Smaller schools especially Nescac schools, as a generalization, also have a high percentage of student athletes. Amherst is a very high number. That’s not bad at all, just a large part of the population.
And as @ProfSD correctly states Imho, percentages can overstate the “reality” on the campus. If a school has 1000 total students and 80 are AA that may be ok by comparison but only 20 students that “look like you” in your total class isn’t going to feel that way. Especially if your frame of reference is a high school and a community, at large, where you feel much more of presence of diversity. In real numbers. Plus small campuses require you to venture into town and off campus from time to time. Pioneer valley is very Caucasian. However it is a very accepting, welcoming and liberal minded area as well.
Based on what you stated originally as interests and personality preferences - .it would make good sense to also look at would Skidmore, Barnard, Oberlin and Grinell. Not that they will feel a whole lot different. Just more of the match and low reach level with less emphasis on student athletics and a definate social awareness vibe, commitment to green policies and plus a laid back, less party driven atmosphere than some schools.
My daughter has similar stats and interests, but is biracial (Asian/white). She likes the idea of a liberal arts college, but she has real concerns about racial and economic diversity. Those concerns have put several larger state schools with diversity programs on her list that would likely not be there otherwise. We have been spending time in the schools’ cafeterias so she can get a feel for how kids interact and how natural the diversity that is there feels. Most of the schools people have mentioned are on her list too.
We did find Agnes Scott to be a surprising outlier with significant racial diversity among women’s colleges. It is in Atlanta, though, so not in a cold state.
I think your daughter should reconsider Hamilton. Its open curriculum combined with available programs in public policy, environmental studies (with a social sciences / humanities track) and linguistics would be perfect for concentrated studies in her areas of interest.
@MWolf Where are you getting your numbers for Amherst? Because they seem to be wrong. If you look at the most recent common data set, the enrollment numbers for this year state 43% of enrolled students are white. Now that doesn’t include internationals who could drive that number up slightly, but it’s far off from your asserted numbers,
Since economics comprises an important component of public policy, you may want to consider this ranking as a way to objectively differentiate programs: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html. Based on your daughter’s interest in environmental policy in particular, you also may want to consider this more specialized ranking in environmental economics in which LACs Vassar, Williams, Hamilton and Wesleyan appear: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.env.html.
@ProfSD
We’ve had this same discussion about diversity, that it means much more than racial diversity. There is socioeconomic diversity and disability diversity, among others. How does your D20 like Hamilton?
Thanks to all who chimed in on diversity! Coming from a Midwest IB school that is 80% white, my D21 would find anything roughly 55% white and below to be ethnically diverse.
Thanks to those suggesting Brandeis, Hamilton, Vassar and Dickinson – I’ll look into all of them.
@somanyaliases
Thanks for the great info! My daughter is really interested in Wellesley and we have fingers crossed it will still be open for tours next week.
@GoldPenn She loved it enough to apply ED last November, but she is HS class of 2020. I won’t have any more information until she matriculates in the fall!