Colleges with Admit Rates of 20-59%: Schools You’ve Liked and Why (NO REPLIES)

College Search & Lists
43

D19 and I visited Fordham (and I will be visiting again with C26 soon). They don’t seem to play the yield game (they don’t seem to care that they may be the backup to an NYU application) and I think that makes some underestimate them. Great location of course, they seem to have solid degrees in most courses, we’re not Christian/catholic but the tolerant Jesuit approach is welcoming. I think it’s a great option. I didn’t love the Lincoln Center campus in terms of it really just being a city block with a bunch of buildings and a tiny green space, but the location is beyond awesome (D19 loved urban colleges so was happy to apply to that campus). Will be visiting Rose Hill next month so may update.

Editing to add that when D19 was admitted they gave her some merit - as I recall, $10k a year with a 3.5 GPA so I imagine for high stats students they will be fairly generous. (Of course their COA is fairly high to start with)

8 Likes
46

Wow, how have we missed out Whitman on this thread? Since I joined CC back in 2014, Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, has always been an insiders’ favorite here, in a similar vein to St. Olaf in MN. It has around a 50% acceptance rate. It’s long been said that if it was in a somewhat more accessible location, it would be much harder to get into.

D was accepted back in the day with a good scholarship. She later did study abroad in Japan with some Whitties who she loved and is still in touch with. The campus looks lovely, with smart students, great, personalized academics, and an excellent LAC experience.

17 Likes
47

St Olaf- 48% acceptance rate - exceptional study abroad, beautiful campus, strong community, Natural Lands (470 acres) of space for recreating and learning adjacent to campus, cute college town (along with Carleton), small classes with engaging professors, nice size (3000+ students), amazing club ultimate Frisbee team, easy access to Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (with affordable flights to the PNW), stellar music program, generous merit, and they meet full financial need.

7 Likes
48

One college my D loved during a visit, but was just financially out of reach was Lehigh. It was a beautiful campus with one of the prettiest libraries.

Dickinson also seems like a nice college. A friend’s child is there and chose it for the languages and study abroad. The campus is nice and just a short walk from some cafes on cute little street.

6 Likes
49

Penn State (55%) was such an amazing surprise based on how I perceived a huge state school. It definitely has its pros and cons (very costly for OOS especially if you do the holy grail summer LEAP program) but overall, it doesn’t feel like a giant, impersonal institution with 40k students. During the tour, we were blown away by the enthusiasm the guides had for the school, and for the record those who call PSU a cult are not far off, LOL. There are a lot of student union type buildings so you can pick and choose where you want to eat and study, with the option to vary it up. There are different options for meal plans and how to pay for meals off campus too.

The campus is well planned, organized, and beautiful, even when the weather isn’t. The new dorms in East are very nice, and are slowly replacing the decrepit old buildings from the 60s. The campus is very walkable and integrates the downtown extremely well. Downtown, there are all the usual college bars and restaurants and also stores for convenient shopping (Target within a short walking distance, and other retail like Urban Outfitters and outdoor shops). By short car ride, there’s everything else - Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Dicks, TJ Maxx- you name it. There are campus traditions like getting your picture taken with the Nittany Lion and getting ice cream from the Creamery - rules for both, as we found out (no mixing ice cream flavors).

What truly sold us was when my son visited and asked about changing his major. He had been admitted to PSU but was deciding among 4-5 schools, and had been admitted to Penn State for engineering (not a serious interest for him). We heard about the College of Information Science and Technology and stopped by without an appointment - they gave him a ton of 1:1 attention and it really felt like a small college within the bigger university.

A couple cons:
Housing can be kind of a nightmare, although the school does their best to manage it well. You are definitely NOT a number at PSU but sometimes it takes asking a question on the parent forums - they know everything. And PSU’s overall communication is excellent.

Football! The way they do the lottery for tickets needs some work, I’m not an expert but they make it hard for the kids who actually want to attend every game to get tickets. The game day experience is just as people expect it to be, electric and unmatched in terms of pure school spirit - super fun for everyone in the family.

Hope that helps some folks!

8 Likes
52

Reminder that this is a no response thread. Thank you!

59

Reminder that this is a no response thread. Thank you!

60

Bard. 46%. Beautiful campus in the Hudson Valley. Strong academics, wonderful professors, incredible programs and facilities for the arts. Interesting Senior Project program.

