I am currently a senior in high school and, following relatively fortuitous circumstances that mean my college tuition will be covered, am wondering where to apply early decision.
I know that many people warn against applying early decision due to its binding nature, but I’ve visited all of the schools (except Reed) and would be happy attending any of them.
I’m interested in the humanities, especially creative writing and history/politics. I’m not an avid partier, but I do appreciate one every once in a while, and I love the outdoors. I love the idea of being academically challenged and having to produce a strong senior thesis, so at the moment Reed definitely leads in that regard.
My GPA, ACT, and extracurriculars are all strong enough that I don’t think they will be a barrier of entry to any of these schools.
All four schools are great, but they’re also very different. Reed is a very unique environment; even among progressive schools, Reed is ultra-progressive.
Vassar, a former women’s college, is also progressive (all of your schools are). Bates is more outdoorsy, and Haverford, a former Quaker school, focuses more on collaboration than competition (it’s baked into the school’s mission and vision).
If creative writing is one of your interests, you might consider Oberlin, which has one of the strongest undergraduate creative writing programs in the country. Sarah Lawrence is another. Here’s an article from 2008, published in Poets & Writers, which features in-depth looks at three stellar undergraduate programs in creative writing. Oberlin and Sarah Lawrence are featured. The third school, my alma mater, I won’t mention so that I don’t seem biased: https://www.pw.org/content/workshop_revolution_sensibility
Reed’s thesis atmosphere clearly appeals to you, though note that this requirement/expectation is not exceedingly rare at liberal arts colleges. Nonetheless, I would recommend Reed based on its general academic aspects.
Haverford is marginally the most selective school from your group, which might be a fair indicator of its overall quality.
Bates’ curriculum includes a notable Politics major.
Bates also requires a senior thesis. The standard thesis is one semester, the honors thesis is year-long. I’m pretty sure Haverford students do a thesis as well.
Being in Maine, the outdoorsy opportunities there are great and close by. They also have a fantastic Outing Club that leads trips and makes equipment available to students.
How do you feel about their 4-4-1 academic calendar?
These schools – all excellent – are on a continuum of “alt”. And “life of the mind”. And social. My guess is that they won’t all feel equally comfortable. If you are able to spend a full day at each, your answer might suddenly appear to you.