I feel like you described Oberlin to a T! My oldest just graduated last year and was a double Environmental Science/Art History major. Great, quirky, funky, smart, diverse (and incredibly inclusive) students from across the country and world. Good combination of hard working and creative kids who also like to have fun. Happy to answer any questions you might have if you want to message me. My daughter was very plugged into the campus and involved with the radio station, renowned art gallery and admissions, so we have lots of info.! We live in NY but she did not know anyone from upstate NY or LI. Some from NYC, some Boston, many from the West Coast/LA/Bay Area, and many from around the world.
2 Likes
See my general reply to the thread. Oldest graduated this past year from Oberlin- double Environmental Science/Art History major. The conservatory is renowned for sure, but none of her closest friends were music (âconâ) majors. The music just adds to the background vibe! Like, really fun parties, but with a small jazz band playing. Iâve often heard it referred to as âWesleyan with a sound trackâ lol. Granted, OH is a more conservative state, but the school is very liberal, and the town and immediate community are liberal and very appreciative and integrated with the school and conservatory.
3 Likes
Check out VCU! One of the best in the nation for arts, right in downtown Richmond. Has a big LGTB community, very funky!
2 Likes
What about Whitman? Kind of far afield but seems like it would check some of the same boxes and an easier admit than Bates, Vassar, and Wesleyan. Second the suggestions to check out Pitzer, Scripps, Occidental, Macalester, and Colorado College.
6 Likes
Whitman is a great school. My D studied abroad with some Whitties and liked all she heard about the school. She actually was accepted there but ended up at Bates.
2 Likes
Another vote for Ithaca. Great LGBT scene, wonderful arts and a top journalism program.
3 Likes
This Princeton Review site names colleges that may be particularly LGBTQ-friendly based on survey information:
1 Like
I agree checking out the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes SLAC scene seems very well-advised given the stated aims.
Others have mentioned Oberlin (definitely more than the conservatory) and Macalester (seems right on target in terms of vibe and it has one of the best locations of any school in my view, in a very nice walkable neighborhood in the Twin Cities).
Iâll just toss in another sometimes-forum-favorite, Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo has lots of cool programs including an innovative curriculum structure and very robust study abroad, combined with a generally very friendly vibe. And then it is located in a small city of the same name, which it shares with Western Michigan University. Kalamazoo the city is known as one of the nicest towns in the state, and is particularly known for funky arts, music, theater, and brewpubs. Like, one of the classic Kalamazoo hangouts is literally called an Eccentric Cafe:
Anyway, I thought it was worth potentially checking out as a less selective/possible merit option.
4 Likes
Look at Bryn Mawr Collegeâitâs low-key (not a party place), LGBT friendly with a liberal student body. Itâs also part of a consortium with (Haverford and Swarthmore) and itâs fairly easy to take classes at eitherâslightly easier at Haverford, which is right down the road. Itâs also possible to take courses at UPenn. BMC is in a suburb of Philadelphia, which is great city. Thereâs a commuter rail station right near campus so itâs very easy to get to the city. Local area (Bryn Mawr/Haverford/Wayne) has lots of shops/recreation.
5 Likes
I was going to suggest Whitman, but outside of the school, itâs a very red area. While I know the school is LGBTQ friendly, Iâd look into the surrounding area. My liberal friend who lives in Walla Walla is pretty frustrated by the politics.
1 Like
I second Warren Wilson. Writing and environmental science are its strengths, and the Asheville area is extremely queer-friendly.
That said, UNC Asheville was the first to come to my mind. Itâs noticeably larger with a concomitantly bigger LGB dating pool, and in my opinion it has a much more convenient location (albeit a less beautiful campus).
Itâs worth noting that colleges touted as âthe most LGBTQ-friendlyâ are not necessarily the best places to be a queer student, although there is obviously some overlap. One should keep in mind that these schools vary quite a bit in size and location.
For example, letâs say youâre a gay applicant looking at LACs. The College of the Atlantic is ranked #3 on this list â seems great, right? But if you dig into the numbers, youâll note that it has a mere 114 male undergrads. Even if you assume that 25% of those are gay or bi (a generous estimate), thatâs a dating pool of only about two dozen men â and that shrinks even more once you remove those already dating or not looking to date. To make prospects even more bleak, COA is in a tiny town and not particularly close to other colleges.
COA has 244 female undergrads, so things are obviously better for women⊠but compare that to Scripps (#11 on the list), which has over four times as many women as COA, or more than 15 times as many if you account for the other Claremont colleges.
3 Likes
Warren Wilson is tiny (a little less than 1000 students total) but super LGBTQ with more than 50% of students who ID as part of the LGBTQ community. Itâs a work college and each student is required to have an on campus job. Itâs a pretty funky school but not too academically competitive â more of a collaborative and supportive environment. In addition to the environmental and writing programs, they have a good fine craft program with blacksmithing, fine wood working etc. Itâs very much a fit school. https://www.warren-wilson.edu/
I think that is true for many LACs, especially ones in more isolated areas. In fact, of colleges mentioned so far, I think only the ones directly in cities would be in what are considered âblueâ areas.
My D was at Bates and liked being on a liberal campus in a generally red area. There was a lot of college + community activity and it wasnât possible to ignore Lewiston. There was even a bit of drama in a national election year when someone dropped fake fliers on campus telling students they couldnât vote. Anyway, I digress.
My point is that some students might view it as an opportunity to get involved in a community with people they may not normally cross paths with.
5 Likes
Yeah, this is very much YMMV, but our approach has been to focus on state law/politics more than local political environment. My kid doesnât want to be somewhere subject to âdonât say gayâ type of laws, laws allowing health care workers not to provide care based on personal beliefs, bathroom bills that could make life difficult for trans friends, etc.
Obviously, a hostile local environment in a blue state certainly isnât appealing from a comfort and safety perspective, and my kid would likely avoid that, as well, but weâre more concerned about state power than we are about the average bigot.
8 Likes
Iâd suggest looking at Juniata. They have a cool field station at a nearby lake where students can spend a semester so it is great for environmental science
1 Like
If they are okay with slightly larger then look at UVM, good merit too. And maybe Wheaton (MA)
1 Like
I second (or third by now) Pitzer and Scripps,
especially given the Environmental/Art interests
They are right next to one another and being in the 5college consortium helps ensure that there is plenty of activity despite the smallness of each individual school.
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If youâd like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.