Life of the Mind Schools

College Search & Selection
#1

<p>I am definitely applying to the following schools:
UChicago
Princeton
Harvard
Williams
Brown </p>

<p>I have a +2300 SAT, a nationally-ranked EC, and I am valedictorian - that sort of thing - but I definitely need to balance out my list of applications with some schools that have a higher admit rate, but not just looking for "safety" recommendations. I'm interested in intellectual/"life of the mind" schools, does anyone have any recommendations about where I should apply?</p>

<p>Thanks so much :) and if you need help choosing which schools to apply to/want a chance, just post a link!</p>

<p>P.S. I know Life of the Mind is a UChicago phrase but it applies really well to the general type of schools that I'm interested in</p>

#2

<p>I would recommend looking into Reed College.</p>

#3

<p>I second Reed.</p>

#4

<p>I think most colleges can be "life of the mind" schools if you decide that is what you want from your college experience and select your courses, friends, and activities appropriately. That said, I would look for small-to-medium sized liberal arts colleges whose literature and websites emphasize academics instead of "the college experience." I'd also look for colleges with rigorous general education requirements - colleges that require you to get a broad education before honing in on a major.</p>

#5

<p>From more to less selective:</p>

<p>Harvey Mudd (STEM majors), Swarthmore
Johns Hopkins, Haverford
Reed
Grinnell, Macalester
Case Western
St. John's College, Thomas Aquinas ("Great Books" schools)</p>

#6

<p>Hm, I'm not sure about Reed. I realize that it's supposed to be the quintessential intellectual school but from what I've seen, I'm not impressed. Will have to do a bit more research, and hopefully visit. The recommendation for JHU surprises me, and Haverford looked very interesting. Thanks so much! Any more ideas?</p>

#7

<p>I'd add Carleton to the list, and maybe William & Mary. Carleton is a little more quirky and W&M more traditionally nerdy, but both have great intellectual vibes.</p>

#8

<p>My D with similar stats (goes to Williams) applied to Oberlin as her school that she would love to go to and felt confident to be admitted to (though not a safety. More of a low reach).</p>

#9

<p>Columbia University in New York has a similar curriculum to University of Chicago. If you are a girl, you can also apply to Barnard - Barnard students can take classes at Columbia. You might want to check out St. John's in Annapolis MD or Santa Fe, NM, where a "Great Books" curriculum is used with an emphasis on small group discussion. And, have you considered applying to Oxford?</p>

#10

<p>The</a> 10 Most INTELLECTUAL Colleges (PHOTOS)</p>

<p>According to Huffington Post, for what it's worth. Of course, they also ranked Grinnell as one of the top Hipster schools in the country, which caused S and gf (both Grinnellians) to snort derisively...</p>

#11

<p>Have you considered Swarthmore and Haverford?</p>

#12

<p>Look into Bard College. Freshmen are there now, starting a program that is all about the life of the mind.</p>