an extra curricular, built potato guns in the basement of the dorm, built a boat-of-car to watch the fireworks on the Charles, were writing a romance novel in hopes of getting it published, learned Finnish for fun, etc., etc. It is crazy hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And they do have anthropology as a major.
posted by chiefthe at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
And MIT is all crazies. They are all crazy in different ways. From my undergrad, I know people who: rang bells as an extra curricular, built potato guns in the basement of the dorm, built a boat-of-car to watch the fireworks on the Charles, were writing a romance novel in hopes of getting it published, learned Finnish for fun, etc., etc. It is crazy hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And they do have anthropology as a major.
posted by chiefthe at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
I would second Reed College and also suggest The University of Chicago.
posted by shesbookish at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by shesbookish at 12:07 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Visit the top 3 well-reputed anthro schools within a 400-mile radius of home; that makes it difficult, but not impossible, for your parents to come see you. Enroll in whichever one your gut tells you. Then be the eccentricity you'd like to see in the world.
posted by Rockear at 12:09 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Rockear at 12:09 AM on August 16, 2011
Evergreen or Brown if you really want an alternative environment.
I'd also recommend Seattle - any university there, really - given what you're looking for in terms of a "nerd mecca".
disclaimer: I was an English/History major at a small private university in Seattle so I'm biased.
posted by guster4lovers at 12:27 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'd also recommend Seattle - any university there, really - given what you're looking for in terms of a "nerd mecca".
disclaimer: I was an English/History major at a small private university in Seattle so I'm biased.
posted by guster4lovers at 12:27 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you want "Hey, kind of interesting" plus cheap, you might consider Deep Springs. It only has around 25 students, but it has produced a famous anthropologist (Julian Steward) and writer (William Vollman). My sister-in-law's brother-in-law certainly came out of it a very interesting character.
The other answers so far generally agree with common wisdom, and I second them. I'd also add New College of South Florida and UC Santa Cruz to the list.
But I kind of like chiefthe's recommendation in particular, and in case you're dubious about the anth angle, MIT doesn't just have an anth program--it has a couple of the sharpest anthropologists I've ever known. It seems possible non-STEM applicants enjoy a higher admissions rate there and perhaps reasonable aid packages. But as a BA/PhD in anth, I have to vote against accumulating much debt for an anthropology degree.
Have fun shopping around.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 12:33 AM on August 16, 2011
The other answers so far generally agree with common wisdom, and I second them. I'd also add New College of South Florida and UC Santa Cruz to the list.
But I kind of like chiefthe's recommendation in particular, and in case you're dubious about the anth angle, MIT doesn't just have an anth program--it has a couple of the sharpest anthropologists I've ever known. It seems possible non-STEM applicants enjoy a higher admissions rate there and perhaps reasonable aid packages. But as a BA/PhD in anth, I have to vote against accumulating much debt for an anthropology degree.
Have fun shopping around.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 12:33 AM on August 16, 2011
Grinnell, Macalester, Oberlin, and Carleton in the Midwest!
(I am a Grinnell alum. One of the reasons I liked it a lot was because it is a great school that has little name recognition. That way, you know people went there because they liked the school, not the name of it.) I applied to all of these colleges - if you want to know my personal opinion/experience, feel free to MeMail me.
posted by nakedmolerats at 12:34 AM on August 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
(I am a Grinnell alum. One of the reasons I liked it a lot was because it is a great school that has little name recognition. That way, you know people went there because they liked the school, not the name of it.) I applied to all of these colleges - if you want to know my personal opinion/experience, feel free to MeMail me.
posted by nakedmolerats at 12:34 AM on August 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
The College Of William and Mary is perfect for both of your fields. We even have an encyclopedia (encyclopaedia, for those across the pond of whom W&M students are so fond) lovingly detailing our geekery. The term TWAMP in this case is a "Typical William and Mary Person" who is often found nerding out abou anything an everything.
Also, It's public (thus cheaper) and small, so you'll get good attention from your brilliant professors.
But hey, I'm biased. *lovingly glances down at his class ring with the College of William and Mary Royal Coat of Arms on it.*
posted by cmchap at 12:40 AM on August 16, 2011
Also, It's public (thus cheaper) and small, so you'll get good attention from your brilliant professors.
But hey, I'm biased. *lovingly glances down at his class ring with the College of William and Mary Royal Coat of Arms on it.*
posted by cmchap at 12:40 AM on August 16, 2011
Our son's about to be a senior in HS, and Carleton was our favorite of the 8 colleges we saw in the Midwest. I highly recommend the Fiske and Princeton guides to help you learn about different schools ... and College Confidential.
posted by lukemeister at 12:43 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by lukemeister at 12:43 AM on August 16, 2011
You need to go to the University of Chicago, where genius is cheap but personal hygiene is precious. Students in the coffee shop are talking about Kant and string theory because they think it is fun. Mike Royko called the U of C something like "the greatest collection of adolescent neurotics since the Childrens' Crusade." And their aid packages are (or were?) great, I got a free ride. And Chicago is a great city full of life.
posted by LarryC at 12:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by LarryC at 12:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Swarthmore College is exactly what you're looking for. Swat is the liberal arts version of U Chicago, and a ridiculous number of grads do their graduate work at U of C. The financial aid is the best in the country -- fully funded needs, no loans. I'm a current student; feel free to message me with questions.
posted by femmegrrr at 2:07 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by femmegrrr at 2:07 AM on August 16, 2011
Yes to quirky liberal arts schools: not just Reed and St John's and Evergreen (which are better known as alternative experiences) but, Swarthmore (and no doubt others) on the east coast, Grinnell/Macalester/Oberlin/Carleton in the midwest. I went to Grinnell (hi nakedmolerats; I don't think we know each other!) and its self-image is definitely as a home for oddballs and lovable misfits and creatives (and no frats or sororities) as well as a strong current of studious types. My impression is that atmosphere is shared by a number of not-so-well-known liberal arts colleges.
Grinnell also sends a LOT of people to grad schools of various types: it's in the top five producers of PhDs (per graduate) for a number of disciplines, including chemistry and anthropology. Swarthmore and some other liberal arts colleges are up there, too.
