Comparing the top LACs' "vibes"?

Keilexandra
Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:08:38 +0000

These are just off-the-cuff thoughts, unfiltered for don’t-offend-alums.

Amherst - preppy but reasonably successful at diversifying, science center needs renovation, spread-out campus (relative to LACs), open curriculum

Bard - hipster, artsy, musical (new conservatory), interesting Instant Decision Days

Bowdoin - preppy but more fundamentally traditional (reflected in course offerings), one of the highest % of varsity athletes

Carleton - quirky, laid-back, happy, active, 80% play a sport (including intramural)

Colgate - preppy, Greek, athletic (D1), geographically isolated

Colorado Coll - mountain preppy, outdoorsy, active, OCAAT (block) curriculum

Davidson - Southern preppy, Greek (not as much as Colgate), only 4% Asian, highest-ranked LAC to offer merit-based full rides or any merit aid at all (Swarthmore’s region-limited full tuition scholarship doesn’t count)

Grinnell - laid-back, humble, quirky, gingko trees supposedly have a strong scent, open curriculum

Hamilton - divided between preppy and artsy (“light” and “dark” sides of campus, physically), geographically isolated

Harvey Mudd - unique math/science/tech LAC, walking-distance Claremont consortium, majority male but literally across the street from all-female Scripps

Haverford - Honor Code (community > individual), strong lab science (bio/chem), close academic/social relationship with all-female Bryn Mawr (Bi-Co consortium), 70% play a sport (including intramural)

Macalester - international, activist, urban, possibly the least selective LAC with a linguistics major (not that anyone cares)

Middlebury - granola preppy, spread-out (but shiny, as in new) campus, beautifully designed library-as-social-space, international

Oberlin - quirky, activist, musical (world-class conservatory), womb chairs in orange-painted library

Occidental - laid-back, worldly (unique curriculum requirements, similar to Pitzer’s)

Pomona - laid-back, outgoing, happy, walking-distance Claremont consortium

Reed - quirky, intense, academic (as in PHDs), activist, core curriculum (Hum 110), got some public flack for being openly need-aware

Smith - quirky, outspoken, intense, inexplicably gets more “lesbian” flack than the other women’s colleges

Swarthmore* - quirky, intense, academic, social justice (Lang Center), exceptional racial diversity, exceptionally broad academic offerings (e.g. linguistics), Tri-Co consortium with Haverford and Bryn Mawr but more standalone than Bi-Co, stately campus

Vassar - artsy, hipster, formerly all-female, creative writing has suffered from budget cuts, larger than most LACs

Washington & Lee - very Greek, Southern preppy, politically conservative (a rarity among top LACs), great merit full-ride program (Johnson Scholarship)

Wellesley - pre-professional (relative to LACs), beautiful campus, all-female, lesser-used consortium with MIT, Boston social life, Greek-ish societies

Wesleyan - artsy, quirky, activist, larger than most LACs

Whitman - active, outdoorsy, laid-back

Williams - preppy, active, outdoorsy, athletic, artsy subculture, main library needs renovation, geographically isolated

*Full disclosure: Swarthmore was my first choice and I’ll be attending in Fall 2010.