Seeking Colorful Intel on Specific Colleges (D27, 4.0, Poli Sci, intellectual, quirky) [<$60k, no need-based FA]

College Search & Lists
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D27 has a 4.0 uw GPA and strong test potential (35 on pre‑ACT w/o prep, expects high SAT score).

Completed AP exams: Calc AB and BC (both 5), Modern World (5), and Seminar (4).

Future AP exams: Chem, Stats, Research, English Lang, English Lit, U.S. History, U.S. Gov, and Comparative Gov.

Extracurriculars: Mock Trial incl. leadership, JV Cross Country and JV Track, will join Debate this year, light involvement in theater, summer job, summer library volunteer.

Hobbies: boba with friends, knitting, baking, board games, D&D, bird enthusiast

Academic interests: Political Science/Government, History, maybe Economics. Curious about law school.

Finances: We’re a full-pay family looking for merit aid, and our budget for direct costs is about $60,000.

If she were applying tomorrow, she’d have Willamette University, University of Puget Sound, Whitman College, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Clark on her list. She will visit UPS and Whitman this fall and has visited the others already.

She is researching other options but feels that she can’t get a good sense of the vibes at schools she hasn’t visited because the summaries in college guidebooks and official online tours are overly sanitized and leave many colleges sounding the same. She wants to consider colleges with students who are intellectual, quirky/nerdy, collaborative, kind —not sporty, preppy, fratty, or pre‑professional. Warm relationships with professors. She prefers a nonreligious, LGBTQ±friendly campus that’s visually appealing (nature, architecture), limited to Oregon (but not Portland), Washington, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Northeast blue/purple states. Under 1,500 students would be too small, and she’s ruled out large public universities—though she may be open to medium or smaller publics. We are West Coast, so remote NE (like upstate NY) feels maybe too far in terms of travel time/effort.

We’re particularly interested in your experiences or impressions of these colleges: Scripps, Occidental, St. Olaf, Macalester, Muhlenberg, Wheaton (MA), Brandeis, University of Vermont, and University of New Hampshire. What stands out about these schools, what makes them unique? How well do they match her preferences? Do they have aspects that make them less of a fit? Pitch them to us!

Secondly, please share recommendations for other schools that might interest her! She’s mostly zeroed in on small liberal‑arts colleges, and while she isn’t currently interested in Jesuit schools like Saint Mary’s CA or Fordham, we would welcome any thoughts if you think she should reconsider.

Thanks so much for your help.

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Has your D considered William & Mary? It’s not in the Northeast, but VA is a blue state. It’s medium in size. I consistently hear really great things about its vibe, culture, and academic quality. Has merit scholarships. The other colleges on your list made me think of it. Others here can probably give you more info, though, as I don’t have personal experience with it.

William & Mary was mentioned by multiple posters in a thread I started back in 2023 called “Nerdy schools.”

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That does mean that a private or out-of-state public with a list price >$60k needs to be chanced on the likelihood of getting a large enough merit scholarship to bring the price down to <$60k.

Would public LAC-like schools be of interest? Some of them may have out-of-state list prices within your budget.

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W&M is a great potential fit, but I think it would be above budget OOS full pay, and pushing above even with the Monroe. Bummer if that is right, because it could be perfect otherwise.

In terms of schools named, for sure Macalester sounds like a potential fit in most ways. Lots of people with similar interests, right on point in terms of typical student mix, and in a great, fun, global, diverse, friendly city. However, it is in fact right in the middle of the Twin Cities–very walkable, pleasant area, what I would call semi-urban. But to get to real nature you will need at least a short trip.

Muhlenberg is another one popular in my circles with kids like this. The big hook there is a very large theater scene. Which doesn’t have to be your specific scene, it just sort of helps set the overall tone. The college is in a relatively quiet section of Allentown, which is an interesting historic city. Allentown is then in the Lehigh Valley, and I personally think that is a great part of PA.

New suggestions–has she considered Kalamazoo College? It is a quite old LAC with a really neat curriculum structure (called the K Plan), and again appeals to exactly this sort of kid in my experience. It is located in the small city of the same name, which operates like a big college town thanks to it also hosting Western Michigan.

Finally, maybe Allegheny College? Again, another very old LAC, appeals to this sort of kid in my experience, and in a small town (Meadville) in another really nice part of PA, not far from Erie and also a straight shot to Pittsburgh.

Edit: Oh shoot, I just remembered Kalamazoo and Allegheny are under 1500. Not by a ton but that is obviously a potential issue.

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William & Mary looks like a great suggestion that was not on our radar, thank you! We will look into it, and hope others will chime in on the student and academic culture and opportunities there.

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Though this isn’t really a chancing thread, you are correct that we aren’t considering schools unless there is a possibility (however small) of merit bringing net cost to us to $60,000 or less.
Public LAC-like schools could definitely be considered. For example, I sense there might be a SUNY or two that could fit the bill.

