<p>Conn College would be a good choice, though it’s not particularly similar to Middlebury. Other New England schools: Clark, Wheaton, Colby, Bates, Bard (NY) and Skidmore (NY). You might also look at Sarah Lawrence (NY), Bennington and Hampshire all a bit more “quirky.” Trinity is ok, but more conservative than the others.</p>
<p>I see that a number of posters have suggested suthern schools, despite your “not south or midwest” request, so too will offer something you didn’t want: Smith, Barnard, MHC, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Scripps. Women’s colleges are about as good as it gets in terms of academic bang for your buck - - and everything else you’re looking for. </p>
<p>In general, women’s colleges (especially the remaining 5 of the orig 7 sister schools) have solid endowments, small classes, great facilities and supportive/accessible faculty. The sisters are nationally recongnized for the strength of their respective academic programs (all are top ranked LACs), boast impressive track records at top graduate/professional school, provide great opptys for leadership and they are all strong in all the traditional areas of female accomplishment (music, art, riding, foreign language study). And, each of the women’s colleges I suggested is not only within reasonable proximity to as city - - NYC, Philly, Boston, Northampton (not a city but recently voted “best college town”) - - but each also permits cross-registration at near-by uni/LACs (you would take classes at Columbia, Amherst, Haverford, Swarthmore, MIT or Pomona).</p>
<p>In terms of social life, yes - - it’s considerably more difficult to “meet” boys at a women’s college than at a coed school with close to 50% male enrollment. Of course, at many coed schools women out-number men by close to 50% (ie: 60/40 split, as at Vassar - - it 75/25 at Sarah Lawrence and 68/32 at Goucher). Competition for a boyfriend can be keen and some female students complain that the shortage of males fans the flames of the hook-up culture. And, in an effort to keep male enrollment respectably high, adcoms pass over girls with stronger academic profiles in favor of boys with weaker profiles - - did you read the Kenyon letter? </p>
<p>OTOH, my D would not have applied to women’s college but for BF of two yrs attending neighboring coed school. Now that they’ve split, she considers herself “stranded” - - but she’s socilalzing every weekend with a coed circle of friends, has been the subject of a respectable amout of male attention (though not from the “right” boys) and, though it’s a secondary or terciary concern to her, she’s getting a truly great eductaion.</p>