Student body

Jabberwock · 01-07-2007, 03:15 PM

I'm concerned about the apparent paradox between the great academics and the low-achieving student body at Marlboro (Average GPA: 3.3; Average SAT composite score: 1220; 40% graduated in the top quarter of their class). Is everyone at Marlboro a really smart and motivated person who just did badly in high school?

nobodyknows · 02-01-2007, 06:37 PM

Yea im curious of this as well...anybody...ANYBODY?

allthosethings · 02-04-2007, 08:21 PM

I'm guessing that it is a similar situation to Bennington, full of kids who are truly bright intellectuals and do well when allowed to follow their own interests, but who aren't motivated by grades or the structure of high school. A lot of people I know feel that high school is in some way doing it for someone else (whether this is true or not) but that the work we can do at schools like Bennington or Marlboro is all our own.

nobodyknows · 02-05-2007, 07:07 PM

That person you were just describing is me... I just hope that some of the other schools that I apply to realize that

i.e Reed and University of Chicago

karen61990 · 02-10-2007, 06:19 PM

nobodyknows- I feel the same exact way.

I thought at first that the school must not be as good as it sounds because of the caliber of students but then I looked at the school more indepth and realized what allthosethings said. It really is great that there are schools for all of us independents out there.

nobodyknows · 02-11-2007, 01:08 PM

Yea totally...I might be visiting soon, it is good to think that there are places where I can feel comfortable with who I am without changing that... who knows maybe I will see you there!

karen61990 · 02-14-2007, 07:23 PM

yah, are you're a junior I'm assuming?

nobodyknows · 02-15-2007, 02:49 PM

yes I am a junior same for you?

karen61990 · 02-15-2007, 06:16 PM

yep.

My dad doesn't even want me looking at marlboro college cause it is not ranked top 25 and it doesn't have engineering. Personally, I want to study classics and I love their program (being taught by an Oxford grad and all).

I was looking at the grad schools they send their students off to and I must say seeing Harvard and Yale up there was a very comforting thought. I wonder how many kids actually wind up going to those top schools and in which programs.

nobodyknows · 02-15-2007, 06:36 PM

well, I hope your dad will still let you do what you want. I keep telling others all the time, "don't let your parents decide your life for you, do what you are passionate about!", and then they always pull the tuition card. I personally would rather take out a huge loan and amass huge debt before I let my parents tell me where to go and what to study. But, luckily my parents are very laid back.
Try and convince your dad that yeah its not some top ranked university, but, liberal arts colleges like this one are even more successful at sending scholars to professional school and graduate school then universities. These are also a benefit because they are so small and you get the attention and respect a true scholar deserves. Here you will sharpen your skills far beyond the level you could at even the top ranked undergraduate universities.
uhhh...sorry, anyways good luck and keep me informed. Also I am pretty sure that Marlboro is up there for liberal arts colleges!

nobodyknows · 02-15-2007, 06:38 PM

btw, what is your college list? and/or your parents' list for you. what about major?

karen61990 · 02-15-2007, 07:52 PM

I want to study classics and political science.

My list is rutgers and marlboro as safeties though I will probably go to Marlboro 'cause I love it; tcnj, smith, and bucknell as matches; and columbia, bowdoin, and dartmouth as reaches. The only two other schools I would go to besides Marlboro are tcnj and dartmouth though.

My dad would rather me have Columbia, Harvey Mudd, and Caltech as my reaches, and some places like Smith, Lehigh, Carnegie Mellon, and Georgia tech as matches. I don't really care what he wants though, I am going to please myself before my parents. (That sounded really selfish)

What do you want to study and what is your list?

nobodyknows · 02-15-2007, 08:36 PM

University of Chicago, Reed, St. Johns NM, Marlboro, Hampshire,Colorado college,Kalamazoo college, and maybe Boston college and pretty much in that order... as far as fields of study, ummm... well I am very eclectic and find many things interesting so currently I am leaning towards a double major in literature(english)/philosophy, or economics, biochemistry, poly sci,biomedical engineering, or physics. Yea I know... but, someday I just want to learn them all, you know? heh
now that you mention it classics sounds pretty cool to

karen61990 · 02-15-2007, 08:45 PM

Yeah I know what you mean. It seems like there is just not enough time to learn everything that I want to learn. The thing I like about schools Marlboro is that I can learn just what I want and not be bothered by the subjects that I don't want to pursue. Right now I spend an hour and a half each day in my engineering class learning how to use common sense in the business world and then applying all that to mechanical engineering when I would love to be reading.

Chicago is such a nice school. Good luck getting in there!