I did not major in anthro at Grinnell, but I am now in a PhD program for sociocultural anthro and I know a few of the faculty who are still kicking around, so feel free to memail if you have questions.
posted by col_pogo at 2:34 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Grinnell also sends a LOT of people to grad schools of various types: it's in the top five producers of PhDs (per graduate) for a number of disciplines, including chemistry and anthropology. Swarthmore and some other liberal arts colleges are up there, too.
I did not major in anthro at Grinnell, but I am now in a PhD program for sociocultural anthro and I know a few of the faculty who are still kicking around, so feel free to memail if you have questions.
posted by col_pogo at 2:34 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Seconding Oberlin. I live there. My wife raises money for financial aid there. It's a small town flanked by cows and cornfields ~35 minutes from downtown Cleveland. Feels cosmopolitan because the college draws students and faculty from all over the world. Very liberal political leanings, academically rigorous, strong in both arts and sciences, and fun but not a party school. The sticker price is high, but only a small percentage of students pay it. I'm always hearing that, "The college meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students," i.e. if you are admitted, they will make sure you can afford to actually attend.*
* Admissions are not need-blind, much to the consternation of some older alumni. If you're academically borderline, a bad financial situation can be the last nail in your application's coffin.
posted by jon1270 at 2:39 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
* Admissions are not need-blind, much to the consternation of some older alumni. If you're academically borderline, a bad financial situation can be the last nail in your application's coffin.
posted by jon1270 at 2:39 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'd be careful about Evergreen...the departments vary in quality and reputation. Getting into grad school afterwards might also be hard, if that's what you decide to do, as they don't cover off some of the basics of various subjects in any mandatory way, do a lot of assignments in groups, etc. (I took one summer session there, ages ago, only to find that the classes simply weren't acceptable to other universities. In retrospect, they shouldn't have been - though I was really angry at the time. If you want detail, MeMail me.)
Evergreen might be a particular issue for a homeschooling alum, as the phrase "I was homeschooled and then went to Evergreen to study English" has some stereotypes associated with it that might be hard to overcome. (If you weren't a radical unschooler - and it sounds like you weren't - people you encountered later might still apply the most ignorant stereotypes of 'unschooling' to you because of the Evergreen association.)
If you are looking for Evergreen's values but more widely known academics (and probably better financial aid), I second the idea of looking at Hampshire. Really, the top-ranked liberal arts schools are all going to have some version of what you need, and all are at this point used to accepting homeschoolers. Don't be scared away - even from someplace like Bard - by the sticker price, as it often masks a high rate of financial aid.
I agree with posters above - look at Carlton, Grinnel, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Vassar, Oberlin etc. , but also look at some of the schools that aren't big names and might have the academics and atmosphere you want: places like Shimer, UPS, Goucher, Berea, Harvey Mudd, Macalester or Knox. A good, comprehensive guide like those the previous posters have suggested will help you find the less big names known for geeky, academic, fun student life and great classes.
Make sure that, instead of just requesting info on the web page, you call the admissions department. Let them know your background, and why you are thinking that they might be a good fit, and ask if there are specific application or financial aid forms or procedures for homeschoolers. That will get you on their radar as organised and driven, and also give you lots of advance warning if they need something extra - like a statement on academics from a parent or an extra recommendation from a coach or a statement of educational costs for your homeschooling program - to make for a complete application, and avoid surprise extra paperwork later.
Best of luck! College is fun!
posted by Wylla at 2:43 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Evergreen might be a particular issue for a homeschooling alum, as the phrase "I was homeschooled and then went to Evergreen to study English" has some stereotypes associated with it that might be hard to overcome. (If you weren't a radical unschooler - and it sounds like you weren't - people you encountered later might still apply the most ignorant stereotypes of 'unschooling' to you because of the Evergreen association.)
If you are looking for Evergreen's values but more widely known academics (and probably better financial aid), I second the idea of looking at Hampshire. Really, the top-ranked liberal arts schools are all going to have some version of what you need, and all are at this point used to accepting homeschoolers. Don't be scared away - even from someplace like Bard - by the sticker price, as it often masks a high rate of financial aid.
I agree with posters above - look at Carlton, Grinnel, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Vassar, Oberlin etc. , but also look at some of the schools that aren't big names and might have the academics and atmosphere you want: places like Shimer, UPS, Goucher, Berea, Harvey Mudd, Macalester or Knox. A good, comprehensive guide like those the previous posters have suggested will help you find the less big names known for geeky, academic, fun student life and great classes.
Make sure that, instead of just requesting info on the web page, you call the admissions department. Let them know your background, and why you are thinking that they might be a good fit, and ask if there are specific application or financial aid forms or procedures for homeschoolers. That will get you on their radar as organised and driven, and also give you lots of advance warning if they need something extra - like a statement on academics from a parent or an extra recommendation from a coach or a statement of educational costs for your homeschooling program - to make for a complete application, and avoid surprise extra paperwork later.
Best of luck! College is fun!
posted by Wylla at 2:43 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes! Grinnell! I would be happy to tell you about my experience. I graduated in 1995. (History/ Classics).
Hi, other alums!
posted by miss tea at 3:39 AM on August 16, 2011
Hi, other alums!
posted by miss tea at 3:39 AM on August 16, 2011
Anothe St. John's alum here. Metaflter sprouts us like weeds. If you're intrigues by SJC, Reed, or Chicago, consider Shimer.
Also consider Berea (if you meet the financial requirements) and Warren Wilson. Both very good, very interesting schools where weird is normal.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:26 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also consider Berea (if you meet the financial requirements) and Warren Wilson. Both very good, very interesting schools where weird is normal.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:26 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm another Grinnell alum (hey everyone!) and I nth the Grinnell/Carleton/Macalester/Oberlin suggestions. Visit them all before deciding; sometimes it just comes down to how much you click with the place.
