More reaches, but Bates and Haverford come to mind. Rochester is a great option. I second that if a plane or long car ride is an option, Macalester would be a good fit. Out East, my LGBTQ child is looking at:
Bates
Bowdoin
Clark
Colby
University of Vermont
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You started off with a good list of schools and others’ suggestions are only making the list greater. Two schools I don’t think I’ve seen yet are Susquehanna and Muhlenberg, both in Pennsylvania.
Washington College was an interesting mention, and if you head to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I’d also add in visits to Salisbury (mid-sized) and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (a public liberal arts college…don’t be fooled by the name).
Seconding the SUNYs like Geneseo and New Paltz, especially the latter if you want engineering to be a possibility.
If engineering does become a must-have, some schools your son may want to consider include:
- College of New Jersey
- Lafayette
- Roger Williams
- SUNY New Paltz
- U. of Hartford
Going larger, but not huge:
- Binghamton
- U. of New Hampshire
- U. of Rhode Island
- U. of New Hampshire
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I note if a plane trip does become an option, it can help if it is then a short ride to the airport. Like, Macalester is only like a 15 minute ride away from MSP. Jet Blue also has a cheap flight to Boston, so the Delta flights are not much more expensive.
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Lafayette does maintain its religious affiliation, but it doesn’t have requirements in terms of religion classes. I just wasn’t sure about the vibe on campus, but based on feedback here, I’m definitely adding it to the list.
As for flying, I’m one of those people who would rather drive 5-6 hours than deal with the hassle of the airport (which is an hour from us, so not insignificant). I do it all the time to see family, who are all that distance away, and never even consider flying. I did fly back and forth between New York and Chicago for undergrad, so I have a good idea of that experience. If he wanted it, I’d be open to it, but I’m not inclined to push him in that direction. The nice thing is there are plenty of good schools within driving distance to look at, and it’s early days, so if he changes his mind and wants to expand the radius, that’s always an option.
Appreciate all the suggestions.
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That’s sooo nice to hear, and is consistent with my impression of Conn as a generally friendly and welcoming place. Congratulations to your son, and I hope he likes it as much as my daughter does. It’s been a great fit for her, and we’ve been very pleased from a parent perspective.
Thank you. He’s seen the Maine schools (we toured most of the NESCAC schools with my daughter, though he wasn’t with us for all) and liked Bowdoin but wasn’t excited about Bates. Of the three, I think Bates would be the best fit for him, but of course it’s another reach.
Just posting to endorse this approach. I think a lot of people start more locally, and some end there too. Then others refine what they are looking for, and start considering other colleges that really might nail what they are looking for, but are outside their original search area.
And I see no need to rush this with the time you have available.
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Thank you! Wesleyan and Vassar are both on the reach list. I’m hoping to focus more on target/likely schools (or at least, what I think those will be; we won’t really know until after junior year) to start. I’d like for him to find a few schools with somewhat higher acceptance rates that he can feel excited about before we turn to the reach schools, which are of course easy to love!
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ALSO a great idea!
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Since it is pretty early in their college search, I will add my voice to those who are saying to include a wide variety of college types, rather than spend too much time on trying to look for colleges that are a good “fit”. Between now and when they apply, there can be a large number of changes in your kid’s interests, profile, and what they want or need from a college.
So I think that it’s better to get a feel for “large flagship” (if they can show you honors programs, so much the better), “small rural college” including both a research university and a liberal arts college. Looking at the suburban and urban versions of these as well.
Since they are not looking for specific colleges to apply to, they can focus on getting a feel for the colleges as a whole.
If you see a college which you think matches your kid well (or if they think so), put it on the list, along with the reasons.
Remember, too, that having a “dream college” is a recipe for disappointment and frustration (sometimes if they’re rejected, sometimes if they’re accepted and you cannot afford it, and sometimes if they attend and it doesn’t meet their expectations)
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Back in the day there was a loose affiliation as a Presbyterian (?) school. But that is long gone. I was there in early 80’s and no religious affiliation at all. In fact I was married by the college chaplain who at the time happened to be Catholic .
I’d definitely look at Clark. S23 was pretty sure he wanted to be an engineer when he was a sophomore and ended up going in a different direction by senior year. At this point in the game, you’re generally getting a feel for what type of school you’d like and then can work on a “schools that feel like…” list.
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FWIW I attended Lafayette in the 90s. I had no idea it had a religious affiliation until I read it here. One of my best friends was Jewish and one was Catholic. We just toured it a few weeks ago with D25. It is a beautiful, small walkable campus. Easton has come a long way since the 90s and has some good food and events now. Good access to public transportation to NYC and Philly if that is of interest. My experience (albeit dated) was excellent. I found it to be a very welcoming place. My friend group was quite diverse and we all loved it for different reasons. I was really impressed with the newer facilities when we recently toured. And our tour guide talked about the benefit of experiencing engineering but still exploring humanities. Good luck!
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I toured Lafayette about five years ago. There was so little mention of the Presbyterian affiliation that I was actually surprised to see it listed in some places as a Christian college. Tour guide raved about her experiences with the electrical engineering program.
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