<p>I would really love to go to a school that has top-notch academics yet isn’t incredibly intense and stress-inducing with the work and study load. I would love somewhere that has a third, shorter term where I can study abroad, and I would also like a place where people like sports and activities such as an outdoors club. It would also be nice if the people were friendly, accepting, and laid back. I don’t like constant party atmosphere every single night, but I do enjoy going out once a week or so. Is there even a college out there like this?</p>
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<p>So you want a college where top-notch professors present you a lot of interesting material but do not hold you responsible for it? Seems like top-notch professors could use their time more effectively, e.g. teaching somewhere where students actually want to learn all of the material they are presented.</p>
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<p>All colleges have extended summer breaks in which you could study abroad. Is that what you are looking for? Most study abroad programs are independent of your home institution (= open to participants from other colleges) so you can go abroad in the summer even if your home college doesn’t have a formal summer program.</p>
<p>I don’t mind having homework and studying, I just mind having hours upon hours a day and still getting lower grades than normal. My school is notorious for grade deflation, yet piles the work on us. I don’t want that. I want somewhere that is academically superior yet you don’t have to study all the time just to get a B.</p>
<p>Also, for the study abroad, I was thinking something such as a Maymester, or spring term, or about 4-6 week january term where you can do a study abroad experience.</p>
<p>It sounds like you just described Williams.</p>
<p>The University of Wisconsin.</p>
<p>I was going to say UW Madison too although the parties can be pretty crazy but you don’t have to be part of it if you don’t want to. Not too stressful, lots of sports and outdoors clubs,and really nice people. I’m not sure about studying abroad.</p>
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<li><p>Academics: UC Davis is the fourth best UC and is one of the highest ranked public universities in the nation. UCD is also ranked pretty highly in different academic fields (I think if you search it in Wikipedia, it will reference a lot of rankings lists for Math, Science, History, etc). Our professors are amazing as well–my IR professor, for example, wrote and published 5 books! You can also get all this academic rigor and other goodstuff WITHOUT having to need a 95% in order to get an A (unlike some other colleges that will go unmentioned).</p></li>
<li><p>UCD runs on the quarter system (three terms per year) and has a great study abroad program (Education Abroad, I believe it’s called)! Plus they’re really flexible with credits and fees/scholarships for the Education Abroad program as well.</p></li>
<li><p>People here are REALLY friendly. Not snobby or stuck up at all. Everyone’s really diverse and is very willing to meet people, and it’s pretty difficult not to make friends. The nice thing about Davis is how the city and people give you a small-town feel, while the university is big enough so that you can comfortably blend in and enjoy your independence.</p></li>
<li><p>Sports: We have tons of intramural sports (27 different sports, I believe?). And our Ski and Snowboard club is the biggest social club on campus–they go on rafting and scuba trips too (we’re an hour away from Tahoe–the coolest snow resorts everr)! Plus we have an Outdoor store that I haven’t checked out yet, but they have a huge kayak in front, so I’m guessing it’s pretty bomb and they’ll give you great recommendations for fun outdoorsy stuff. </p></li>
<li><p>Partying: This is another one of the great things about Davis–we study when we need to study (which is like Sunday through Thursday) and we party when we need to party (Friday thru Saturday). The parties here are pretty sick, I must say. Of course, when you need to chill out, we’ve got a really cute litte downtown that kind of revolves around the university, so there’s tons of coffee shops and stuff where you can relax and have a study session.</p></li>
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<p>…and an extra:</p>
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<li>Food! the MAJOR plus of being surrounded by farms is that the food is always fresh and super delicious. go locally grown fruits and veggies! :)</li>
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<p>OK back to homework. haha.</p>
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<p>Yeah, the parties are supposed to be crazy (but great), but I’m sure tons of people do other stuff. I think their study abroad programs are supposed to be great. Unfortunately, I didn’t do well enough in HS (it’s too cold for me anyway haha), so I didn’t apply, but if I did better, I definitely would’ve looked at UW. It’s one of the most well rounded schools IMO.</p>
<p>UW sounds like a great school with some really good opportunities, but I am at a school right now where the parties are going on every night and I just can’t handle it and really want to get away from that type of scene.</p>
<p>Where do you go now?</p>
<p>Sounds exactly like Bates College. Short Term from mid-April to mid-May (can go abroad, stay at Bates, or if you don’t do it, take have a really extended summer to work/travel/etc). Definitely possible to party once a week or so, and the outing club is the second oldest in the country (and always has the largest budget of any club). Every time I’ve ever heard anyone describe our student body, it uses either the words “laid back” or “nice kids”.</p>
<p>thanks! I will check it out! And right now I go to Washington and Lee University.</p>
<p>Ook. I dont know much about W&L except that it’s a great school. I guess I didn’t consider it to be a big party school like UW, but since it’s a southern school I’m not surprised.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that you can decide to have an easy or rough course load. Right now I’m going to UC Berkeley, which fits a lot of those criteria you mention. The university has a reputation for being intense. Yet I know people who go out of their way to take easy classes and avoid all of that.</p>
<p>Macalester.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the studying abroad thing, but Bowdoin has a reputation for being very laid-back, outdoorsy and friendly, and is also a great school.
It has a semester schedule, though, so I don’t know if that would disable your plans abroad.</p>
<p>maybe dartmouth, unless it’s more of a party school than you would like. we’re on the quarter system, so each term is 10 weeks long; there are many excellent study abroad programs, and the dartmouth outing club is one of the most active on campus.</p>