I'm also thirding the suggestion to give MIT a look, despite it not being a liberal arts college. I currently live near MIT and Harvard, and the whole area is Nerd City and it's just a really neat place to live.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:38 AM on August 16, 2011
I'm also thirding the suggestion to give MIT a look, despite it not being a liberal arts college. I currently live near MIT and Harvard, and the whole area is Nerd City and it's just a really neat place to live.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:38 AM on August 16, 2011
You might be interested in the College of Creative Studies - a college within a college at UCSB.
posted by zanni at 4:50 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by zanni at 4:50 AM on August 16, 2011
Did you take the SAT? Because weird / quirky schools have been spamming the hell out of our mailbox. My homeschooled son took the SAT in June, and apparently homeschooled + high SAT scores = interesting to small liberal arts schools. I had not heard of 90% of the schools that have been sending him letters and brochures. And his scores were great, but not quite top 20 school level, so I would think you would get the same sort of response.
posted by COD at 4:59 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by COD at 4:59 AM on August 16, 2011
Take a look at the University of Michigan's Residential College. It's basically a small liberal arts school within a large research university, and East Quad is definitely Freak/Geek Central. (No disrespect! I wasn't an RC student but I spent 2 years living in East Quad and loved it.)
posted by shiny blue object at 5:00 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by shiny blue object at 5:00 AM on August 16, 2011
If you're visiting other schools in the midwest, check out University of Minnesota-Morris. It's a tiny public liberal arts college filled with weird nerds, and there's no out of state tuition. Merit aid totally exists (I got a full-tuition scholarship for my time there), and rent off campus is insanely cheap (no one paid over $250/month for rent). Dorms can be pricey but are worth it the first year to meet people. There are excellent research and study abroad opportunities because it's part of the larger University of Minnesota system. There's a water slide at the athletic center, which is a bonus. And if you end up attending, sign up to DJ a radio show on 89.7 KUMM - I have nothing but awesome memories about the radio station. Life on the prairie can take some getting used to, but I enjoyed it a lot.
posted by Maarika at 5:10 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Maarika at 5:10 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'll throw in a vote for my alma mater - Dartmouth College. I know it gets a lot of shit for a lot of reasons (conservative breeding grounds, i-bankers, and future business school a-holes), but I found a clique there that was very much unlike that (and if they were, they weren't asses about it).
The financial aid packages are generous - my wife did very well, being one of four and being able to contribute very little. If you get in, they want you there, and are generally willing to help out.
It's a great liberal arts school, and it's got the small college feeling. Professors teach classes, not TAs, and it's got this amazing community vie. If you want to go hike in the woods, there's a group for that. If you want to sit in a drum circle, no problem. There are plenty of groups to sit in around and avoid the sweet dude, popped collar mentality. When you put a bunch of college-aged kids from metropolitan areas in the middle of rural New Hampshire, quirky shit and ideas happen.
The only problem is that, yeah, it's pricey.
posted by SNWidget at 5:27 AM on August 16, 2011
The financial aid packages are generous - my wife did very well, being one of four and being able to contribute very little. If you get in, they want you there, and are generally willing to help out.
It's a great liberal arts school, and it's got the small college feeling. Professors teach classes, not TAs, and it's got this amazing community vie. If you want to go hike in the woods, there's a group for that. If you want to sit in a drum circle, no problem. There are plenty of groups to sit in around and avoid the sweet dude, popped collar mentality. When you put a bunch of college-aged kids from metropolitan areas in the middle of rural New Hampshire, quirky shit and ideas happen.
The only problem is that, yeah, it's pricey.
posted by SNWidget at 5:27 AM on August 16, 2011
.
It was like four years of summer camp in the woods.
They have crazy good financial aid. At least ten years ago, if you're in the top ten people in your graduating class, you can go for the price of a state school in your state. For me, that was 3K a year.
posted by freshwater at 5:48 AM on August 16, 2011
It was like four years of summer camp in the woods.
They have crazy good financial aid. At least ten years ago, if you're in the top ten people in your graduating class, you can go for the price of a state school in your state. For me, that was 3K a year.
posted by freshwater at 5:48 AM on August 16, 2011
Bard
Stupid link. I did not take comp sci.
posted by freshwater at 5:48 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
Stupid link. I did not take comp sci.
posted by freshwater at 5:48 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
I went to a small geeky liberal arts school!
I tend to be a little bit pessimistic, so here are a few words of caution:
1) Many of these quirky little colleges have widely varying department quality. For example, my school had an awesome anthro program where students were doing intensive original research, but the English department sucked and was basically full of slackers who couldn't handle hard work. It is absolutely NO fun to be a good student in a bad department -- imagine going to class after class where no one has done the required reading. So be very careful about the quality of the specific departments you're thinking about majoring in.
2) Can I encourage you to look at the honors college or liberal arts college at your state's school? Private schools have very effective marketing that makes you think that they're the only way to get an education, but they're also VERY expensive, and financial aid is really limited these days.
I've taught a number of honors college students at my current university who have been, frankly, incredible -- triple-majors with perfect GPAs and multiple published research articles are pretty common. Through REU programs, they get face time with top-rate researchers in their fields. And they don't have huge amounts of debt building up interest like the ones who went to an expensive school for undergrad.
If you go to grad school, no one will ever care where you did your undergrad, so it's all about getting a great education for as little money as possible.
posted by miyabo at 5:51 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
I tend to be a little bit pessimistic, so here are a few words of caution:
1) Many of these quirky little colleges have widely varying department quality. For example, my school had an awesome anthro program where students were doing intensive original research, but the English department sucked and was basically full of slackers who couldn't handle hard work. It is absolutely NO fun to be a good student in a bad department -- imagine going to class after class where no one has done the required reading. So be very careful about the quality of the specific departments you're thinking about majoring in.
2) Can I encourage you to look at the honors college or liberal arts college at your state's school? Private schools have very effective marketing that makes you think that they're the only way to get an education, but they're also VERY expensive, and financial aid is really limited these days.
I've taught a number of honors college students at my current university who have been, frankly, incredible -- triple-majors with perfect GPAs and multiple published research articles are pretty common. Through REU programs, they get face time with top-rate researchers in their fields. And they don't have huge amounts of debt building up interest like the ones who went to an expensive school for undergrad.
If you go to grad school, no one will ever care where you did your undergrad, so it's all about getting a great education for as little money as possible.
posted by miyabo at 5:51 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
If you're a chick, Hollins University might be right up your alley. They have an excellent English/Creative Writing department. I sat in on one of their panels during a Writing Center conference, and the presenting students were very quirky/brilliant.
posted by litnerd at 6:20 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by litnerd at 6:20 AM on August 16, 2011
I'm going to be relying on the Hey, That's Kind Of Interesting factor rather than the Wow! You're So Accomplished! factor... generous financial aid is a must.
