Updated summary:
Top Ten-ish:
Hello. My daughter was admitted to Brandeis, Smith, Northeastern, Lafayette, WPI, Bryn Mawr, Mt. Holyoke, Franklin and Marshall, Muhlenburg, Connecticut College and UMass Amherst. How should she decide where to go? I am somewhat familiar with Brandeis, Smith,Northeastern, Mt. Holyoke and Umass but completely ignorant about Lafayette, Franklin and Marshall and Muhlenburg. Her admission to Northeastern is only to the program in which you spend the first semester of freshman year abroad, which does not appeal to her as she would prefer to get settled on a campus. She thinks if she is going to choose a women only college Smith and Bryn Mawr are better than Mt. Holyoke. So she is mainly thinking of Lafayette, Brandeis, Smith, Bryn Mawr, or WPI. She is somewhat inclined to choose a coed college over one that is all women. She is good at STEM but also at everything else so her interests are not well defined. I would appreciate any comments regarding the flavor, character, or feel of the different schools, academic quality, student life, etc. I want her to be happy and healthy and with other bright well-rounded kids. I don’t want her to be at a school with a lot of heavy drinking or drugs or sexual assault. She enjoys playing a sport but at a club or intramural level. Thanks in advance!
@Tennismom2016: Congratulations on your daughter’s acceptances to so many fine schools! Trying to decide among them is a wonderful dilemma.
Lafayette College - small Liberal Arts College with top notch academics, esp. excellence in STEM (for decades) and ABET accreditation. Hi greek involvement, leans conservative, more men than women, large & beautiful campus in a lovely area of PA, devoted alumni. Huge rivalry with nearby Lehigh, historically with football, but across-the-board. Your D would surely be surrounded by bright well-rounded kids at Lafayette.
Search CC for Lafayette or any of the other schools in which your D is interested, and you’re sure to get a plethora of info.
Good Luck!
@Tennismom2016 They all seem like good schools. You got some good advice about Lafayette, which I have visited, but as a Lehigh grad, I can’t say too much. 
I think Franklin and Marshall is a gem of a school. And we are going to an admitted student event at Brandeis this weekend. Will your D be able to visit any of the schools? Lafayette and Muhlenberg are near each other and F&M isonly a couple of hours from them. I know a number of kid who went to Muhlenberg who had a great experience there but it is small so that is something to consider. For some kids that is great. I think visiting is the best way to help her make a decision. At this point you probably have a feel for the level of academics but it is the non-academic stuff to figure out so that your D will have a fun, enriching experience. . It is not easy - I’m making trips to 4 schools in 3 weeks with my S as he tries to sort out his acceptances. We are focusing mostly on fit - I want him happy socially. But it is hard when you just get a little taste of each school.
Updated with D’s decision to send the next 4 at U of Alabama…Roll Tide Roll
Congrats to your D, @Tennismom2016 (wow, “tennismom” seems to be a popular screenname!) I suggest you post your question on the 2016 Parents thread. There are many wonderful people, parents and students, in the community, who might be able to help you:
Thanks.
Added D’s decision to attend the University of Delaware.
Added S’s decision to attend Grinnell College.
Updated to add DD’s decision to attend Pitt.
Will update the doc tonight, but S has decided to attend RIT.
Added D’s decision to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
Ooh, now I really feel like the decision is final. Put PITTSBURGH in italic and red for my D.
Edited: somehow the link isn’t working when I tried to add it to this post. Well, it is just above. Sorry
Top Schools By Acceptances:
Noted D’s decision to attend Grinnell College.
Finally had a chance to update my S’s decision on RIT
Just updated to show D’s selection of Mount Holyoke.
Added:
Boston University
Brandeis University
NYU
Northeastern University
University of San Diego
UNC Chapel Hill officially in red for my D Bornsecond. Looking forward to another red day…
Add my son’s decision to attend UMass Amherst. I tried to update the count of decisions but I might have miscounted.