<p>I don’t know if Bucknell qualifies as a “lesser known school”, but it is where I’m going and it looks awesome.</p>
<p>University of Tennessee also has really great programs, and I know a lot of people who are really happy there. A lot of my friends go to Carson-Newman College and really love it as well, and from what I’ve heard it attracts a surprisingly diverse crowd in terms of geography, plus has small classes.</p>
<p>i love this thread :)</p>
<p>Add Gettysburg to the list (Gettysburg, PA). My d is applying to Oberlin, Kenyon, Gettysburg, and Smith…and some that are outside of this thread.</p>
<p>But Bowdoin is very difficult to get into, right? It’s right up there with HYP and MIT.</p>
<p>Daughter went to Wittenberg as did my older sister. Great little school, tons of merit aid.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee</p>
<p>NEWEST LIST:
Agnes College (Decatur, GA)
Alberston College (Caldwell, ID)
Albion College (Albion, MI)
Albright College (Reading, PA)
Alfred University, (Alfred, N.Y.)
Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)
Alma College (Alma, MI)
Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI)
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD)
Austin College (Sherman, TX) CTCL 1
Babson College (Babson Park, MA)
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)
Beaver College (Beaver, PA)
Belmont Abbey College (Charlotte, NC)
Beloit (Beloit, WI) CTCL 1
Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
Bentley College (Waltham, MA)
Berea College (Berea, KY)
Bethel Univ (St. Paul, MN)
Bradley University (Peoria, IL)
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah)
Bryant (Rhode Island)
BU (Boston, MA)
Butler University (Indianapolis, IN)
Cal State Monterey Bay (Monterey, CA)
Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI)
Canisius College (Buffalo, NY)
Carrol College (Waukesha, WI)
Carroll College (Helena, MT)
Carthage College (Kenosha, WI)
Centre College (Danville, KY) CTCL 1
Chapman University (Orange, CA)
Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)
Clark (Worcester, MA) CTCL 1
Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA)
College of Santa Fe (NM)
College of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO)
Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)
Colorado State University (Ft. Collins, CO)
Columbia College Chicago (Chicago)
Connecticut College (New London, CT)
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA) CTCL 1
Curry College (Milton, MA)
Denison (Granville, OH) CTCL 1
Depaul (Chicago, IL)
DeSales University (Center Valley, PA)
Dickinson Colege (Carlisle, PA)
Drew Univ (Madison, NJ)
Earlham College (Richmond, IN) CTCL 1
East Carolina Univ (Greenville, NC)
Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, IL)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL) CTCL 1
Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)
Elmira College (Elmira, NY)
Elmurst College (Elmhurst, IL)
Elon Univ (Elon, NC)
Embry Riddle (Daytona Beach, FL)
Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) CTCL 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
FAU (Boca Raton, FL)
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Fontbonne Univ (St. Louis, MO)
Fordham University – Lincoln Center (NY, NY)
Fordham University – Rosehill (Bronx, NY)
Furman Univ. (Greenville, SC)
Gannon University (Erie, PA)
Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA)
Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY)
Georgia State University
Gettysburg (Gettysburg, PA)
Gonzaga (Spokane, WA)
Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)
Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA)
Grove City College (Grove City, PA)
Guilford College (Greensboro, NC) CTCL 1
Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN)
Hampden Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA)
Hampshire (Amherst, MA) CTCL 1
Hanover College (Hanover, `IN)
Heidelberg College (Tiffin, OH)
Hendrix College (Conway, Ark) CTCL 1
Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI)
Hiram College (Hiram, OH) CTCL 1
Hobart & William Smith College (Geneva, NY)
Howard Payne Univ (Brownwood, TX)
Humboldt State (Arcata, CA)
Illinois College (Jacksonville, IL)
Illinois Wesleyan (Bloomington, IL)
Iniversity of South Dakota (vermillion, SD)
Iowa State University, (Ames, Iowa)
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY)
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI) CTCL 1
Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
Kenyon College (Gambier, OH)
Kettering Univ of Engineering (Flint, MI)
Keuka College (Keuka Park, NY)
Knox College (Galesburg, IL) CTCL 1
Lake Forest (Lake Forest, IL)
Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) CTCL 1
Linfield College (McMinnifield, OR)
Louisian Tech University (Ruston, LA)
Luther College (Decorah, Ia)
Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA)
Lynn Univ. (Boca Raton, FL)
Manhattan College (Riverdale, NY)
Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY)
Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT) CTCL 1
Marquette Univ (Milwaukee, WI)
McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
Mercer College (Macon, GA.)