These two things contradict each other. Those small, quirky liberal colleges (Bennington, Hampshire, Oberlin, Sarah Lawrence, et al.) don't have a lot of money to give in financial aid, while the "Wow! You're So Accomplished!" colleges are going to be able to meet your financial need much more easily. However, those quirky schools do seem to have good marketing departments that pitch themselves to students like yourself looking for an experience that's a sharp departure from the bland intellectual environment they grew up in.
As people have pointed out, though, a lot of the "Wow! You're So Accomplished!" colleges are pretty quirky environments that are good as nurturing their student bodies' eccentricities. (Swarthmore, MIT, Brown).
I suggest you apply to an array of these schools and compare the financial aid packages, and the benefit of doing this is that you'll end up considering schools you didn't think of before. I few of my friends from MIT were actually more interested in other, even quirkier schools but chose MIT because of the better financial aid package, and it worked out well for them.
posted by deanc at 6:29 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
These two things contradict each other. Those small, quirky liberal colleges (Bennington, Hampshire, Oberlin, Sarah Lawrence, et al.) don't have a lot of money to give in financial aid, while the "Wow! You're So Accomplished!" colleges are going to be able to meet your financial need much more easily. However, those quirky schools do seem to have good marketing departments that pitch themselves to students like yourself looking for an experience that's a sharp departure from the bland intellectual environment they grew up in.
As people have pointed out, though, a lot of the "Wow! You're So Accomplished!" colleges are pretty quirky environments that are good as nurturing their student bodies' eccentricities. (Swarthmore, MIT, Brown).
I suggest you apply to an array of these schools and compare the financial aid packages, and the benefit of doing this is that you'll end up considering schools you didn't think of before. I few of my friends from MIT were actually more interested in other, even quirkier schools but chose MIT because of the better financial aid package, and it worked out well for them.
posted by deanc at 6:29 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
My awesome former roommate went to the New College of Florida--I don't know a ton about it, but it seems worth a look since she spoke highly of it and was a huge nerd. I got the sense that it did a lot of semi-alternative learning stuff.
As much as I liked the people I met at Reed and Evergreen, I'm a little ambivalent in general about the idea that small liberal arts colleges are the best way to get a humanities education. I was certainly of that opinion when I was applying to college, but after ending up at one of the aforementioned large research institutions, I found that most of them are fragmented enough that you'll end up finding your own nerd utopia there (I ended up living at one of Deep Springs' sister houses within my school, which led to a pretty intense four years), and it was great to be able to meet people who were passionate about things outside the standard liberal arts curriculum (and, even better, people who were interested in both and could connect those things in a coherent way). I also got much better financial aid through the large school than I did at Reed, which was a major factor in my decision.
Oh, and if you end up going to Deep Springs (assuming you're male), you can look forward to a crazy good classical education among very serious students, and then probably a transfer to just about wherever you want, since it's a two-year school. But it is also worth noting that they're a very specific kind of institution, and you'll want to make sure you're prepared to pretty much devote your life to it. The application process, from what I understand, is involved enough that you'll get a pretty good sense of what it values.
posted by Tubalcain at 6:49 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
As much as I liked the people I met at Reed and Evergreen, I'm a little ambivalent in general about the idea that small liberal arts colleges are the best way to get a humanities education. I was certainly of that opinion when I was applying to college, but after ending up at one of the aforementioned large research institutions, I found that most of them are fragmented enough that you'll end up finding your own nerd utopia there (I ended up living at one of Deep Springs' sister houses within my school, which led to a pretty intense four years), and it was great to be able to meet people who were passionate about things outside the standard liberal arts curriculum (and, even better, people who were interested in both and could connect those things in a coherent way). I also got much better financial aid through the large school than I did at Reed, which was a major factor in my decision.
Oh, and if you end up going to Deep Springs (assuming you're male), you can look forward to a crazy good classical education among very serious students, and then probably a transfer to just about wherever you want, since it's a two-year school. But it is also worth noting that they're a very specific kind of institution, and you'll want to make sure you're prepared to pretty much devote your life to it. The application process, from what I understand, is involved enough that you'll get a pretty good sense of what it values.
posted by Tubalcain at 6:49 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
deanc: The OP (and parents) should definitely do their homework and run the numbers, but some of those small, quirky colleges are, in fact, in a very good position to provide generous financial aid. Off the top of my head, Swarthmore and Grinnell both have billion-dollar endowments* and I know that when I went the latter met all demonstrated financial need, as well as offering generous merit packages. Just googling, I see that Oberlin has fairly generous numbers, too. It may not meet the standards of Yale/Princeton/Harvard/Stanford, but those numbers are nothing to sniff at.
*A study I read (from before the 2008 financial crisis, which no doubt shook up the numbers) pointed out that Grinnell was, by some measures, the wealthiest university in the world, its endowment:operating budget ratio outstripping Harvard's by 50%. Berea, Pomona, Amherst, and Swarthmore also beat out Harvard. (Of course they are, by definition, spending less of their money than Harvard, including, one would presume, on financial aid.)
posted by col_pogo at 6:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
*A study I read (from before the 2008 financial crisis, which no doubt shook up the numbers) pointed out that Grinnell was, by some measures, the wealthiest university in the world, its endowment:operating budget ratio outstripping Harvard's by 50%. Berea, Pomona, Amherst, and Swarthmore also beat out Harvard. (Of course they are, by definition, spending less of their money than Harvard, including, one would presume, on financial aid.)
posted by col_pogo at 6:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
By all means (if you're male, that is) give Deep Springs a shot. You'll find out at some point in the application process if it's right for you; it fits your requirements pretty closely, but it's also probably the hardest school to get into the country. Also nthing UChicago and midwestern liberal arts colleges.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 7:01 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by villanelles at dawn at 7:01 AM on August 16, 2011
I recommend choosing schools based on academic excellence and financial aid. There will be nerds, geeks, quirkies, hipster wannabes, and amazingly interesting people at every single college or university you can imagine. Dooce went to Brigham Young, for example, though I wouldn't quite recommend it. So, looking through these recommendations, pick the ones with great academic reputations, and then look for aid. You'll find a diverse group of intelligent people, and intelligence is the best percolator for the kind of interesting weirdness you're likely to enjoy.
posted by theora55 at 7:11 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by theora55 at 7:11 AM on August 16, 2011
University of Chicago, University of Chicago, University of Chicago!!
