<p>All of the schools you mention would be good choices, although I don’t know if Occidental and St. Olaf are 100% need.</p>
<p>Swarthmore would be an excellent fit in every regard except that you might think it is too “liberal”. Generally speaking, most schools that meet the characteristics you mention are going to on the “liberal” side of the ledger.</p>
<p>Swarthmore has a very high percentage of Asian-American students (16%) and is a comfortable, welcoming environment for Asian-American students. In fact, the high Asian-American enrollment is probably one of the more noticeable aspects of Swarthmore’s campus “culture”. In part due to its high minority enrollment, Swarthmore has less of a drinking scene than the national average and than most comparably selective LACs.</p>
<p>I think your son’s background would be viewed favorably by admissions. Working on the family fish farm could make for a stand-out application essay.</p>
<p>Very, very strong social sciences across the board. Very committed to 100% need financial aid with low loan components.</p>