As I was reading your description of your daughter, I thought about St. John’s. It’s a unique model, but it sounds like it could really be a good fit. Intellectual discussions and philosophy and learning how to think, etc. A ton of their students end up going on to earn their doctorates in a field. Although it’s not necessary to get a doctorate in any field, I think that speaks to the intellectual curiosity that can be found in the student body. It has two campuses, one in Annapolis, MD and one in Santa Fe, and students can take classes at either. And don’t be fooled by the name; it’s not a religious institution. I bet it would still consider your D’s app, too.
Here is a description of it from the Colleges That Change Lives association (which might have other possibilities for your D).
Most 30-year-olds still do not know what they want to do. It’s not unreasonable for 17-year-olds to be confused and uncertain. They honestly don’t know all the options available to them, and over 50% will make a change to their plan of study (completely change major, add a minor, etc) by the end of the freshman year. If she goes to a liberal arts school, she will have time to decide. In most liberal arts schools, students don’t have to declare their major until sophomore and, in some instances, junior year. Until then, they focused on completing gen ed classes, which exposes them to different areas and gives them time to decide. She can go in as “undecided” or whatever they call it at the school. You would be surprised how many kids start their freshman year as undecided. She should not feel pressured to make a decision. Part of going to college is figuring out what you like and what you want to do. You should speak to the AOs and clarify at what point in time she needs to declare.
This is all so helpful! I wish we would have gotten to this place sooner but here we are. It’s amazing how much knowledge you all have. St. John’s does sound interesting. Hearing that about the philosophy department at Vermont is definitely a huge red flag. How do people even find out about that stuff? We never would have known.
If you’re thinking you may not want to go as far away as the northeast, then the schools on that list of schools whose deadlines haven’t passed that you may want to look more closely at include:
Sewanee (The University of the South): 2/1
Christopher Newport (VA): 2/1 and more the mid-size type of school that was mentioned as desirable in the other thread
College of Wooster (OH): 2/15
DePauw (IN): 2/1 and has debate
Drew (NJ): 2/1
Miami (OH): 2/1 and has debate
Rollins (FL): 2/1 and has debate
With your debate interests, these two schools appear to have some competitive programs:
U. of Mary Washington (VA): 2/1 priority deadline
Samford (AL)…and would be able to take classes at other Birmingham-area schools. 2/15 is the second scholarship deadline.
Other schools with debate that I think could be a fit include:
Furman (SC): The deadline was 1/15 but if interested, I’d think it’d be worth reaching out to an AO
John Carroll (OH): 2/1 deadline for full financial consideration
Loyola Chicago (IL): 12/1 priority deadline, but admissions are rolling until they run out of space, so you could reach out to them to see if they’re still accepting apps.
Trinity (TX): The deadline is 2/1
Truman State (MO): Rolling deadline
Wheaton (IL…not to be mistaken with the one in MA): 2/15
Samford and Wheaton (IL) will both tend to a more conservative side. Wheaton used to be called the ivy of the Christian colleges, and it’s reputation was such that it was intellectually rigorous but with a Christian grounding. How that may have changed over the years, I do not know.
You also said: Because I really want a midsize
Liberal
Arts school close or in a city with a strong
Classics and foreign language department and I’m a queer woman in the bible belt - I want out
I remember you now - schools you mentioned like Vandy are in terrible places to be lgbtq - but then you mentioned you have three siblings, etc and wanted to be close to them.
But then you applied UVM.
So I’m not really sure what to think - but if still taking apps - an Agnes Scott, as an example.
This is a great resource, but it’s not a comprehensive one. Make sure your family goes to each school’s website that your D may be interested in, because all the schools in the second half of my previous post were found by looking at the school’s page. Additionally, some schools on their website will call it a “priority” deadline or will show extended deadlines, etc. And if a deadline has passed but your D is really interested in a school, she can reach out to see if they would still accept her application, as she’s an applicant that many schools would be very interested in.
In the previous thread that @DramaMama2021 linked, the family indicated its home state was in the deep south. It seems that the family is now reconsidering distance from home and are wanting closer options than Vermont.
This exactly. She wants to go off, so no samford, but getting hesitant about super far. Knowing that the philosophy department at u of v is in danger of closing is definitely a point to consider, because we have been gently pushing her to consider it, given the big merit package. Thank you all so much for these replies. We have a lot to talk about! I’m going to make a list and start digging thru websites. She will land where she is meant to be, even if that’s in a year. Thank you!!
A gap year could be a good option if she simply is not sure what sort of college makes sense.
But looking at that list of colleges still accepting applications, a few stood out to me.
College of Wooster (2/15) and Hobart and William Smith (2/1) both offer Classics with Latin as a possibility, and I think they are both right on track for what you are describing.
Sewanee (2/1) is interesting for Classics because you HAVE to do it in a language-intensive way. But that also could be a good choice.
If she wants something a little bigger than a SLAC but not like UGA big, Miami (OH) (2/1) might be well worth looking into. But you are past the priority deadline for merit and honors.
Similarly, you are past some of the scholarship deadlines at Wooster, but I don’t think the Dean’s, their big main merit program.
Finally, you don’t have much time, I note, for the 2/1 deadlines. But if you were OK with a little shooting first, asking questions later, you could apply to some colleges like this to increase her options. Or take a gap year.
I note if accepted you could also possibly defer a year without a restriction about applying elsewhere (it depends on your deferral agreement). Point being I think keeping your options open with applications now, even if a gap year becomes the solution, is not such a bad idea.
That’s not a reason for a gap year unless they have something substantive they will do. You can and many do determine what to study in college. Some truly never know - but they end up with something that tickles their fancy most.
Is the gap year so they can reapply to others because the student doesn’t like their consideration set.
I get this - but at the same time, there’s lots of wonderful schools out there - and I wouldn’t choose to not go to school just because I didn’t get into Honors
Is the gap year because the student needs a break from school, wants to and plans to experience other things?
That I get
When I read the first thread a bit ago, it seemed like the student only wanted the highest of the high - so I’m glad UVM was put in. UGA seemed a likely and glad you got in - but it’s no longer an assured.
Are you still waiting on other decisions from schools in the first thread - or the three were the only?
I’m just saying - a gap year, to me, wouldn’t be in order because I’m not sure of my major or because I didn’t get into a school I like.
Another option I didn’t mention before was Butler (IN). It has about 4400 undergrads, a debate program, classics, philosophy, etc. 2/1 is the priority deadline for scholarship consideration.
Rhodes (TN) is another school that I think would be well worth considering, and they’ve extended their deadline to 1/31, per its homepage. There are about 2k undergrads at this Memphis school and @momsearcheng speakly very highly about her D’s experience there.
U. of Dallas (TX): Has about 1500 undergrads, but both its philosophy and classics majors are quite popular. RD deadline of 3/1.
Lastly Agnes Scott is a women’s college of about 1k undergrads, but its part of the ARCHE consortium which allows students to take classes at other Atlanta-area schools like Emory, Georgia Tech, Spelman, SCAD, etc. It’s also in a popular area of Atlanta (Decatur) that’s one of the city’s most walkable.
I was thinking Sewanee also. My husband went there and my son applied and was accepted with a lot of merit and has lower stats. It is such a great school.