Online information is mixed. Curious what CCers think. Rank from least selective to most selective.
Conn College
Franklin & Marshall
Lafayette
University of Rochester
St. Lawrence
I’ll play. These are all very close and to a degree it depends on what you want to study (pre-med at F&M will be tough, engineering at Laf will be tough). Rochester is a bit of an outlier. It is significantly larger and not a LAC. It’s tough to get into but it’s not really an apples to apples sort of comparison. Otherwise my rank from least to most would be St. Lawrence, Conn, F&M, and Lafayette but it’s picking at nits.
I would look up the class profiles and admission rates online. Don’t think anyone can tell you more than that. Keep in mind that applying ED would help your chances.
Thanks @Temperantia and @happy1 I’m just amusing myself while waiting for decisions to come in for my daughter. The admission rates are different on different websites, so that’s why I thought I’d ask. D has been accepted to URoch and waitlisted at F&M. Still awaiting word from the other three. The wait is painful! She is thinking English and environmental science but isn’t really sure.
Well that just goes to show you how unpredictable admissions is. I would have thought URochester would be harder to get into than F&M. At some point it is about how the application strikes a particular admissions officer, how many spots were taken in the ED round etc.
In any event your D has one fabulous acceptance already so congrats – hopefully you can breathe easy. FWIW my D went to Lafayette and loved it so if your D gets in and you have any questions a parent can answer feel free to PM me.
Lafayette–28%
Conn College–35%
F&M–36%
St. Lawrence–43%
Univ. of Rochester–35%
All are acceptance rates according to US News. Even though SLU is the easiest, St. Lawrence may award the most merit scholarships. It also has the most remote location among the 5 listed schools.
Admission rates are mostly meaningless, you have to factor in self-selection and the stats of students who tend to apply.
Tend to agree with @WildestDream… Rochester typically appeals to a different sort of applicant. Conn has geographic bump and it’s NESCAC which has an appeal in the North East. Often when schools go test optional or eliminate fees they get a big bump in applications but this says nothing about the level of those applicants. …
@Temperantia are you saying Conn’s geographic bump favors CT residents, or NE residents? And how would you describe Rochester’s typical applicant?
I don’t think that it necessarily favors CT residents. I just think they get a bump in applications because the East Coast is a densely populated area and Conn is familiar to many and they get a bit more of a bump owing to the prestige that comes with NESCAC membership which includes many highly regarded LACs. I don’t really know enough about Rochester to comment except that it has a generally very good reputation.