<p>I agree with TheDad. After reading this last night, I came up with a list of many very good NE LAC’s with admit rates over 30%. And, in thinking it over, I don’t agree with the statement that it is harder in general to get into LACs — I think many LACs tend to take a more personalized and holistic approach to reading applications than many universities and that can often work in an applicants favor. It’s easier to stand out when you’re one of 3,000 (or less) applications than when you’re one of 18,000.</p>
<p>Anyhow, here are just some of the LACs I thought of that have admit rates over 30%. Whether any of these is a safe bet for a particular student, however, depends on the match between what the student has to offer and what the individual school is looking for, so please don’t slam me if you know someone who didn’t get into one of these schools or if you feel these schools wouldn’t be right for your child. I am not going to mention universities here (although there are also plenty to choose from) because the question was specifically about LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES. Note: I have nothing against universities — just focusing on LACs in this particular post. If someone wants to spend the time to create a similar list for Universities, I’d be thrilled to see it.</p>
<p>I am NOT saying these are safe bets for ALL students, nor am I saying that these will be the <em>right</em> schools for ALL students, just that these are excellent LACs with admit rates well above 30%. </p>
<p>Of course, many parents and students have never heard of some of these schools, or looked at what they offer in any close and open-minded way, so please don’t shoot me for mentioning them if you feel they are below your child until you do. And, again, I’m coming up with this list from memory, so please be gentle when you point out any errors I may have made.</p>
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<p>Northeast:
Dickinson, Hobart & William Smith, Franklin & Marshall, Allegheny, Union, Ursinis, Muhlenberg, Wheaton College (MA), Bryn Mawr, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Alfred, Clark U, Drew, Gettysburg, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Washington and Jefferson, Juniata, Fairfield, Providence, Marist, Bard, Skidmore, St. Lawrence, Grove City College, Gordon College. You could also probably throw in Villanova, Lehigh, Bucknell.</p>
<p>Just outside the Northeast (Ohio and there abouts or the mid-atlantic): Kenyon, Denison, Wittenberg, Earlham, Centre, College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Goucher, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Antioch, University of Richmond, Hollins, Loyola College of Maryland.</p>
<p>Farther afield: Rhodes, Hendrix, Beloit, Trinity U (Texas), Southwestern University, Eckerd, Austin College, Lewis & Clark, Whitman, University of Puget Sound, Willamette, Knox College, Colorado College, Lake Forest, Cornell College (no not that one - this is the LAC), Albion, Alma, Kalamazoo, Hope, St. Olaf, Grinnell, Hanover, Wabash, Furman, Millsaps, Hampden-Sydney, Rollins, The University of the South (Sewannee), DePauw, Ripon, Lawrence U, Scripps, Mills, Pitzer, Occidental.</p>
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<p>If students and parents looking at “highly selective” LACs can’t find at least ONE school to love on this list, I’ll eat my hat with ketchup. Of course, that may mean looking beyond brand name and the lure of equating “hard to get into” with “the only schools ofering a quality education.” Those willing to really focus on what is being offered with an open mind may be pleasantly surprised by some of the schools on this list — in my mind, these are the true “admissions values” where getting in isn’t impossible and yet the quality of education offered is quite good. </p>
<p>Again, this list is admittedly limited by my lack of total recall, so feel free to add other schools that you know about to the list.</p>