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Thanks so much for the feedback on Macalester and Muhlenberg. This is exactly the kind of info that I hope will help her build a personal connection with these schools and enable her to envision herself there.

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I have a rising senior at William and Mary and am happy to answer any specific questions you have. I agree with @NiceUnparticularMan that even with the $10k awarded to out of state Monroe Scholars, you would be slightly above $60k if you don’t qualify for need based aid.

In general everything you said your D is looking for describes William and Mary culture. It’s very intellectual, students take their academics very seriously and are very accepting of everyone. There is Greek life for those who want it but it doesn’t dominate campus culture and is very inclusive. It’s definitely not the animal house type scene that it is at other schools. There are strict non hazing rules and at least one of the sororities is predominantly LGBT. Most students are very passionate about something and involved in clubs and activities outside of class - often over involved. There are over 400 student clubs, so something for everyone.

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Sounds like she should take the ACT - because if she can pull a 35!!

Whitman will give you a merit pre-read so that’s easy. I imagine UPS and Willamette will come thought - but not sure how intellectual per se the kids will be as the admit standards are lower. Clark is cutting - so you want to make sure they are not cutting in your interests. See article below.

Warm relations with professors is anywhere. My daughter did at a public - because she made the effort. So that’ll be most anywhere - small or large.

Another possibility would be an Honors program or Sub Honors. For example, my daughter went to College of Charleston, blue city, purple state. I’m not suggesting it per se but she was in the Charleston Fellows and International Scholars programs - which are small cohorts within Honors. They had multiple mentors including a DC one, met with ambassadors and other dignitaries. Students got into much higher pedigree schools - one of her friends got into Penn, Rice, and Vandy, as an example. My daughter chose it, because like you we are full pay but I set a $50K price tag - over W&L, as an example. The point is - you might find a UVM or something - but that has an Honors or sub-Honors program - to bring the school smaller and academics of higher excellence.

When I looked at your first list, I thought of Occidental - but I don’t know that it gets you to $60K nor am I sure that Brandeis will. Honestly, with her stats (assuming a 33 ACT), I think you’re under shooting - from an overall academic POV. Since you’re in Oregon already, how about Lewis & Clark. Or in Minnesota, Macalester has merit and is well regarded in her areas of interest. Union College near Albany and Dickinson in PA might be two others that could hit budget. Kalamazoo is a bit too small - but would crush the budget and neighbors larger W Michigan U - and their curriculum is more open. Susquehanna in PA will get you under - but is it academicky enough?

You might add a Rochester ($60K debatable, like Brandeis), Case Western, W&M (now has some merit), SUNYs (like Bing Honors - too big - then how about Geneseo), and since you have UNH, how about U Maine. Again, I think she’s bigger than some of these but…

As for Law School, I’m convinced where you go won’t matter. Harvard has 146 schools represented in a class of under 600. UVA points out where kids go and they have more from schools like Arkansas and Alabama than most Ivies, Duke, etc. of the world and their first class is represented by more than 100 law schools each year. Penn has over 200 schools represented - lots of lesser known names.

I think your GPA, your LSAT (which she’ll do well on), and what you do is what matters. School name doesn’t appear to. Sure, more come from top schools - but that’s because more top performers in HS went to top schools to begin with.

Truth is - with her metrics you’ll be able to go to college from $20K up to your limit -so ensure you have one that fits - and you have many that will financially. Then you have others that might fit moreso academically but not financially or vice versa - and perhaps maybe that’s where a public LAC College comes in - or a public Honors like St. Mary’s of Maryland, SUNY Geneseo (or even New Paltz) or U of Mary Washington or Christoper Newport…or larger universities with big Honors programs - and I don’t know your state - but there’s many out there - and obviously some schools - a Delaware, Pitt, UVM, URI are smaller than Wisconsin or Arizona State, etc. to begin with.

It’s a bit rambling but hopefully a nugget or two provides insights.

One more thing - don’t assume a school is anti-LGBTQ by its state (many aren’t) or that an area is blue because the state is. Whitman is in a very red area. Upstate NY is red as are non-urban parts of PA and other areas, etc. Places like Charleston, Nashville (Vandy has full ride opportunities as does WUSTL in St. Louis and Emory in Atlanta - all blue cities). So I don’t think picking states because you think a campus will be LGBTQ friendly (or not) is a wise thing to do.

One last thing - St. Olaf comes up a lot - but note it does have a Religion, Faith, and Values requirement. I’m not saying the school is religious per se but as they note - just so you’re aware: We encourage the exploration of faith, values, and personal fulfillment. St. Olaf is grounded in its Lutheran tradition, but you’ll find students and faculty from all of the world’s great religions, as well as people who may not claim any faith tradition. 12% of our students identify themselves as Lutheran. We all share a commitment to respect others’ beliefs, and a willingness to explore the role religion and faith play in all cultures. Those conversations take many forms and lead in many directions in and out of the classroom.

Good luck.

