Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s currency as a cultural reference is still intact after fourteen years off the air. When Carrie Fisher passed away last month, I read more than one homage to her portrayal of Princess Leia and how it paved the way for strong female action heroes like Buffy.
D16 had very similar criteria, including student run theater. Her list included: Wes, Kenyon, Muhlenberg, Smith, Clark, Skidmore, Mount Holyoke, Beloit, Grinnell, Whitman, and Lewis &Clark. She ended up happily accepting Mount Holyoke, but is beginning to believe that the student run theater group there was over sold (or has fallen apart this year?). She is considering applying to transfer.
(Just because several have mentioned them: D HATED Sarah Lawrence AND Vassar. I thought Vassar would have been great for her, but agreed that SL felt kind of fake though neither of us could explain why. 
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@MiddleburyDad2 You take it wrong. No, I thought my pattern of verbiage was evident. 3 in my family were admitted and all 3 declined to go to other schools. Guilty that Colby offered us so much and we declined to go to other schools. D2 is at Pomona. She wanted warmer climate. For her it actually came down to Middlebury or Pomona. The ice storm on the way to Middlebury was a turn off. And Pomona, well, it’s just the Disneyland of LACs. What can I say?
@merc81 re tunnels. Yes. Colby has the MaryKate and Ashley Olson corridor. That’s the acronym for the series of buildings (mostly science) that align. They talk about it on the tour. They have corridors or tunnels so that in the winter you never have to go outside and brave the cold once you’re in a building. You just go from one building to another indoors to avoid the cold.
@preppedparent , thanks … go it now.
We share that in common then. One at Pomona and one on his way out of Midd.
I have to confess that Midd has been a little disappointing. The one who is graduating likes it, but his sibling who was there with him didn’t, and that’s the kid who is most like me, which probably explains why I’m not a huge Middlebury guy. Fantastic school, no specific complaints … just hasn’t been my cup of tea.
The kid who transferred to Pomona, btw, loves it.
I’m partial to New England - had my fill of Cali when I lived in Palo Alto.
@middleburydad2 are you going to Family Weekend? It’ll be our first.
@preppedparent , nope. Not on the agenda.
@PreppedParent - Even though OP wants supportive community for students of color, you still recommend Colby?
Oberlin, Vasser, Haverford, and Macalester are excellent alternatives.
Barnard, if you’re a woman.
Have you seen Hamilton’s campus?
@momofkz, I would not have suggested Colby for OP - maybe Earlham for vibe (or one of the women’s colleges) and something like Bard for arts but now that it’s Feb., that ship has sailed!. Colby is definitely becoming more diverse and inclusive - , and while I know a couple of POC there (and at Bowdoin ) who are quite happy, they all knew they would be in as small minority and when they leave campus, perhaps an even smaller one. I also know kids who would not go to any of the northern NESCAC schools for that reason. Small towns in nowhere New England and schools that have long appealed to upper middle class white kids who like to ski just don’t sound that appealing given the other options. Colby has matched 30 Questbridge scholars in each of the last 2 years in its effort to have more SES diversity, but for all these schools, there is still much to be done.
Agh… have just realized that when you accidentally hit post and take too long to edit, you waste time and lose edits. So I apologize if the above, not meant to be final, feels awkward!
@MomofKZ yes, Colby has a global outlook which is only getting larger with their new Admissions Director from Stanford. Lots of diversity there which is growing. Can’t get a finer education than what Colby offers anywhere IMHO. It’s a great community.
‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,–that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.’
– John Keats
I realled like Hamilton too but I thought it even seemed even more out in the boonies than Colby (yes, I know they are pretty up there too) with a town historically cited having more cows than people. But still, I found the campus a cross between Middlebury with a fantastic science center that includes Psychology and a quad like Amherst complete with Adirondak chairs. Its emphasis on writing is something I can appreciate. They were very friendly. Loved the coupons for black and white cookies (supposedly originated there) at a local bakery and DD and I had the best fish and chips in August at the local pizza hangout. You can’t go wrong at Hamilton. Great academics, great community, and great dorm rooms (some of the best).
@preppedparent : I tend to like Hamilton’s rural aspects to the south and west, but nevertheless, in a northeasterly direction, their location places them within 10 miles of a city of 62,000, and even closer (with hourly shuttle service) to suburban amenities:
https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/transportation/the-jitney
https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/transportation/utica-jitney-service
For geography buffs, Clinton resides roughly equidistantly from New York, Toronto, Montréal and Boston.
^^thanks for the good reminder. Yeh, Hamilton is another NESCAC that’s tough to beat. With manicured buildings and campus, you can see that they invest in their community and its a metaphor for how they invest in their students Its a great community.
That final couplet expresses a callow view of reality, one much in line with our present society. But, yes, I think Hamilton’s campus is lovely.
Think Nasar, not Narcissus @wesleyan97.