Emerson. 43%. Wonderful arts and communications school in the heart of Boston. Interesting academic offerings and impressive facilities.

Fordham. 54%. I’ve only toured the Lincoln Center campus but absolutely loved it. Home to the Gabelli School of Business and impressive programs in the arts. Students receive awesome internship opportunities.

Sarah Lawrence. 50%. 40 minute train ride to New York City. Beautiful campus in Bronxville. Open curriculum with a strong emphasis on academic breadth and exploration.

Skidmore. 26%. Small liberal arts college with a gorgeous campus in Saratoga Springs, NY. Really strong academics, great professors, motivated students.

Syracuse. 52%. I don’t have enough good things to say about this school. They have everything from top-ranked programs in arts and communications to Greek life to an awesome campus in Central NY.

8 Likes
61

Mount Holyoke College. 36% in 2028.
My daughter is having a great first year there and has made some great friends. She likes her professors. It’s a “Meets full need” school, the aid package is do-able (although nowhere near as good as what Middlebury’s definition of our need is for S26 using the same numbers).

Union College. 44%. D28 was offered better aid here by a few thousand, but she really fell in love with MHC.

7 Likes
62

Santa Clara university, beautiful campus in a great location with excellent ROI . We were so impressed with the visit and tour .

11 Likes
63

Case Western, is strong in Engineering, but has offerings in the physical sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts. With ties to the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital, it is particularly strong in medicine related fields like Nursing (#9) and Biomedical Engineering (#18). The campus is nice, if not beautiful, and it is in a good neighborhood near most of Cleveland’s cultural institutions. Outcomes are strong (at least for engineering). Think of Case as similar to, but a step behind, CMU.

6 Likes
64

For those looking for a liberal arts college experience in the south, there aren’t a ton of options. Hendrix (53% admission rate for fall 2023), however, has a lot to offer folks. It was recognized as a college that changes lives by a former NY Times editor, and the college is part of the organization of schools that formed after that recognition (here is its CTCL profile which provides a different look at the college: Hendrix College – Colleges That Change Lives).

One of the key aspects of a Hendrix education is the Odyssey program. Students are required to do Odyssey experiences in at least three different categories. Those categories are: Global Awareness, Service to the World, Professional and Leadership Development, Undergraduate Research, Artistic Creativity, and Special Projects.

For those interested in public policy/politics, the Arkansas State Capitol is only a 35-minute drive away. For those who love the outdoors, there are nearby lakes and parks for hiking, kayaking, climbing, etc, and students can rent outdoor gear from the college for a small fee.

For those for whom food is important, Hendrix has received numerous awards for its dining services. There’s a lot of locally-sourced food and organic items as well. Upperclassmen also have a number of university apartments to choose from, with the vast majority having one student per bedroom in the apartments.

Unlike many other southern schools, there are no fraternities or sororities at Hendrix (though students may rush Divine 9 organizations at U. of Central Arkansas located two miles away).

Additionally, I really admire its Statement of Purpose which was approved in spring 2015, in advance of many national trends:

Hendrix College cultivates empathy, creativity, self-understanding, rigorous inquiry, informed deliberation, and active learning across the liberal arts, toward the development of the whole person. Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy. (source)

12 Likes
65

Case Western Reserve reminds me of Rice. Both are strong in Engineering, but also other physical sciences, life sciences, humanities, and the arts. Both have attractive campuses, located in nice neighborhoods. Both are located on the edge of their city’s respective museum districts. Just as Case has access to Cleveland Clinic, Rice sits across the street from the sprawling Texas Medical Center.

8 Likes
66

There are several great LACs in the south.

Our D25 chose Wofford College in Spartanburg SC. 56% acceptance, 86% med school acceptance rate. Strong Finance major and Biology for Pre-Professional majors (Pre-Dental,Med, Vet), Pre-Law majors also strong. Great collaborative community, small classes, involved professors, live on campus all four years. Greek life but supposedly strong but inclusive … also many other activities to be involved in on campus. D1 athletics… football games known for alumni returning for tailgating, basketball team made NCAA tournament this year and were conference champs as did volleyball. Very strong active alumni network. Spartanburg is a historic town, small but growing and being revitalized. Great restaurants and cute downtown walking distance from campus.

She also was accepted and strongly considered University of Richmond, Rhodes College, Furman University, Sewanee and Samford University.

9 Likes