Below is a rather extensive list of schools that your family may want to consider. They were selected based on some combination of the size of the majors (used as a proxy for strength), location (particularly if near a state capital), positive comments/reputation for a caring, attentive environment for students and/or academically and intellectually environments. I’m not as familiar with most of these to know how progressive each of the schools are, so I will leave that to others to comment on and for your family to research. Also, There are so many schools because I don’t know what size your kid would prefer, so these are all mostly mid-sized to small. I’ve sorted the schools by my very fallible guess of what might be your son’s odds of acceptance at these universities.
Though I’ve noted the student/faculty ratio as listed in College Navigator (federal government’s site which uses IPEDS data), colleges don’t always use the same methodology for determining the ratio, so take it as a ballpark/relative figure, not an absolute.
Extremely Likely (80-99+%)
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Loyola Maryland: About 3800 undergrads with a 12:1 student/faculty ratio. Part of a consortium where students can take classes at other Baltimore area schools, like Johns Hopkins, Goucher, etc.
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Norwich (VT): About 3k undergrads with a 14:1 student/faculty ratio. I think that Landmark has an affiliation with Norwich, leading me to believe that support services will probably be better than average.
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Saint Anselm (NH): About 2k undergrads with an 11:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Salisbury (MD): About 6700 undergrads with a 14:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Siena (NY): About 3500 undergrads with a 12:1 student/faculty ratio. And when they start mentioning political polls, listen for the NY Times/Siena College ones…
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St. Mary’s College of Maryland: About 1500 undergrads. This is Maryland’s public liberal arts college. A 10:1 student/faculty ratio.
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U. of Hartford (CT): About 4k undergrads, and in the metro area of Connecticut’s state capital. Has an 8:1 student/faculty ratio.
Likely (60-79%)
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Allegheny (PA ): About 1600 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio.
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College of Saint Rose (NY): About 1800 undergrads with a 15:1 student/faculty ratio in the capital of New York. Perhaps @AmyIzzy might have more information to share on this one?
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Hobart William Smith (NY): About 1700 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio
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Seton Hall (NJ): About 6k undergrads with a 15:1 student/faculty ratio. Just outside of New York City, so there are lots of options for potential internships and experiences, but he wouldn’t be in the city.
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Stonehill (MA): About 2400 undergrads and has an 11:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Washington (MD): About 1k undergrads, has a 9:1 student/faculty ratio. @DPS43 may have additional insight, but just posted!
Toss-Up (40-59%)
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Clark (MA): About 2300 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio.
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College of New Jersey: About 7k undergrads, this is New Jersey’s premier public liberal arts school. It’s also just a few miles from the state capital. 13:1 student/faculty ratio here.
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College of Wooster (OH): About 2k undergrads with an 11:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Muhlenberg (PA ): About 2100 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio
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Providence (RI): About 4200 undergrads and just a couple of miles from Rhodes Island’s state Capitol building. Has an 11:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Wheaton (MA): About 1700 undergrads with a 12:1 student/faculty ratio.
Lower Probability (20-39%)
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Connecticut College: About 1800 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Dickinson (PA ): About 2200 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio. Not far from the state capital and has a strong reputation for international studies.
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Gettysburg (PA ): About 2400 undergrads with a 10:1 student/faculty ratio.
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Union (NY): About 2100 undergrads with a 9:1 student/faculty ratio and it’s less than a half hour drive to New York’s State Capitol building.
Low Probability (less than 20%)
- College of the Holy Cross (MA): About 3k undergrads with a 10:1 student/faculty ratio.