<p>SFU - Canada’s top comprehensive university, one if the nicest campuses in North America (Burnaby Mountain), more personal and less congested than its sister school, UBC.</p>
<p>Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. I had teachers look at me weird for turning down a well regarded, engineering school and a large research university, but FLC is in a gorgeous place, extremely friendly, and offers everything from undergrad research, study abroad, internships, volunteer, and even gives freshmen and transfers a host family to help them adjust to college life and life in CO. It also offers a bazillion outdoor things to do- from skiing to fly fishing. It’s one of those schools that can take a so-so student and turn them into an excellent one. It’s in the Princeton Review’s Best of the West, and in Forbes’ Best Public Schools. (It also has an awesome cycling team, one of their alums just placed 9th in this year’s Tour De France!)</p>
<p>Now that the class of 2013 college search has begun in earnest: Let’s bump this up. Most of the parents who fostered this thread are probably onto bigger and better things. To sum up: post an under-recognized school, any details etc. Why you loved it. There was a regularly updated list which I’m reposting here (and maybe one of the detail-oriented among us can do the same on occasion). Some schools on the list really don’t seem “under-recognized” (BU? Really?), but remember many schools are regional draws. Scrolling through the original posts may be time-consuming but there’s some good info in there. Once upon a time, I attended a lesser-known school that is now a top 20. Maybe our kids can catch a wave. So, let’s get this party started!</p>
<p>LIST</p>
<p>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)
Arcadia Univ (Glendale, PA) fka Beaver College?
Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD)
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Austin College (Sherman, TX) CTCL 1
Babson College (Babson Park, MA)
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)
Beaver College (Beaver, PA)
Belhaven College (Jackson, MS)
Bellmarine University (Louisville, KY)
Belmont Abbey College (Charlotte, NC)
Beloit (Beloit, WI) CTCL 1
Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
Bentley College (Waltham, MA)
Berea College (Berea, KY)
Bethany College (Bethany, WV)
Bethel Univ (St. Paul, MN)
Blackburn College (Carlinville, IL)
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)
Carson-Newman College (Jefferson City, TN)
Carthage College (Kenosha, WI)
Catawba College (Salisbury, NC)
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)
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA) CTCL 1
Curry College (Milton, MA)
Denison (Granville, OH) CTCL 1
Depaul (Chicago, IL)
Depauw University (Greencastle, IN)
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 College (Gettysburg, PA)
Gonzaga (Spokane, WA)
Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
Goucher College (Baltimore, MD)
Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)
Green Mountain College (poultney, VT)
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)
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY)
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI) CTCL 1
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, KY)
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
Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR)
Linfield College (McMinnifield, OR)
Louisiana Tech U (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)
Maryville College (Maryville, TN)
McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
Mercer College (Macon, GA.)
Meredith College (Raleigh, NC)
Merrimack College (North Andover, MA)
Michigan Tech (Houghton, Michigan )
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)
Mount Allison Univ (New Brunswick, Canada)
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 (Columbus, OH)
Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)
Otterbein College (Westerville, OH)
Prescott College (Prescott, AZ)
Principia College (Elsah, IL)
Queens University (Charlotte, NC)
Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA)
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)
Regis University (Denver, CO)
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)
San Jose Univ (San Jose, CA)
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA)
Seattle Univ. (Seattle, WA)
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. Marys (St. Marys City, MD)
St. Marys College (South Bend, IN)
Saint 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 Maritime
SUNY Potsdam
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)
Union College (Schenectady, NY)
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 La Verne (La Verne, CA)
University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
University of Mary Washington (Fredricksburg, VA)
University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
University fo Minnesota Morris (Morris, MN)
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 Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA)
University of Portland (Portland, OR)
University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)
University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Iniversity of South Dakota (vermillion, SD)
University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN.)
