Liberal/Intellectual/Hippie 'Colleges that Change Lives' School

This week I will be attending a college fair based on the colleges in the book ‘Colleges that Change Lives.’
I was wondering which of the colleges in the fair would be the best fit for me…

I would like to attend a school with a ‘hippie vibe,’ as in politically progressive, socially and environmentally conscious, artsy, nature-loving, peace-loving, philosophical and quirky.
Though I know the colleges in the fair are ‘for “B” students,’ I would also love a intellectual environment where the students enjoy the material and are willing to have intellectual conversations.

Right now I am looking at Reed, Whitman, Puget Sound and Clark. Maybe Willamette?
Let me know if you know of a good place, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

Hampshire, Pitzer, Evergreen. Carleton could be a fit.

Oberlin, certainly. And perhaps Grinnell. Yale, (that one’s certainly not for B students!).

Yes, I guess I couldn’t tell if you are a B student, or just happen to be attending the fair. The ones I listed aren’t all CTCL schools, and some are for students with higher grades. Another one probably not CTCL, but Warren Wilson in North Carolina may match your interests. And maybe New College of Florida?

Academic interests and budget?

Thanks for the replies!
I’m interested in majoring in physics and minor (or double major) in philosophy.
As for my stats, I am a rising junior in high school, with my last semester GPA being a 4.5. I have taken several AP Classes (World, Calc, CS…) and I’m an ‘AP Scholar with Distinction.’
Colleges with good financial aid and merit-aid would be great!

Reed would probably be the top fit for a progressive, intellectual hippie vibe. The problem with Reed is that it is now much more selective than the typical CTCL school. Until a few years ago, Reed had a relatively small applicant pool and therefore relatively high acceptance rates; however, the applicant volume has been rising rapidly and the acceptance rates have been falling in tandem. It’s not really a school for B students.

Puget Sound and Evergreen State are both CTCL, and are less selective alternatives to Reed. Lewis & Clark is maybe an even closer alternative, so you might want to check it out, but it’s not in the CTCL group. Whitman and Willamette are both CTCL, but may have a somewhat more mainstream (less hippie) character. Whitman is probably the most selective school in the Pacific Northwest after Reed.

If you are looking at Clark, the other CTCL school in Massachusetts is Hampshire, which has a much more progressive hippie reputation.

Many of the suggestions above (Oberlin, Grinnell, Yale, Carleton, and Pitzer) are not CTCL schools and are not going to be represented at a CTCL college fair.

Reed has great physics (they are well known for their undergraduate-operated nuclear reactor). Don’t know about philosophy. Note that Reed doesn’t have minors, and that it is difficult to double major due to the thesis requirement (a double major has to prepare two theses).

Off the CTCL list, in addition to some already mentioned, take a look at Beloit, Whitman, Earlham.

Reed is one of the better LACs for physics, in terms of course offerings and frequency of such. Of course, the nuclear reactor may be of interest if nuclear physics is of interest to you.
http://www.reed.edu/physics/

Evergreen State does not appear to have much in the way of offerings of the typical junior/senior level physics courses.
http://www.evergreen.edu/studies/physics

Generally, you want to see junior/senior level physics courses like the following:

  • Intermediate/advanced classical and relativistic mechanics
  • Electromagnetism and optics (often two semesters)
  • Quantum mechanics (often two semesters)
  • Statistical and thermal physics
  • Intermediate/advanced physics lab
  • Electives

Math course offerings like real analysis, complex analysis, and abstract algebra are also desirable.

Minimum frequency of offering is once every two years (once chance to take the course over your last two years at the college), but more frequent offering is more desirable for scheduling flexibility.

Definitely Lewis and Clark for hippie vibe. Reed would be the most intellectual of the CTCL no merit though. I will comment on our visit to Reed that we assumed it would have a similar hippie vibe to Lewis and Clark. We were able to spend sometime with students. One in particular was very candid. He said many Reed students are preppy wealthy East Coast kids who did not get into any Ivies. One perspective but it was enough to deter mine from pursuing. I’d agree Oberlin would be a very good fit. Also check out Lawrence more mainstream…known for their physics program. Mine also liked the Claremont colleges for their vibe. Oh and definitely check out Occidental.

Many of those schools have generous merit so you will find many A students attending. You might like Eckerd , Earlham and Beloit. Also, be prepared to find the fair a waste of time. D went and it was kind of useless other than she got a couple of catologs.

I second New College of Florida, although I’d want to make sure that it has enough strength in your major. You also might want to consider Bard (but again, I can’t comment on physics).

I like the idea of the Claremont consortium as you won’t have the curricular limitations that you might have with a smaller LAC that isn’t part of a consortium. Pitzer is the “hippiest” and most “social-justicey” of the five, but – if you like the idea of a women’s college – Scripps might be a wonderful choice for you.

Lots of apt suggestions here, from Eckerd and New College (both with waterfront campuses) in the southeast to Evergreen State and Lewis & Clark in the northwest.

I would add three schools in New York: Bard, Skidmore, and Ithaca College (listed in order of decreasing selectivity).

In addition, it’s worth noting that women’s colleges (Mount Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr) and former women’s colleges (Sarah Lawrence, Vassar) are almost universally on the far left of the ideological spectrum, so you might want to consider them as well.

Lawrence University is a CTCL college that seems to have a relatively strong physics department. It’s small, though, so check the latest course offerings and the faculty roster to see if there’s enough there to cover your interests.

Lawrence was a safety for my physics major. I don’t really see it as having a hippie vibe, though.

@intparent
What about the liberal/intellectual aspect?
Do you think Lawrence might fit?

This video is interesting for the perspective that it provides on Reed students, as well as their reactor.

Will and Norm Visit the Reed Research Reactor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVdxN7793-I

Pretty liberal. I would say my intellectual kid didn’t really think it fit that bill for her.

Beloit. And if you’re going outside the CTCL, Oberlin & Grinnell.