Miami U (Oxford, OH)
Millikin University (Decatur, IL)
Mills College (Oakland, CA)
Millsaps College (Jackson, MS) CTCL 1
Minot State University (Bottineau, ND)
Mitchell College (New London, CT)
Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.)
Montreat College (Montreat, NC)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
NC State University
Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE)
New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) CTCL 1
New England College (Henniker, New Hampshire,)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM)
Northland College (Ashland, WI.)
Northwestern College (Orange City, IA)
Oberlin (Oberlin, OH)
Occidental College (LA, CA)
Ohio Dominican (Columbus, OH)
Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)
Otterbein College (Westerville, OH)
Pepperdine (Malibu, CA)
Prescott College (Prescott, AZ)
Principia College (Elsah, IL)
Queens University (Charlotte, NC)
Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA)
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)
Reed College (Portland, OR)
Regis University (Denver, CO)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Rensselaer, N.Y.)
Rensselear Polytechnical Instit. (Troy, NY) CTCL
Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) CTCL 1
Ripon College (Ripon, WI)
Roanoke College (Salem, VA)
Roger Williams (Rhode Island)
Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)
Rose-Hulman Instit Tech (Terre Haute, IN)
Saint Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, MD)
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA)
Seton Hll University (South Orange, NJ)
Sewanee/The University of the South (TN)
Simmons College (Boston, MA)
SMU (Dallas, TX)
Sonoma State College (Rohnert Park, CA)
Southeastern Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Southwestern U (Georgetown, TX) CTCL 1
Spring Arbor Univ (Spring Arbor, MI)
Springfield Technical Community College (Springfield, Mass.)
St Louis University (St. Louis, MO)
St. Ambrose (Davenport, IA)
St. Catherin (St. Paul, MN)
St. Francis College (Brooklyn Heights, NY)
St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY)
St. Mary’s (St. Mary’s City, MD)
St. Mary’s College (South Bend, IN)
St. Michael’s College (Colchester, VT)
St. Olaf (Northfield, MN) CTCL 1
St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA)
Stetson University (Deland, FL)
Stonehill College (Easton MA)
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
SUNY Purchase
Taylor Univ (Upland, IN)
TCU (Texas Christian U)
Temple Univ. (Philadelphia, PA)
The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
Trinity U (San Antonio, TX)
Truman State (Kirksville, MO)
Tufts University (Medford, MA)
University fo Minnesota Morris (Morris, MN)
University of Akron (Akron, Ohio)
University of Alabama (Huntsville, AL)
University of British Columbia (BC, Canada)
University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
University of Cincinnatti (Cincinnatti, OH)
University of Dallas (Irving, TX)
University of Dayton (Dayton, OH)
University of Delaware (Newark, DE)
University of Denver (Denver, CO)
University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
University of Mary Washington (Fredricksburg, VA)
University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
University of New England (Biddeford, ME)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.)
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
University of Oregon Clark Honors College (OR)
University of Pittsburgh (Johnston, PA)
University of Portland (Portland, OR)
University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)
University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN.)
University of Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)
Universiuty of Mass. (Amherst, MA)
Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)
Walla Wlla CC (Walla Walla, WA)
Walsh Univ. (North Canton, OH)
Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa)
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA) CTCL 1
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Wayne State College (Wayne, NE)
Wells College (Aurora, NY)
Western Washington U (Bellingham, WA)
Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA)
Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Whittier College (Whittier, CA)
Whitworth (Spokane, WA)
Wichita State (Wichita, KS)
Willamette (Salem, OR)
Winona State University (Winona, MN)
Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH)
Wofford (Spartanburg, SC)
Wooster, College of (Wooster, OH) CTCL 1
Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
Yeshiva U (NY NY)
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA)</p>
<p>Please attempt to keep schools to those which are unknown – Washington and Lee graduates would be very disturbed to hear others think of their alma mater as “unknown.”</p>
<p>Well, so would the grads of Tufts, which I think of as pretty well known. Bear in mind, some of this depends on where you live. I live in Texas and Trinity and TCU (and others) are well known here, but I’d never heard of them before I moved to this area.</p>
<p>Get real, guys, Brandeis and Tufts are about 30th ranked tier 1 National Universities on US News rankings.</p>
<p>Very happy to see my alma mater, Bradley University on the list. I transferred there from cc and everyone was wonderful. Got a great education and loved every minute. My brother graduated from nearby Eureka College and had a great experience there. If you are looking for a small school, check it out.