100% THE place to go for the Freak and Geek atmosphere. Also, I was homeschooled too, and they were patient with my big-nontraditional-bundle-of-materials-in-lieu-of-a-transcript, which some bigger/state school type places just didn't seem to be able to process. Though this was several years ago and their selectivity has increased some since then.
It's a big research university, but as an undergrad if you're interested you can take a lot of cross-listed graduate classes, be a professor's research assistant, etc., so being an undergrad there can be kind of like being a grad student if you want it to be. The teaching staff maybe has some more duds than a liberal arts college, but there are lots of great teachers and the academic opportunities are amazing - if you're interested in grad school later, you'll have a leg up because of the school's stellar reputation in the academic world. If you'd rather spend your post-college years becoming a train-hopping hobo, starting your own business, or getting a job like a normal person - well, my classmates have done those things too :).
posted by anotherthink at 7:17 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
100% THE place to go for the Freak and Geek atmosphere. Also, I was homeschooled too, and they were patient with my big-nontraditional-bundle-of-materials-in-lieu-of-a-transcript, which some bigger/state school type places just didn't seem to be able to process. Though this was several years ago and their selectivity has increased some since then.
It's a big research university, but as an undergrad if you're interested you can take a lot of cross-listed graduate classes, be a professor's research assistant, etc., so being an undergrad there can be kind of like being a grad student if you want it to be. The teaching staff maybe has some more duds than a liberal arts college, but there are lots of great teachers and the academic opportunities are amazing - if you're interested in grad school later, you'll have a leg up because of the school's stellar reputation in the academic world. If you'd rather spend your post-college years becoming a train-hopping hobo, starting your own business, or getting a job like a normal person - well, my classmates have done those things too :).
posted by anotherthink at 7:17 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't want to say anything against any of the schools mentioned above, but I will play Devil's Advocate for a moment and suggest a reason that a gigantic university might not be a bad idea.
The smaller the school, the fewer the social circles it will have; conversely, the bigger the school, the more likely it is that whatever sub-sub-subculture you're into will have enough students to create a self-sustaining community at that school. If the social milieu at a small school suits you, you're fine, but if not, it'll be harder to escape it without transferring to a different school.
posted by adamrice at 7:27 AM on August 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
The smaller the school, the fewer the social circles it will have; conversely, the bigger the school, the more likely it is that whatever sub-sub-subculture you're into will have enough students to create a self-sustaining community at that school. If the social milieu at a small school suits you, you're fine, but if not, it'll be harder to escape it without transferring to a different school.
posted by adamrice at 7:27 AM on August 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
Let's be honest - its easier to list school that won't meet what you want.
Virtually all of the top-20 liberal arts schools (ex- some of the NESCAC schools) will offer the environment you are looking for.
Virtually all of the top-20 Universities (ex- a few names you should be able to figure out yourself - I went to a school that I think would fall in the group of no-goes for you, but I'd rather not name lots of names of other schools as well.) will have at least a large clique of freaks and nerds.
All of the top tier state schools will also offer great options. Lots of social and economic diversity at those schools - far more than at many of the fancy private schools.
Really its only the smaller "elite" private universities that are small enough to have the sort of homogenous./pre-professional student body you are trying to avoid. This doesn't really apply to liberal arts schools though as they dont'' really do the pre-professional thing.
posted by JPD at 7:33 AM on August 16, 2011
Virtually all of the top-20 liberal arts schools (ex- some of the NESCAC schools) will offer the environment you are looking for.
Virtually all of the top-20 Universities (ex- a few names you should be able to figure out yourself - I went to a school that I think would fall in the group of no-goes for you, but I'd rather not name lots of names of other schools as well.) will have at least a large clique of freaks and nerds.
All of the top tier state schools will also offer great options. Lots of social and economic diversity at those schools - far more than at many of the fancy private schools.
Really its only the smaller "elite" private universities that are small enough to have the sort of homogenous./pre-professional student body you are trying to avoid. This doesn't really apply to liberal arts schools though as they dont'' really do the pre-professional thing.
posted by JPD at 7:33 AM on August 16, 2011
Any Haverford fans here? We're going to visit Haverford, Swarthmore, and Brown the week of (US) Thanksgiving.
posted by lukemeister at 7:57 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by lukemeister at 7:57 AM on August 16, 2011
One that has the culture you want but very different academic focus is Cal Tech. You can major in English (and a few other humanities) there, but it's the unusual of the unusual.
I wouldn't take the advice to look hard at undergrad anthro programs, and I wouldn't suggest a boutique school. Most people change their major, and a large set of quality offerings lets you get away with that well. For example, most freshman couldn't really tell you that post-intro what they really want to study is anthro rather than sociology, psych, or history. Unless you want to go to grad school in the humanities (please don't), ending up in a related discipline is no big deal since you will take cross-listed courses, minor, electives, etc in other departments. The occupational prospects are negligibly different.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:00 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't take the advice to look hard at undergrad anthro programs, and I wouldn't suggest a boutique school. Most people change their major, and a large set of quality offerings lets you get away with that well. For example, most freshman couldn't really tell you that post-intro what they really want to study is anthro rather than sociology, psych, or history. Unless you want to go to grad school in the humanities (please don't), ending up in a related discipline is no big deal since you will take cross-listed courses, minor, electives, etc in other departments. The occupational prospects are negligibly different.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:00 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Caltech ( note spelling--huge issue) has an English option but you still have to take lots of science. A non-science or math major, no matter how nerdy, is going to feel left out. Personally, I 'd pick a big school with a strong dept in the field you like ( what's a pre-professional English major?) in a place unlike where you grew up. If you're from the Northwest--go to UT in Austin. New England? Go to Cal at Berkeley. Stretch yourself.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:17 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 8:17 AM on August 16, 2011
You could have been me 15 years ago. I ended up getting my degree from Truman State University, Missouri's highly-selective liberal arts college.
Truman, being a public school, has lots of charm and quirkiness but it's affordable! It was actually cheaper for me to go there with out of state tuition than it was for me to attend the big school in my home state.
