Title. Found myself really loving this type of architecture/campus vibe. William and Mary immediately came to mind, but Im worried about the quality of their labs/premed/biology.
Oh and please no all girls colleges. Beautiful but canât see myself there
Why are you worried about the quality of the labs at William & Mary? They built new labs as part of that they call the Integrated Science Center, and that includes Biology:
Generally lots of colleges have at least some Colonial architecture, as it was very popular. Most of it is much more recent than the oldest buildings at William & Mary, of course, so basically Colonial Revival.
Another nice example is the central campus portion of the University of Delaware (a very old institution itself). Miami of Ohio reminds people of William & Mary for good reason.
In terms of LACs, Susquehanna University has a fairly consistent Colonial vibe. Kalamazoo as well.
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William and Mary just felt a little too ancient for me. Wasnât the biggest fan of the dorms either. However I did not know about the science center and I am going to visit again soon, so Iâll give it another chance.
Also found this. I have no idea if itâs official or not but itâs hilarious. The College of William and Mary | About Me
You are going to have to define what you mean by âColonial New Englandâ since the example you provide is quite different from anything that can be called âNew Englandâ style⊠maybe you just mean an old campus or somethingâŠ
That article is definitely unofficial. There are some elements of truth in it, but I would take it with a grain of salt. It was either written a long time ago or by someone who doesnât have recent experience with William and Mary. The part about politics seems particularly off as the overwhelming majority of the students consider themselves liberal or very liberal. A decade or two ago there may have been a more significant contingency of conservative students on campus. Also not sure streaking is still a thing lol. Look up the definition of TWAMP, that essentially sums up most William and Mary students. They do tend to be studious, academically focused and a bit nerdy/quirky (but in a good way).
My son is currently an out of state junior physics major. Heâs involved in a fraternity, a club sport,scientific research and a couple of other clubs related to his major. Heâs very social and doesnât really fit the stereotype but absolutely loves it there. That being said William and Mary is not a fit for everyone. Why apply If you donât like the location, the campus, the academic intensity of the school or feel that the biology program is somehow lacking?
I am just going to echo @NiceUnparticularManâs comments about the new science facilities. Make sure to check out the ISC if you visit and contact admissions about participating in a student led STEM panel. They are held both virtually and in person and will give you a chance to hear from current students and ask questions.
You may also be interested to know that the new dorms and dining hall in West 1 will be opened for the Fall 2025 semester.
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Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
Colby College in Waterville, ME.
Connecticut College in New London, CT
Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT
The flagship state colleges of Maine and Vermont
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I guess not a plasticy feel (Disliked Brandeis, Bing campus). More like Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith but not all girls. âColonialâ was just a word I found onlineâI donât know the term. I process things differently and assign words to things other people might not so donât blame međ
Useful. Thanks!
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Dartmouth and Colby I considered, but theyâre both reaches and I already have a bunch of reaches. Middleburys really small. Ill do some research on CC. Thanks
I donât think Bryn Mawr is like W& M architecturally but take a look at Rhodes and Sewanee to see if thatâs what youâre looking for.
Or check both UT Chatt ahd U of Mary Washington, well respected regionals that might align more with the brick of W&M.
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Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke are more Collegiate Gothic. And well recognized as two of the nicest college campuses in general!
Iâm not sure where you are drawing the line between Reaches and Targets, but you might want to check out Lehigh. Very dramatic Gothicky campus on a hill side, medium-size private research university.
Fordhamâs Rose Hill campus might appeal to you as well.
Finally, have you looked at Indiana? Very nice campus.
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University of New Hampshire? I think they have excellent programs in natural sciences.
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There were only nine colleges founded in the colonial era of what is now the US, and even fewer in New England (Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth â though Williams, Bowdoin and maybe a few others came soon after independence). So is it possible that what you think of as a âcolonialâ look is really more of a nineteenth-century look, which is more common? You can find colleges founded in that era around the country, so maybe it would be help to give us more information about what you want and what your qualifications are.
FWIW, Colby College is old (1813ish?) but moved to its current location in the 1940s, so itâs an example of a college that has an older architectural feel even though the buildings are relatively recent. I know youâre not interested in Colby, but there are schools that are built to look like classic older colleges everywhere.
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Middlebury, along with Wesleyan, are among the largest of the traditional New England liberal arts colleges.
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I know youâve had a few threads; I assume Bowdoin was suggested at some point? It could be worth checking out, if you havenât already.
On top of the architecture, theyâre great for science, and they get high marks for their dorms.
Two other quick thoughts to add, as you mentioned wanting to find some more accessible schools:
- Maybe the University of Vermont?
- Miami University of Ohio has been mentioned up-thread; it could be worth checking out, even if itâs a bit further than youâd like.
Based on your comments, you arenât looking for more reaches.
Franklin and Marshall, Lafayette, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Allegheny and Lehigh might all fit the bill for contained, traditional campuses. Very different vibes and strengths.
Can you say what else you are looking for?
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Already applied to L and L, applying to FM rmđ€
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Both are all girls, and thats not something im too enthusiastic about. However they are super temptingâŠ
Already applied to Lehigh!
Williams and Bow definitely had me interested, but they are reaches for me (as for everyone) and I already have a bunch of reaches
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