Finding Hidden Gem Colleges for Nerdy Introvert Daughter?

cquin85
Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:01:55 +0000

Ok, brain dump incoming.

Looks like the post / poster with the description to which I was responding has left the building involuntarily. What I vaguely recall was something about “dark academic intensity” and a nerdy campus vibe. I score that score as a random observation of perhaps a small subset of students and it borders on non-sense as a description of the university in summa. Leading fact: UW hosts over 36,000 undergrads - it’s not any one thing, and if it is, dark academic intensity ain’t it.

I think you find a typical range of kids that you’d expect to see at a state flagship in the western US. I’d avoid stereotypes, especially the hackneyed assumption of 85% of the student population running around in Birkenstocks, grubby flannel and loose-fitting pants/shorts channeling their Rage Against the Machine. It’s left-leaning because it’s in Seattle, but it’s a little more mainstream than you’d think. It’s not a heavy demonstration/protest school, although it once was. Back in the day, they had a shanty town built in Red Square that stood for over a year protesting endowment funds in South Africa. You really don’t see that anymore.

Academically, UW is much harder to get into than it has been historically, with some pre-professional departments like Comp. Sci. and Bio Tech drawing kids who could get into many other elite schools. It’s heavy with kids from, of course, all over Washington who have a GPA of 3.7 or better with varying degrees of rigor, and solid test scores. I’m not convinced that they analyze transcripts very deeply the way a small to mid-size elite private does, but I happen to know from a very reliable source that UW loves IB Diploma kids, which isn’t all that inconsistent with my impressions: by loving IB, you love an academic pre-package that you know is rigorous, so it does a lot of your homework for you. In fact, I know some kids with middling to low test scores who sailed into UW Honors because of their IB work. Of course, if you’re applying direct to Comp. Sci or something comparably competitive, then you’re going to be scrutinized.

It’s a Pac 12 school with a lot of pride in its sports programs, particularly football where we’re all longing for past glory from days gone by. Greek system is big, but like I said in the beginning, 36,000 UGs: if you can’t find your people there, then they probably only exist in your mind. And as far as that goes, the Greek system is decently diverse, but there is still a bit of a faux “elitist” bro vibe there. They are visible on campus, so again, it’s big. With that said, I recall your child is LGBTQ and that you’re keen on finding them a great and safe place: UW will work beautifully, trust me. Is UW a place for the “life of the mind” kind of kid? Eh, not sure. You’ll find them in Savery Hall in the Philo department, but that’s a sliver. The typical UW kid is on his/her/their way to somewhere else, so a lot of kids are pursuing degrees with an end in mind. The Foster School is hugely popular, for example.

Beautiful campus and, IMO, Seattle is still a pretty safe city on a relative basis. UW is not near downtown, so one has nothing to do with the other. The U District itself is still relatively safe, with a few pockets here and there, and the adjoining neighborhoods are lovely. Of course, there are some of the very best outdoor activities anywhere, both in and around Seattle, and the mountains and rivers are close by.

UW is mindful of its press and relatively recent uptick in the academic pecking order, and even before that it has always been a school that likes itself and the students often reflect that. It’s not pure elitism in the New England sense of it; but they have always enjoyed being the “big brother” to the other NW publics, particularly WSU, a school and student body they love to lampoon. Interestingly, they tend to have no chip on their shoulder vis a vis Cal, UCLA or Stanford, and seem content to just enjoy their World QS ranking, and they will tell you about it.

If I were focused on flagships and UG size didn’t matter to me, UW would high on my list. It’s a great school. I think it’s comparable to Wisconsin, UNC CH and UT Austin, and a smidge below Michigan, Cal and UCLA just based on student selectivity alone, and is among the world leaders in a few disciplines that are highly relevant in the professional world today.