University of Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
Univeristy of Wisconsin (Eau Claire)
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)
University of Mass. (Amherst, MA)
Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)
Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN) CTCL
Walla Wlla CC (Walla Walla, WA)
Walsh Univ. (North Canton, OH)
Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa)
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA) CTCL 1
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>ALREADY ON MANY RADARS
Ball State (Muncie, IN)
Connecticut College (New London, CT)
Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA)
Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)
Iowa State University, (Ames, Iowa)
Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)
Miami U (Oxford, OH)
NC State University
Oberlin (Oberlin, OH)
Occidental College (LA, CA)
Pepperdine (Malibu, CA)
Reed College (Portland, OR)
Rensselear Polytechnical Instit. (Troy, NY) CTCL
Tufts University (Medford, MA)
University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Washington & Lee(Lexington, VA)
Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) CTCL</p>
<p>Two thumbs up for Simmons…my DD couldn’t be happier!!!</p>
<p>I don’t know if Reed College should be considered a “lesser known” school. Over on the Reed boards, it seems that more students are being denied or wait listed than accepted. :(</p>
<p>Not exactly sure why, but their acceptance rate has been going down every year for at least the last ten years.</p>
<p>Just about every school my D applied to is on this list, including BU and Fordham which I don’t think should be on this list as they are well known. The only school that wasn’t mentioned was Siena College in Loudenville, NY right outside of Albany. D is not attending there but we were very impressed with everything they had to offer.</p>
<p>University of Mount Union, Alliance Ohio (used to be Mount Union College). New PA program, great elementary ed and business programs, strong in sciences and social conscience. Less liberal than the other OAC schools (Denison, Oberlin) and less haughty (Wooster, I’m lookin at you and Baldwin-Wallace). In a safe and secure area with emphasis on developing a person, not a career. Affiliated loosely with the United Methodist church, good sports and extracurriculars, a small LAC that doesn’t overload on general requirements. Lots of new buildings and a large, generous, endowment.</p>
<p>The only lesser-known school that DS applied to taht wasn’t on the list is Transylvania. He mentioned yesterday that of all the schools, TU adn Alma had the best admissions counselors. It is a beautiful campus as well. DS would have considered more seriously if more students outside the region went there.</p>
<p>My D was accepted at John Carroll University near Cleveland with a huge scholarship that had she not received acceptance to Kenyon and Ohio State she would be considering. It seems like a great school when we visited and also more reasonably priced.</p>
<p>I have found the CC community doesn’t represent reality. When I tell people my D is considering Kenyon many look stumped. And it is less than an hour away from my home yet many have never heard of it. I say it is near Mt Vernon and they say, “oh yeah, Mt Vernon Nazarene right?” sigh. No.</p>
<p>And I think this is true for many wonderful liberal arts colleges in my state like Denison, Wooster, Hiram and Oberlin… Just to name a few. Some people look at me a little strange when I say D is stuck between Kenyon and Ohio State, for them there is no consideration and OSU is the best school, but mostly because people are rabid Buckeye fans! Lol</p>
<p>I agree with whoever spoke of Mt Union, and if more looked into it, would be impressed.</p>
<p>But again, many people I know, do not consider good liberal arts schools even the ones with educated parents. Not sure why.</p>
<p>Berry College in Rome Georgia. Although the school reports it has “Christian values” it is not supported or endorsed by any church and, although there is a strong presence of Christians, there are also Buddhist groups, an interfaith council and other faith-related groups. Agnostics and atheists should not feel fearful either.</p>
<p>Finally-great attentive faculty, beautiful campus, tier one ranking and a big endowment (750 million). The scholarship and grant monies are excellent and all students can work campus jobs regardless of family income. The jobs are often great resume builders, too (many are not your usual dining hall and library jobs)</p>
<p>I just spent 3 hours on this thread researching schools. This has been the single most helpful thread I’ve come across here. Thanks to everyone. I have added 13 schools to 'the list" from this thread alone!!!</p>
<p>To add my 2 cents–Central College in Pella, IA-by and far the most welcoming school we have visited. Strong STEM school, tiny town, small school but great merit aid, automatic for GPA/ACT/SAT!!</p>
<p>Sewanee-University of the South. Great LAC. Reduced tuition by 10%, and for class of 2016, has guaranteed the same tuition, room, board for the nexxt 4 years.
DS can’t wait to start. He wants to try out for the EMT’s which is student run, or the volunteer firefighters which are half Sewanee community and half students.
Not that he’ll be one, but to their credit, Sewanee has graduated 25 Rhodes Scholars. It says a lot about the quality of the education and character there.</p>
<p>I don’t see Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on the latest list. Students have stats comparable to GT, and people turn down schools like Cornell and CMu to attend, probably mostly bc They give great merit aid.</p>
<p>Back around page 20 someone mentioned Roger Williams and it’s on the list but no one posted any info about it. </p>
<p>I have limited info but here goes: In April we attended an Open House there. I have driven past RWU many times thru the years as my family has a summer house near by but I have never been on the grounds and I thought my son might do well at a small school and its in an area that is somewhat known to him.</p>
<p>It is a lovely small school (I think about 3700) on a fairly small campus. It is literally right on the water in Bristol RI. Our tour guide was very good and she seemed to know a lot of kids walking by and a professor of hers stopped while walking by to ask the group if anyone in the group was interested in her specialty (I don’t remember what it was). It seemed like a good place for someone who might get lost in a big school. They have some programs in place to make the transition to college easier for freshman. They have quite a few majors to choose from considering how small it is and a couple of very unusual majors too (they are known locally for their Architecture program and they also offer Art and Architectural History and Historical Preservation). During the admissions presentation they did mention merit aid based on your SAT scores and GPA. I did find out recently that they are becoming test optional so I don’t know how that will affect merit aid. No football team but they have a very good sailing team!</p>
<p>I have heard something disparaging about them recently though. I was in Newport recently and saw a girl with an RWU sweat shirt on so I stopped to ask her how she liked it. She told me that some people say “RWU” stands for “Rich, white underachievers” but she was staying there because she thought the academics were really good. So I guess it’s like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put in to it.</p>