While UVM does attract students who like winter sports, it is located right in the middle of Burlington. Not an isolated location where students commune with nature.
Colleges that Change Lives also has a website, I believe. @compmom
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The book by Loren Pope s quite old (2012). The website is current. Colleges that Change Lives also holds fairs around the country. ctcl.org
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Haverford comes to mind. A friend’s daughter sounds very similar to yours and absolutely blossomed at Haverford.
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I definitely understand this, and you live in a location that has a plethora of terrific options within the desired time radius.
That said, however, it may be useful to look at Amtrak (and/or bus routes) that can make travel even easier…a 4-hr trip home can mean 8-hours RT for the parents to pick up the kid and then another 8 hours to take the kid back home. If there’s a route with public transportation that can make it even more convenient to come home, then I think it’s worth mentioning. These are the train routes that have stops in Fairfield County (per this link):
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I took Amtrak back and forth for college all four years and it was great — although a very long time ago!
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I linked Vassar’s powerhouse theater homepage in an earlier post upthread yesterday. I am also a Vassar grad and a clinical psychologist so happy to answer any questions you might have.
Here is the link again:
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Yes, and the 2012 version is simply an update of the original, which was published in 1996.
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I read the original in 2008. Pope also wrote Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You (2007) which I liked even better. But the CTCL website is best now.
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Just to expand on @helpingthekid73 comments:
In addition to being a powerhouse of music performance opportunities (even for non-majors) Williams has four other inherent anxiety busters:
•Dedicated relationships with professors who form warm personal bonds and offer mentoring through internships, graduate school and real life jobs.
•The “entry” residential system in which groups of first years live together with the support of Junior Advisors, providing a ready made social group from day one. JAs organize excursions and offer advice on topics both everyday and exceptional.
•Winter Study (January term) is a laid back chance to pursue a topic of interest with no strings attached. Or take advantage of a group travel opportunity. Or just have fun in the snow.
•Lastly, Williams bucolic mountain setting is a serene escape from pressures internal or external. Understand this may not be your daughter’s preference. She’ll know after visiting.
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Skidmore also has particularly strong clinical field experience options for psychology majors: Field Experience Options | Clinical Psychology Field Experience
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My daughter took Amtrak several times from NJ to DE, and then even more frequently from NJ to Boston. If booked well in advance it was very reasonable.
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I traveled between Providence an DC. Always tons of college students and usually took the night train and slept. Once my family splurged on one of those mini rooms which has always been a favorite memory.
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Your daughter sounds similar to mine is stats and personality 
My girl felt the same way about Wesleyan, but was Waitlisted, so please encourage her to have some options. Mine ended up at Trinity College, and she is thriving with the small class sizes, building great relationships with professors, and is doing a lot of volunteer work throughout the Hartford community. It is still a bit close to home so she has a safety net if she needs something. She also has the option to transfer to Cornell her sophomore year if she wants, but has concerns over campus size (and cost)
Good luck to your girl!
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There are many great suggestions on this thread! My D26 seems very similar- especially in wanting a smaller, collaborative LAC- she’s applying to a bunch. Her older brother attends Brown and loves it. If your kid is ok with a bigger school, it’s definitely one to check out- not a pressure cooker at all.
From my D26’s list, I would check out Conn College (free music lessons through the music dept for all students and seems to be very inclusive), Wheaton College (great likely admit for this type of kid) Vassar, Brandeis, Bates, Dickinson in PA, and Bard might be another nice target/likely. Follow schools on Instagram to get a feel for their culture, and google what percentage of kids are in fraternities and sororities, too. Swarthmore is a great school- my D23 absolutely fell in love with it- but it’s definitely more of a pressure cooker environment than the others listed.
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