Clark to refocus around key academic areas, enhanced interdisciplinary opportunities | ClarkU News

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@onthehuntPNW, I love love love your question, and context, as it maps very closely to our own process for our 2025 twins. Our kids were looking for the same things — a medium-sized school with friendly, warm students, a priority on undergraduate teaching, and deep relationships with professors. It sounds like you and your daughter have done a lot of thoughtful introspection, and already have a really solid list coming together.

I won’t chat too much on W&M unless you ask for more details, as I do think the finances could be tough, though in the interest of not burying the lede, I’ll say that my twins both ended up deciding to go there, and will be starting there in in a little less than a month. I’ve also yapped about it a bunch in the past in case you want to dive into past comments of mine:
1 (Monroe, and a story about a W&M prof charging my car’s dead battery!)
2 (“friendly nerds”)
3 (a professor giving my daughter his own lunch!)
4 (W&M for someone interested in Political Science)
I think your daughter would likely get the Monroe scholarship, which has a variety of benefits, but even with it, the OOS cost would still end up being a bit over $65k, unfortunately.

So, other schools?

We were all very impressed by St. Olaf! And with their scholarships — which I believe your daughter would be in the running for — the cost would be solidly within range for you. A quick story about how kind the St. Olaf folks are … we were visiting St. Olaf and Carleton for their admitted students days (which were the same day) this past spring, and when the St. Olaf admissions officer (who we were already impressed with) learned that we were going to have to get across town to Carleton for the second half of the day, she offered to drive us over in her own car. What kind, sweet people! As you probably already know, it’s very close to Macalester geographically, so batching visits could make sense. (Carleton, too, though I believe they only have need-based aid.) Anyway, I think this video does a really good job of conveying the spirit of St. Olaf. So I’d definitely encourage thinking about it!

I think your Whitman visit will be really clarifying. We never made it there, but everything I’ve heard about it suggests that it would fit your criteria well, if the money works out.

A school I don’t know a ton about, but a Portland school that orbits in my mind in some similar spaces to the schools in this thread — Lewis & Clark? (Ah, I see it was just mentioned above. If you’re nearby, or will be, it could be worth a visit.)

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My daughter is starting her junior year at Brandeis and LOVES it! Intellectual and Quirky are exactly the words I would use to describe the kids. There is no sports or frat culture, instead they spend Saturday nights out in Boston (there’s a weekend shuttle that leaves right from the dorms). Because it’s small, it’s been easy for my daughter to develop relationships with professors. She’s made amazing friends and it’s a really warm and fuzzy place.

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Getting merit scholarships does require aiming at somewhat less selective schools than if the goal were admission only.

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However, state level laws and policies can have a significant impact on quality of life for those affected by them:

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I’ve heard really great things about Brandeis, especially about it having similar vibes to the other schools in this thread. I’m glad your daughter’s had such a good experience there!

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Thanks so much for all of the great replies. She is already perking up and finding the anecdotes about various school very helpful. Please keep them coming!

A clarification: We live in Portland and she loves it but wants to try another location for college. So no L&C for her, but it is otherwise a great suggestion.

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Agreed but they are also seeking students who are “intellectual, quirky/nerdy”

There’s some of those at every mid and large size school in the country - but some will have a lot bigger concentration of that than another. It’s hard to pigeonhole a school overall like that.

You could say CMU or Chicago - but they’re not going to be $60K. Or Reed - no merit. That’s where a Rochester or Case come in and “may be” $60K…but not assuredly.

For what it’s worth, I just did a google search - and two I noted above came up - Macalester (has merit but not sure it will hit) and Kalamazoo (a bit too small but she already has 1500 kid schools on the list - so a bit smaller - and it will most assuredly crush the budget with merit).

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If you live in Portland and no to L&C, I’m surprised Willamette is on the list. One can go far but see their family often or live a mile away and never see their family. Willamette is very close…but then how about Linfield?

As you live in Oregon, just thinking about WUE -

UC Merced popped up - it’s not overly large - and per niche, it doesn’t have much a party scene - so it might be more serious students.

One last one in NY - how about Ithaca College - lots of merit - is known moreso for performance, journalism but is a well rounded school.

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I understand where you are coming from in terms of cost, but I don’t think Merced has the vibe the OP’s D is seeking. My kids know kids who go there, it offers a quality public university education, it’s a practical choice for many CA kids… but it is more career focused, not one of these warm quirky nerdy LAC-like schools, and it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere.

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It was the only one i could come up with on WUE :slight_smile: You know me - focused on the budget!! They had the majors - and smart kids go there so…

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I appreciate all the food for thought. The ‘Nerdiest College’ list is fun to peruse.

D just wants to experience a different city or town than she grew up in, and Salem fits that bill which is why Willamette works but L&C doesn’t. We know and hugely respect Linfield, but Willamette is just better on fit (less sporty, a tad more intellectual), plus has the huge perk of being right by the state capitol. We loved their tour.

I think your Ithaca suggestion is really on point. We will look into how Ithaca matches her preferences and hope others may weigh in with feedback.

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