It's NOT a commuter college. Everyone generally stays there on weekends so your friends become your family. There's a big state park and lake nearby.
It's not a party school, either. Expect to have high test scores to get in. Classes are challenging and you can't blow them off. My husband and I both got English degrees there - his was in Brit Lit and mine was in Composition. Their anthro major was particularly strong, too ... I took some of those classes as well. They are big on sending students abroad, too, and bringing activities onto campus.
posted by Ostara at 8:26 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Truman, being a public school, has lots of charm and quirkiness but it's affordable! It was actually cheaper for me to go there with out of state tuition than it was for me to attend the big school in my home state.
It's NOT a commuter college. Everyone generally stays there on weekends so your friends become your family. There's a big state park and lake nearby.
It's not a party school, either. Expect to have high test scores to get in. Classes are challenging and you can't blow them off. My husband and I both got English degrees there - his was in Brit Lit and mine was in Composition. Their anthro major was particularly strong, too ... I took some of those classes as well. They are big on sending students abroad, too, and bringing activities onto campus.
posted by Ostara at 8:26 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
You neeeeed to be looking at endowments and asking actual recent applicants about the financial aid situations of the colleges that interest you. I applied to many of the schools in this thread (in the dark ages, almost ten long years ago now) and absolutely could not afford to go to most of them without taking on lots of debt. UChicago was actually the *only* school that ended up offering me a package that was even vaguely realistic for me. I remember thinking Reed's was some kind of a joke. And if you're female, Smith's was even worse to the point where my dad called them up and got a little spicy with them. To be (slightly more) fair, we were in a weird situation financially and if yours is more clear-cut you might not see as much variation.
I heard about a lot of the schools I applied to from Colleges that Change Lives and Hidden Ivies. There's apparently a whole industry around propelling high school students who are too special to apply to Harvard in the right direction, and you can use that to your advantage to save yourself a lot of time.
In the end I went to the school that offered to pay my way. That, I can recommend with no reservations whatsoever. Don't fall so hard in love with any one school that you lose your head about your fiscal realities.
posted by troublesome at 8:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
I heard about a lot of the schools I applied to from Colleges that Change Lives and Hidden Ivies. There's apparently a whole industry around propelling high school students who are too special to apply to Harvard in the right direction, and you can use that to your advantage to save yourself a lot of time.
In the end I went to the school that offered to pay my way. That, I can recommend with no reservations whatsoever. Don't fall so hard in love with any one school that you lose your head about your fiscal realities.
posted by troublesome at 8:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
Factors to consider in winnowing down your selection from someone else that was heavily reliant on aid (and it really affected where I could go when I did apply):
-Is the college admissions department need blind? (It'd make sure at least 50% of your choices are; it's harder to get in places that aren't if you need significant aid).
- What kind of work study environments and opportunities do they have if you need to use it? If you're going to have to do work study might as well get some work experience out of it.
- Are there any funds for doing an internship during the summmer, etc? (Smith College where I went had Praxis, which helped offset the cost of an unpaid internship, which was a god-send after graduation in later finding work in a bad economy)
- Location: Do you care how many people you went to college with are in the city you plan to move to after graduation (if you have a plan)?
posted by ejaned8 at 8:55 AM on August 16, 2011
-Is the college admissions department need blind? (It'd make sure at least 50% of your choices are; it's harder to get in places that aren't if you need significant aid).
- What kind of work study environments and opportunities do they have if you need to use it? If you're going to have to do work study might as well get some work experience out of it.
- Are there any funds for doing an internship during the summmer, etc? (Smith College where I went had Praxis, which helped offset the cost of an unpaid internship, which was a god-send after graduation in later finding work in a bad economy)
- Location: Do you care how many people you went to college with are in the city you plan to move to after graduation (if you have a plan)?
posted by ejaned8 at 8:55 AM on August 16, 2011
Seconding New College of Florida, notoriously eccentric and the anthropology department is great.
posted by Papagayo at 9:01 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Papagayo at 9:01 AM on August 16, 2011
SUNY Purchase ranks #12 in the county for "Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians" and #18 for "Dodgeball Targets".
Dorms are hideous(although I hear they've built nice new ones now), the campus is ugly, but it is a wonderfully weird place and part of the SUNY system, so (relatively speaking) cheap.
posted by inertia at 9:02 AM on August 16, 2011
Dorms are hideous(although I hear they've built nice new ones now), the campus is ugly, but it is a wonderfully weird place and part of the SUNY system, so (relatively speaking) cheap.
posted by inertia at 9:02 AM on August 16, 2011
Oberlin, Reed, St. Johns
posted by forkisbetter at 9:46 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by forkisbetter at 9:46 AM on August 16, 2011
Chicago alum here. Honestly, you need to go visit these places. At a minimum, with your parents, but try to take advantage of prospective stays if you can. Nothing will tell you more about a school than extended time with the students currently attending.
I'd love to say Chicago is the right place for you, but it very well might not be. You need to go find out for yourself. There's a million different ways to be weird, and Reed weird is very different than Knox weird is very different from Chicago weird.
Heed the advice of others in this thread about packages - especially if you're considering concentrating in high cost but typically low compensation fields like anthropology or English.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 9:48 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'd love to say Chicago is the right place for you, but it very well might not be. You need to go find out for yourself. There's a million different ways to be weird, and Reed weird is very different than Knox weird is very different from Chicago weird.
Heed the advice of others in this thread about packages - especially if you're considering concentrating in high cost but typically low compensation fields like anthropology or English.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 9:48 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
oberlin alum here, and i loved every second of my time there, but if you're really really set on anthro, their department is supposed to suck. but the english department is awesome! and you'll probably change your major like five times anyway.
for the financial side of things, they do meet 100% of need, but due to most alums being poor librarians and whatnot, do not have a huge endowment. on the other hand, cost of living there is super super low. they also have co-op housing and dining, which makes things even cheaper and is very fun.
posted by genmonster at 9:54 AM on August 16, 2011
for the financial side of things, they do meet 100% of need, but due to most alums being poor librarians and whatnot, do not have a huge endowment. on the other hand, cost of living there is super super low. they also have co-op housing and dining, which makes things even cheaper and is very fun.
posted by genmonster at 9:54 AM on August 16, 2011
Beloit College (full disclosure: I'm a professor) is quirky as all get out. We have a kick-ass Anthro department and a cool English department. We're huge on international education in general, and in particular anthro students often travel to Chile and Jamaica for field research. A friend of mine is a creative writing alum; she got to stay for an extra semester (we call it an "Honors Term") to write a novel. We have a special-interest house for the scifi/fantasy/gaming club. We hold the world record for the longest continual game of Ultimate Frisbee.