One more - I live in Northern Virginia and lots of people here go to/have gone to University of Mary Washington. I call it the school everyone likes because I have heard only positive things about it.</p>
<p>Acme,
My D was accepted at Washington College (MD) and this thread interested me very much since clearly WC is not well known, even in the Washington, DC area. Is the Presidential Fellow program all that it seems? It seems almost too good to be true…</p>
<p>I think this list is too unwieldy - I would toss all the state U’s. Colorado State(27,569), University of Pittsburgh (27,020), Kansas State University(23,332) and NC State(31,802), lesser known? Any College that has over 20,000 students is NOT a lesser known college, ditto any college that has branch campuses.</p>
<p>I’d add Harvey Mudd for kids that are looking at places like Cal Tech and MIT.</p>
<p>I second kathiep’s thinning recommendations, and would go further–cut all schools that are listed in the USNWR top 50 national universities or LACs.</p>
<p>Revised list, with USNWR Top50, state flagships, and a few subjective judgments (e.g. Reed is just out of the top 50 but not lesser known) eliminated.</p>
<p>Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
Alberston College (Caldwell, ID)
Albion College (Albion, MI)
Albright College (Reading, PA)
Alfred University, (Alfred, N.Y.)
Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)
Alma College (Alma, MI)
Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI)
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD)
Austin College (Sherman, TX) CTCL 1
Babson College (Babson Park, MA)
Beaver College (Beaver, PA)
Belmont Abbey College (Charlotte, NC)
Beloit (Beloit, WI) CTCL 1
Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
Bentley College (Waltham, MA)
Berea College (Berea, KY)
Bethel University (St. Paul, MN)
Bradley University (Peoria, IL)
Bryant University (Smithfield, RI)
Butler University (Indianapolis, IN)
Cal State Monterey Bay (Monterey, CA)
Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI)
Canisius College (Buffalo, NY)
Carrol College (Waukesha, WI)
Carroll College (Helena, MT)
Carthage College (Kenosha, WI)
Chapman University (Orange, CA)
Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)
Clark (Worcester, MA) CTCL 1
Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA)
College of Santa Fe (NM)
College of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)
Columbia College Chicago (Chicago)
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA) CTCL 1
Curry College (Milton, MA)
Denison University (Granville, OH) CTCL 1
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
DeSales University (Center Valley, PA)
Dickinson Colege (Carlisle, PA)
Drew University (Madison, NJ)
Earlham College (Richmond, IN) CTCL 1
East Carolina University (Greenville, NC)
Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, IL)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL) CTCL 1
Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)
Elmira College (Elmira, NY)
Elmurst College (Elmhurst, IL)
Elon University (Elon, NC)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL)
Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) CTCL 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL)
Fontbonne University (St. Louis, MO)
Fordham University – Lincoln Center (NY, NY)
Fordham University – Rosehill (Bronx, NY)
Gannon University (Erie, PA)
Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA)
Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY)
Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, PA)
Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA)
Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)
Grove City College (Grove City, PA)
Guilford College (Greensboro, NC) CTCL 1
Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN)
Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA)
Hampshire College (Amherst, MA) CTCL 1
Hanover College (Hanover, `IN)
Heidelberg College (Tiffin, OH)
Hendrix College (Conway, Ark) CTCL 1
Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI)
Hiram College (Hiram, OH) CTCL 1
Hobart & William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY)
Howard Payne University (Brownwood, TX)
Humboldt State University (Arcata, CA)
Illinois College (Jacksonville, IL)
Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL)
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY)
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI) CTCL 1
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
Kettering University of Engineering (Flint, MI)
Keuka College (Keuka Park, NY)
Knox College (Galesburg, IL) CTCL 1
Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL)
Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) CTCL 1
Linfield College (McMinnifield, OR)
Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA)
Luther College (Decorah, Ia)
Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA)
Lynn University (Boca Raton, FL)
Manhattan College (Riverdale, NY)
Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY)
Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT) CTCL 1
Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
Mercer College (Macon, GA.)
Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Millikin University (Decatur, IL)
Mills College (Oakland, CA)
Millsaps College (Jackson, MS) CTCL 1
Minot State University (Bottineau, ND)
Mitchell College (New London, CT)
Montreat College (Montreat, NC)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE)
New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) CTCL 1
New England College (Henniker, New Hampshire,)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM)
Northland College (Ashland, WI.)
