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Replies to: Best way to find school for undecided student
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/2150828-50-most-supportive-alumni-networks-for-2019-amherst-college-4.html#latest
She found her passion and you and I have crossed paths in some of the Parent forums, so you've heard me say that she found her people and she finally found her passion there. I wish you the best.
She has another close friend who graduated with a political science/journalism double major and moved to a major city to work for a political organization.
Her other friend from college was a psychology major who moved to another part of the country to teach HS students on the campus of a top university (also through an organization).
Another close friend from college is spending the year doing research with her liberal arts degree and will apply to grad school.
My coworker’s daughter graduated from a top non-Ivy school (Duke, Vandy etc) as a liberal arts major. She moved to another state and works for a small nonprofit environmental organization.
My coworker’s son graduated from a top LAC ( your son applied to this school) as a liberal arts major and now works in a major city...he will head to grad school eventually.
My D graduated with what is considered a liberal arts degree. She also has a two-year position which will allow her to be self supporting...before heading back to school.
My point is that these majors/degrees can lead directly to the workforce following graduation. Many of these new grads head to grad school, while others use these first jobs as a stepping stone. I should add that these young adults took advantage of career services, professors, they all had strong internships etc.
Somewhat related, I know some think of Wake as a rich, southern school. It's physically in the south but there are tons of kids from up north. Many of S' friends are from New England, NY, NJ, Chicago, DC (and of course the Carolinas). Regarding wealth, there are certainly some very wealthy kids but others receive need based aid. Two of his close friends are a good example. One is from a lower income, ethnic family in Chicago (receives quite a bit of aid). The other's dad is a partner of a Private Equity firm in Boston, lives on an ocean estate, etc. They get along great. They're kids!
Consider Middlebury College and the University of Vermont's Honors College.
Also, although larger than her current size limit, the University of Virginia may be of interest to her. The College of William & Mary is another to consider.
As your daughter is a rising junior, her interests may change. Also, she may be influenced by her brother's experience at Bowdoin College.
P.S. To directly answer your question of "best way to find school for undecided student", visiting a variety of colleges & universities in different areas of the country may help.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=wake+forest&s=all&id=199847#finaid says 51% paying list price (probably top few percent income/wealth) and 10% Pell grant (probably bottom half income/wealth).
If Colby is too remote, maybe Bates might be a fit.
Regarding non political campuses, that’s actually better. It means all views get heard across the spectrum. Most faculty lean heavily left these days, however, they generally want viewpoint diversity and free speech.
If the student body leans a little conservative that means generally you won’t see things like deplatfoming, safe spaces and trigger warnings (which most professors don’t really want anyway). SJW are only 5-10% of students at most campuses (even left leaning ones) but they can have an outsized influence on campus culture, because administrators tend to cave-in too quickly (eg Yale, Evergreen, Middlebury).
Non political campuses tend to be majority Democratic anyway, but you don’t have a walking on eggshells culture where people are afraid to speak out
At Bates, D1 was among the more politically active, but channeled this into the local community (including the Bonner comunity service program. And the school promotes "community partnerships" of various sorts.) Among her friends were a few so rampantly conservatiove that every time I visited, she warned me to stay off politics. That simple. The kids with decent social skills know how to foster friendships, not paint everything in the extreme or go with value judgments.
You can walk to town, maybe a few blocks. There isn't all that much to do in town. Some great dining and the usual sorts of restaurants kids may want. Or movies. But plenty enough on campus. When they were there, it was very "work hard/party hard." A great new president has tempered some of the crazy partying. Tremendous study abroad opps, D1 did two. And a vast array of empowered kids who do go on to great future work. Great support for post grad fellowships and the like. D1 benefitted from career services for building her resume.
I also think you’ve already seen it, but there is a thread in the Forum listing top alumni network schools Some good choices there.
I like UDenver, Dickinson, Colorado College. Santa Clara gets a lot of good feedback. DePaul, Marquette also. Lafayette, Bucknell, Lehigh also some excellent choices. A lot of Western Penn and Ohio schools that are good picks.
I'm a Bates grad (from a long time ago), but it's pretty well known (I'd say less well-known than Amhert, Williams, Swarthmore or Bowdoin). Great alumni network, in the city of Lewiston, but the more residential area, close to nature if you want to get to it. Bright students. I don't know much about career services, internships or research opportunities, but I imagine they are pretty up to date and market-driven like lots of other Liberal Arts schools these days. Talk to @Lindagaf - her daughter goes there now. As @lookingforward has said, they are very supportive of their students and grads.