Our financial aid office is tops. A huge chunk of our budget is need-based aid.
We're featured in the book Colleges That Change Lives, which has more information on Beloit and other schools of the sort you're interested in. Also feel free to memail me if there are any questions I can answer.
posted by BrashTech at 10:11 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Our financial aid office is tops. A huge chunk of our budget is need-based aid.
We're featured in the book Colleges That Change Lives, which has more information on Beloit and other schools of the sort you're interested in. Also feel free to memail me if there are any questions I can answer.
posted by BrashTech at 10:11 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Kenyon is yet another Ohio school that meets the quirk criterion - they've got a renowned and healthy English department and the anth faculty has some kind of neat ongoing project in South America that you could jump onto. Disclosure: it's my alma mater (surprise!) and I majored in math (if you have a last-minute change of heart, it's a great department!). They did right by me w/r/t aid but of course YMMV.
Nthing UChicago and St. Johns - I live in DC and have met a large number of graduates of both schools and they're great people, without exception.
posted by doubleozaphod at 10:14 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Nthing UChicago and St. Johns - I live in DC and have met a large number of graduates of both schools and they're great people, without exception.
posted by doubleozaphod at 10:14 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
1) My own Chicago experience:
After spending 2 years at Simon's Rock (weirdo for sure!), I tried to transfer, and had nothing but hassle with UChicago. I don't know how it will be with your homeschool experiences. This was when dinosaurs roamed the earth ('96), so things might be better now!
I ended up choosing Grinnell (out of Bard, Oberlin, Grinnell, Chicago), and the anthro department there was great.
(Physics intent to Anthro undergrad to Stats in grad school (MN) ).
Had I to do it over, I would probably do MIT :) I was glad to get humanities on though, and to get away from Massachusetts, both of which grew me as a person.
2) There is a cynical point of view on all this that school is really all about connections... meeting the right professors, the right other students, etc., to get things going in your life after college. When I was an undergrad, I thought that being book-smart was enough. Now, experience has shown that being in the right place with right people helps a lot. That said, Caltech, MIT, Harvard (and maybe Chicago) and the like are the places to be. Connect to hotshot professors and labs, get published, and learn how to get the money / access you need to Do Big Things after school*
* I am still stubborn on this, and am trying to built the tech scene in Minneapolis, rather than just sucking it up and moving to SF! Old habits die hard!
posted by gregglind at 11:34 AM on August 16, 2011
After spending 2 years at Simon's Rock (weirdo for sure!), I tried to transfer, and had nothing but hassle with UChicago. I don't know how it will be with your homeschool experiences. This was when dinosaurs roamed the earth ('96), so things might be better now!
I ended up choosing Grinnell (out of Bard, Oberlin, Grinnell, Chicago), and the anthro department there was great.
(Physics intent to Anthro undergrad to Stats in grad school (MN) ).
Had I to do it over, I would probably do MIT :) I was glad to get humanities on though, and to get away from Massachusetts, both of which grew me as a person.
2) There is a cynical point of view on all this that school is really all about connections... meeting the right professors, the right other students, etc., to get things going in your life after college. When I was an undergrad, I thought that being book-smart was enough. Now, experience has shown that being in the right place with right people helps a lot. That said, Caltech, MIT, Harvard (and maybe Chicago) and the like are the places to be. Connect to hotshot professors and labs, get published, and learn how to get the money / access you need to Do Big Things after school*
* I am still stubborn on this, and am trying to built the tech scene in Minneapolis, rather than just sucking it up and moving to SF! Old habits die hard!
posted by gregglind at 11:34 AM on August 16, 2011
Like some of the other small-colleges-within-universities that are mentioned upthread, UT Austin's Plan II is an amazing program with a small quirky liberal arts college environment.
posted by jayder at 12:42 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jayder at 12:42 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I came in to also recommend you consider Truman. It is full of nerdo's galore, is very reasonably priced, even for out of state tuition, and have a good anthro department. Feel free to memail me if you have any questions.
posted by fyrebelley at 1:42 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by fyrebelley at 1:42 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hated Hampshire; it wasn't for me. Look at it very carefully before attending; I should have.
posted by wittgenstein at 3:25 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by wittgenstein at 3:25 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think Wylla is perhaps being a bit harsh about Evergreen. According to a survey on TESC's fact page, 93% of Evergreen graduates who applied to graduate or professional school were accepted.
(I graduated from Evergreen and went on to grad school, though I didn't apply to a competitive program, so it doesn't really say much.)
posted by litlnemo at 3:48 PM on August 16, 2011
(I graduated from Evergreen and went on to grad school, though I didn't apply to a competitive program, so it doesn't really say much.)
posted by litlnemo at 3:48 PM on August 16, 2011
Nthing that you should read Colleges That Change Lives - terrific book.
I don't have much new to add, but to comment on some of the above recommendations...
Reed - I was accepted to Reed but never had the opportunity to visit, and so didn't end up going. I still wonder what might have been had I gone. Along with UChicago, Oberlin, and Swarthmore, and some of the others listed above it has a really strong academic reputation - remember that you definitely don't need to sell yourself short on the academic front to reach acceptable quirk levels. Certain other "quirky" schools mentioned by other commenters have reputations in the outside world as basically being summer camp for spoiled burnouts and slackers - I say this as someone who spent a good chunk of college being a spoiled burnout slacker, and I don't want to insult anyone or their alma maters and I'm not naming names - so just...consider that.
Kenyon - I attended Kenyon for about year and a half. It wasn't right for me, but I still miss a lot of things about it. It has a definitely quirk factor (although perhaps getting more mainstream as its rankings have improved recently). The anthropology department is, imho, quite good, but it's best known for its English program.