Northwestern College (Orange City, IA)
Ohio Dominican University (Columbus, OH)
Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)
Otterbein College (Westerville, OH)
Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA)
Prescott College (Prescott, AZ)
Principia College (Elsah, IL)
Queens University (Charlotte, NC)
Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA)
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)
Reed College (Portland, OR)
Regis University (Denver, CO)
Ripon College (Ripon, WI)
Roanoke College (Salem, VA)
Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI)
Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN)
Saint Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, MD)
Saint Lawrence University (Canton, NY)
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA)
Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ)
Sewanee/The University of the South (TN)
Simmons College (Boston, MA)
SMU (Dallas, TX)
Sonoma State College (Rohnert Park, CA)
Southeastern Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX) CTCL 1
Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor, MI)
Springfield Technical Community College (Springfield, MA)
St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO)
St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA)
St. Catherine, College of (St. Paul, MN)
St. Francis College (Brooklyn Heights, NY)
St. Marys College (South Bend, IN)
St. Michael’s College (Colchester, VT)
St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) CTCL 1
St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA)
Stetson University (Deland, FL)
Stonehill College (Easton MA)
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
SUNY Purchase
Taylor University (Upland, IN)
Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, TX)
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
Trinity U (San Antonio, TX)
Truman State University (Kirksville, MO)
University of Minnesota – Morris (Morris, MN)
University of Akron (Akron, Ohio)
University of Alabama (Huntsville, AL)
University of British Columbia (BC, Canada)
University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
University of Cincinnatti (Cincinnatti, OH)
University of Dallas (Irving, TX)
University of Dayton (Dayton, OH)
University of Denver (Denver, CO)
University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
University of Mary Washington (Fredricksburg, VA)
University of New England (Biddeford, ME)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.)
University of Portland (Portland, OR)
University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)
University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN.)
University of Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)
Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)
Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA)
Walsh University (North Canton, OH)
Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa)
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA) CTCL 1
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Wayne State College (Wayne, NE)
Wells College (Aurora, NY)
Western Washington U (Bellingham, WA)
Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA)
Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Whittier College (Whittier, CA)
Whitworth University (Spokane, WA)
Wichita State University (Wichita, KS)
Willamette University (Salem, OR)
Winona State University (Winona, MN)
Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH)
Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC)
Wooster, College of (Wooster, OH) CTCL 1
Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA)</p>
<p>Honorable Mentions:
Centre College (Danville, KY) CTCL 1
Furman University (Greenville, SC)
Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) CTCL 1</p>
<p>well i went to york college (at the bottom of the list) and i absolutely loved it!</p>
<p>Gettysburg College is ranked in the top 50 LAC’s. Elon U. is one of the hottest schools in the country. Can’t see either of them being relevant for this list. Both incredibly difficult to get into</p>
<p>I would recommend Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. I made this account just that I could make this post because I wanted people to know how much I love my school! It’s the perfect size, just over 4,000 undergrad, wonderful place to learn. Professors are great/students are friendly. Service is really big on campus and everyone likes to give back to the community. We have a lot of service scholarships. </p>
<p>No established Greek life, so parties aren’t too crazy, but night life is still fun because you have the whole city of Cincinnati around you. Plus the campus isn’t dead in the middle of the city so it’s safe and has a “campus” feel as opposed to a cluster of buildings. It’s a Jesuit school, so a faith life is there if you want it (I’m not religious, but I’m happy here), and has a strong core curriculum (you WILL be able to write and communicate well when you graduate). There’s a lot of school spirit because of our strong basketball team and great community.</p>
<p>Our business school has a GREAT reputation in the midwest and has tons of wonderful programs like the Executive Mentor Program (every student gets a mentor with years of business experience and a large network) and Career Planning. Our nursing and education programs are especially strong, and we have a great reputation for getting students into med school.</p>
<p>Any questions feel free to email me at lil<em>ol</em>me at yahoo dot com. In fact, PLEASE email me. I want to convince that Xavier is the place for you to be! I came from New England to Ohio and still love my school!!!</p>
<p>I have to give a thumbs up to Hiram. It is a tiny college in a tiny town but 40 min from Cleveland. My D is a junior there (biology major, chem minor). She got great merit scholarships. After being very ill during HS, a large school would have been overwhelming. The close relationships with professors and opportunities for research have been amazing. Last summer she did an internship at Baylor Medical College and she just got accepted into an internship at Harvard Medical School for this upcoming summer. I do not believe this would have happen without those close relationships. (Obviously, she is super bright and hard working too)
janie</p>
<p>Finally!! A thread without all the ego bull****! I love it! Great job OP!</p>