lotsofquestions

I posted this thread on the Parents Forum as well, so my apologies if you've already read it, but thought I'd cast a wider net and post on the Earlham and Macalester forums as well...

My daughter applied to 7 schools and although she has 3 left to hear from, in her mind it's really down to Macalester and Earlham as her two top options. We visited Earlham 2 weeks ago and she absolutely loved it, to the point that she said "that's it, I'm done looking", and we cancelled out a second visit on our trip and headed home. The only school that she said she'd like to re-visit would be Macalester, if she was accepted. Two days ago she received an early-write acceptance from Macalester so now plans on visiting there during one of their accepted students' days in early April.

We had visited Mac in April of her junior year and she really liked it, but she definitely wants to return now that she's a senior and has a lot more to compare it with. At Earlham she loved the strong sense of engaged, socially aware students, their Peace and Global Studies major, the Quaker vibe, and the large percentage of international students. At Macalester she loved the location of the school, the friendly students, the large percentage of international students, the International Studies major, and the awesome food in Cafe Mac. Both schools offer tremendous opportunity for study abroad experiences.

I'd be curious to hear from any parents of students and/or students at these schools for your thoughts and insight. Ultimately it will be her decision, and I'm sure she'll have stronger leanings once she visits again in April, but I'm wondering how this will all play out! One other note is that we've received the financial aid award letter from Earlham, which looks doable, but haven't yet received the award letter from Macalester, so that might factor into the equation as well. Thanks -

beltrami

My daughter is a junior at Earlham and is passionate about her school. It is indeed all about the Quaker vibe and engaged students. Her dorm is full of international students, which gives her an exposure to more of the world than one would ordinarily experience in east central Indiana. The school really encourages students to experience life abroad, by offering its own programs and as a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

Mac is also an extraordinary school, one we considered. Their international emphasis is genuine and they, too, have a lively, engaged student body. The campus was too urban for our daughter, who prefers a small town/rural setting.

Over the past three years, we've come to value the uniqueness of the Quaker values that permeate the Earlham campus. There is a sense of peacefulness that's hard to describe, along with dedication to academics. Our daughter has encountered some notably quirky individuals that have really expanded her world view. That's true of most colleges, but at Earlham such individuality is fully accepted.

Your daughter has 2 excellent choices - good luck with the decision making!

suzybelle

My daughter is a junior at Earlham, and she loves it. She chose it because she wanted a school with a strong sense of community and diversity, and both have turned out to be real -- she's got friends from all over the world. It's diverse in many ways; my daughter says that "there's someone for everyone" there, meaning that there are all kinds of kids. The international study opportunities are great -- -- my daughter did a May Term in Spain and Morocco that was wonderful. She's now abroad on a non-Earlham program, and the school has made it straightforward and easy to arrange to get appropriate credit. Several of her friends are abroad on Earlham-sponsored programs, which also sound interesting well-run.

Earlham is not perfect, but the Quaker values really do make it a different kind of place. From what I hear Macalester is a great school too. Good luck to your daughter!

Evanston Parent

One of my children graduated from Earlham and another is go to Macalester next year. In spite of all the research and thoughtful consideration students and parents give to these decisions, a big determinant is the "gut feeling" you daughter has about each school.

Both schools have internationalism, a strong sense of community, and are liberal and progressive. Earlham is more self-contained, in the sense that they're really an island in the middle of nowhere. Students tend to stay on campus as there's nothing to do in Richmond. The "Quaker vibe" was perfect for my non-Quaker son; there's a strong spirit of kindness and collaboration. I've noticed that his Earlham friends are, like my son, honest, thoughtful and personable.

My child headed to Macalester considered Earlham but really wanted a viable off-campus life, too. I assume the Mac kids have similar values - good global citizenship, socially conscious, hardworking - but Earlham has a peacefulness that's hard to describe. As I said, it was great for one of my children and a little too laid back for another.

Your daughter is choosing between two great schools - she really can't go wrong either way. What a great position to be in.

jazzzmomm

My youngest son is only a hs freshman, but I am already thinking about the right fit for him. Having gone through the college process with three older sons, I know it's never really too soon to start thinking, particularly when your kid is not going to fit into an admissions box of perfect SAT's and grades and every AP the school offers.

I am familiar with Earlham because of a childhood friend who went there, and I know it certainly seems made for this child of mine. He is a Natural Helper in his high school, loves service and is a pacifist and political lefty who loves to write and act. The worry for me is that he is unique academically--he is in the top two percent of performers on standardized tests for things verbal and the absolute bottom of the statistical heap for math. In fact, he is currently in a remedial math track because he was failing regular math despite trying very hard, tutoring, in-school extra math lab. It's just incredibly hard for him, but he's not like any other kid in that remedial class because he excels at reading and writing.

Is Earlham likely to care about his math track and perhaps a skewed SAT (are they SAT optional--I forget). What do you Earlham parents or students think about that?

suzybelle

My impression is that your son would have a good chance of being admitted to Earlham. They are definitely look at more than applicants' grades and scores, and they attract a student body with very diverse talents. It will probably help if he expresses interest by visiting and having an interview.

Earlham has a summer program for high school students called Explore-A-College that you might look at. I hear that it's a good program, and gives students a taste of what Earlham is like. It's staffed by Earlham faculty and students. (Earlham College | Explore-A-College)

jazzzmomm

Thanks--that looks like a very interesting idea for my son. The description of the program sounds dead on for his interests!

LasMa

What an encouraging thread! My D will be heading to Earlham in the fall, and from everything I've read, it is tailor-made for her. Thanks for more confirmation.

My only complaint so far is that Earlhamites and their parents seem to do very little posting on CC! Does Earlham have a parent's forum on their website or other ways for us to communicate with each other?

mediaman

Thanks for the information about Earlham's summer program for HS students!

beltrami

response to LasMa - Earlham has a message list for parents of current students. It's monitored and not very active. Most posts are from parents of first years who have lots of questions, and often there are travel related questions around break time.

LasMa

Thanks beltrami; I'm signed up!

Something interesting I saw when looking at the archived threads: It seems there's a woman who will bake homemade cookies and deliver them to your student?

Also -- we'll be attending an Admitted Students Event April 19-20. What should we notice, or seek out?

D is a dancer, and is very interested in Dance Alloy. Any feedback on that?

Cherry pi mom

Regarding the home baked cookies: there is a student at Earlham (lives off campus) who runs a small baking business. She does cookies and birthday cakes and puts notices on the parent listserv. There are also several groups that do birthday cakes and finals goody bags as fundraisers -- they send out letters periodically.

LasMa

That's awesome, Cherry pi! We're in California and mailing baked goods doesn't sound like such a great idea.