William and Mary - I graduated from here, as an anthro major, and I am a huge fan of the anthro program (and the one English class I took was terrific as well). However, I overall could give two shits about this place. It does not have a quirky misfit bone in its body. The students think they are nerdy in a cool way, but in fact they are nerdy in a sad, dorky, "Teacher, do I get a gold star?" sort of way. It is half people who were dorks in high school desperately trying to reinvent themselves as Greek BMOCs, and half people whose idea of the height of fun is watching anime in their dorm rooms. I met maybe 2 people that I actually like the entire time I was there (apologies to my fellow Tribe member who commented above - I am sure that you don't suck).
In general, I'd say that it is impossible to know without visiting these places - sometimes it just comes down to a vibe you get from a place. I ended up crossing Wesleyan, Bennington, Marlboro, and Grinnell off of my list after visits that were just meh for reasons that aren't even particularly describable. Of course, you can see how well my ultimate decision(s) worked out (in terms of liking my undergrad colleges, anyway - my life since graduation is working out just fine, so picking an imperfect college isn't the end of the world), so take my advice with a heaping spoon of salt.
posted by naoko at 2:19 AM on August 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't have much new to add, but to comment on some of the above recommendations...
Reed - I was accepted to Reed but never had the opportunity to visit, and so didn't end up going. I still wonder what might have been had I gone. Along with UChicago, Oberlin, and Swarthmore, and some of the others listed above it has a really strong academic reputation - remember that you definitely don't need to sell yourself short on the academic front to reach acceptable quirk levels. Certain other "quirky" schools mentioned by other commenters have reputations in the outside world as basically being summer camp for spoiled burnouts and slackers - I say this as someone who spent a good chunk of college being a spoiled burnout slacker, and I don't want to insult anyone or their alma maters and I'm not naming names - so just...consider that.
Kenyon - I attended Kenyon for about year and a half. It wasn't right for me, but I still miss a lot of things about it. It has a definitely quirk factor (although perhaps getting more mainstream as its rankings have improved recently). The anthropology department is, imho, quite good, but it's best known for its English program.
William and Mary - I graduated from here, as an anthro major, and I am a huge fan of the anthro program (and the one English class I took was terrific as well). However, I overall could give two shits about this place. It does not have a quirky misfit bone in its body. The students think they are nerdy in a cool way, but in fact they are nerdy in a sad, dorky, "Teacher, do I get a gold star?" sort of way. It is half people who were dorks in high school desperately trying to reinvent themselves as Greek BMOCs, and half people whose idea of the height of fun is watching anime in their dorm rooms. I met maybe 2 people that I actually like the entire time I was there (apologies to my fellow Tribe member who commented above - I am sure that you don't suck).
In general, I'd say that it is impossible to know without visiting these places - sometimes it just comes down to a vibe you get from a place. I ended up crossing Wesleyan, Bennington, Marlboro, and Grinnell off of my list after visits that were just meh for reasons that aren't even particularly describable. Of course, you can see how well my ultimate decision(s) worked out (in terms of liking my undergrad colleges, anyway - my life since graduation is working out just fine, so picking an imperfect college isn't the end of the world), so take my advice with a heaping spoon of salt.
posted by naoko at 2:19 AM on August 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Washington Monthly rankings for liberal arts colleges - which place high value on social mobility (financial aid), preparation for graduate school, community service, and 'public-mindedness' - are out and might really be helpful to you.
Litlnemo - only 1/3 of Evergreen students even apply to grad school within a year of finishing (low for a good liberal arts college, almost all of the others mentioned in this thread have higher stats), and the most common subject for study is education (teacher certification). Compare with Hampshire (which may not be right for everyone, as wittgenstein rightly pointed out, but which has similar values and procedures to Evergreen) - Hampshire is 8th in the nation for English PhDs and 20th for anthro. (Note: I didn't go there, I didn't even apply there.)
I don't hate Evergreen, but I think that its advocates should be a little more honest, both about the general reputation the place has (the degree carries lots of stereotypes which may not be useful to everyone) and about the uneven quality and respect that the programs there have. Art programs and some science/environment programs are great, others may not be and research is a good idea.
Evergreen alums are very enthusiastic cheerleaders for the place, but are very defensive about the very real drawbacks it has for some people - myself included, back in the day. There are very good alternatives which may not carry those drawbacks, so why not point that out before someone else has a bad experience similar to mine? If it turns out that Evergreen is exactly what jingle is looking for, then by all means, go for it...but do it with eyes open!
(Late answer, but I was drawn back to the thread when I saw the WM rankings.)
posted by Wylla at 3:05 AM on September 2, 2011
Litlnemo - only 1/3 of Evergreen students even apply to grad school within a year of finishing (low for a good liberal arts college, almost all of the others mentioned in this thread have higher stats), and the most common subject for study is education (teacher certification). Compare with Hampshire (which may not be right for everyone, as wittgenstein rightly pointed out, but which has similar values and procedures to Evergreen) - Hampshire is 8th in the nation for English PhDs and 20th for anthro. (Note: I didn't go there, I didn't even apply there.)
I don't hate Evergreen, but I think that its advocates should be a little more honest, both about the general reputation the place has (the degree carries lots of stereotypes which may not be useful to everyone) and about the uneven quality and respect that the programs there have. Art programs and some science/environment programs are great, others may not be and research is a good idea.
Evergreen alums are very enthusiastic cheerleaders for the place, but are very defensive about the very real drawbacks it has for some people - myself included, back in the day. There are very good alternatives which may not carry those drawbacks, so why not point that out before someone else has a bad experience similar to mine? If it turns out that Evergreen is exactly what jingle is looking for, then by all means, go for it...but do it with eyes open!
(Late answer, but I was drawn back to the thread when I saw the WM rankings.)
posted by Wylla at 3:05 AM on September 2, 2011
I'm coming in here late in case the poster or anyone else (now, more than ever!) is curious about Deep Springs — especially its single-sex status.
DS has begun the first steps toward admitting women.
See here for the announcement "9.19.11 Board of Trustees Votes to Admit Women".
Full disclosure: I am an alumnus.
posted by Glomar response at 12:05 PM on November 16, 2011
DS has begun the first steps toward admitting women.
See here for the announcement "9.19.11 Board of Trustees Votes to Admit Women".
Full disclosure: I am an alumnus.
posted by Glomar response at 12:05 PM on November 16, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by litlnemo at 12:00 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]