From Google AI: List All the NESCAC Colleges From Least to Most Isolated
Determining the “most” or “least” isolated can be subjective, depending on how isolation is defined (e.g., proximity to a major city, access to cultural activities, or integration with the local community). However, based on location and proximity to urban areas, here’s a general ordering from least to most isolated:
Least isolated
Tufts University (Medford, MA): Located near Boston, offering easy access to the city’s cultural, social, and professional opportunities.
Trinity College (Hartford, CT): Located in a capital city, though some opinions mention its distinct, somewhat gated campus feel.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT): Situated in a more urban environment, it blends into the surrounding community with flexible campus borders.
Moderately isolated
Connecticut College (New London, CT): Located in an urban area and offers train access to other cities like New York and Boston.
Amherst College (Amherst, MA): Part of the Five-College Consortium, providing access to resources and events across the five campuses, although day-to-day life may be primarily confined to Amherst itself.
More isolated
Bates College (Lewiston, ME): Located in a smaller city in Maine.
Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME): Situated in a small town close to the coast of Maine, offering a mix of small-town and coastal access.
Colby College (Waterville, ME): Located in a small city in central Maine.
Hamilton College (Clinton, NY): Located in a more rural setting in Upstate New York.
Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT): Nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, it fosters an outdoor-oriented culture, but some might find it detached from urban amenities.
Williams College (Williamstown, MA): Located in a picturesque but relatively secluded town in the Berkshire Mountains.
This ranking considers the proximity to major cities and the general character of the surrounding area. Individual experiences of isolation can vary based on personal preferences and involvement with campus and local activities.
I don’t really agree that Wesleyan is in an urban environment. Maybe compared to Philadelphia’s Main Line, but not when compared to the rest of southern New England where the zoning tends to be a little more liberal. Certainly, Amherst and Wesleyan are the two NESCACs with the most walkable downtowns.
We absolutely love Lewiston. Sure there’s poverty but that’s different from crime. My student is struck by the racism she encounters around conversations about Lewiston though. Bates has the best location and amenties of the three Maine NESCACs. There’s a direct bus from campus to downtown Portland, there’s a Target minutes away, and there are all kinds of interesting shops and restaurants in Leiwston and Auburn not catering to tourists and college kids. There are tons of ways to get involved in the community and Bates has a shuttle service to take you there if it’s too far to walk. It’s a slice of real life and vibrant and wonderful place.
I do happen to agree with you on this.There are a ton of dog-whistles for college locations that are not in all-white, upper-middle-class neighborhoods. I’ll never forget the argument I had (and, yes, it was an argument) with a Barnard girl (yes, Barnard) who looked down her nose at the working-class neighborhood around St. Johns University in Queens, NY.. Completely overlooked the 100 or so ethnic restaurants and coffee shops that were within walking distance; that it was blocks away from all sorts of public transit. None of it mattered so long as she could take a couple of cheap shots at a “dirty” New York neighborhood that wasn’t in Manhattan. I was appalled.
… which, admittedly, isn’t saying much. However, I’m with you on the appeal of Lewiston! And I definitely agree with your statement above that a lot of criticisms of Lewiston are tinged with suspicion of its Somali population. For me, Lewiston is very much like any number of small working-class cities in New England, where I have spent a lot of time. It feels familiar, in a good way.
I thought the review was a little harsh myself. Opinions vary, but I didn’t quite follow the “Colby wins” conclusion.
Assuming arguendo that we say that Bates isn’t the winner (again, room for varying opinions), I don’t understand how Brunswick being an almost 40 minute drive from Portland (assuming one subscribes to the idea of Portland being a troubled city) qualifies as a ding to Bowdoin’s location.
Having said that, Portland is a great little city. The bits of blight (which I really don’t see) are a detail compared to most major US urban locations, and it has a lot to offer.
While Brunswick is bucolic and pleasant, it’s a little small for me and mine but I would take it over Waterville, a place in which I’ve spent a little time. I don’t have as good a feel for Lewiston and honestly right now I can’t remember when or if I was ever there.
If I had to rank the locations (not the campuses), I would probably give Bowdoin the nod. Brunswick is pretty idyllic, close to the coast and it is an easy drive to Portland, which I score as a huge positive. But if you really hate Portland, it doesn’t have to be a part of your reality at all for any of the Maine 3.
On our college travels, there is really only one place to which I’ve been that I and my family immediately crossed off the list from the moment we drove into town, and that is Syracuse. We had almost the same reaction to Brandeis, but that was entirely due to the campus, and Waltham didn’t help.
I don’t hate Portland. I was there yesterday for a Hearts of Pine soccer game and it was the best! I just don’t go in for cutesy which is what Brunswick offers because sometimes you need a hardware store or a halal butcher or affordable housing.
Agree. We have always enjoyed trips to Bates College and Lewiston-Auburn! Of course, the campus is gorgeous. And the restaurants around town are fun, hip, chill - Fishbones, Baxter’s, DaVinci’s, Forage, Gritty’s Pub, etc. My rising senior did many projects around town & Bates makes that all really easy. There’s a shuttle on demand, or sometimes you can carpool with a professor (she did that when she interviewed female Afghan refugees about their experiences in Maine). A lot of Bates students have research projects around town - there are two medical centers, a senior health center, a boys and girls club, legal aid centers, various community programs, many K-12 schools close by, etc. So you can find work and/or internships without having to travel far or compete with thousands of other students. There is turnover with the downtown businesses, but it does seem like new places are always popping up.
There is a lot more to Brunswick than Maine Street. Brunswick has multiple hardware store and lots of affordable housing that either was recently built or repurposed from the former navy base in town. As to halal meat, there is some sold at both the Hannafords and the Shaws in Brunswick and there is a halal butcher about 20 minutes away.
This strikes me as a silly lawsuit, but am I’m missing something? A class action lawsuit being filed against 32 colleges for their use of early decision for admissions. The antitrust suit “alleges they use early decision admissions to reduce competition and financial aid packages for students.” Also, “the lawsuit is seeking a permanent block on the defendants’ use of early decision admissions.”
NESCACs included in the suit: Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan, Williams.
As I said, seems a ridiculous lawsuit to me. No one is requiring students to apply early decision to those schools.
The argument is that early decision requires you to accept the financial aid offer given by a single school (assuming it meets the NPC), meaning you are not able to compare offers. Yes, students applying ED are accepting those terms, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an anti-competitive practice.
However, I’m with you on the appeal of Lewiston! And I definitely agree with your statement above that a lot of criticisms of Lewiston are tinged with suspicion of its Somali population. For me, Lewiston is very much like any number of small working-class cities in New England, where I have spent a lot of time. It feels familiar, in a good way.