@Qwerty568 Yes, Skidmore looks wonderful but unfortunately merit aid is limited to music and math/science folks. I don’t think that she has the depth of accomplishment in either to be competitive for those awards. But otherwise would be an excellent choice.
@Lindagaf , @intparent and others who suggested women’s colleges/parent’s option. MHC is looking great for a parent’s choice option. Rochester will get a closer look.
@Midwestmomofboys Thanks for the additional information. D found the rising diversity at Denison attractive and it has a small but possibly viable dance program - one of the faculty is trans and D1 liked to see that diversity within the faculty. Regarding Dickinson, she knows a couple of young men currently at CPYB, which is one of the reasons it drew her attention initially. The Dickinson dance program was designed by the CPYB folks so it should be good.
Anybody have any current information on Ohio Wesleyan? The integrated approach to study abroad, the interdisciplinary courses, and yes, its dance program, all look attractive. The frat quotient seems manageable but some firsthand info. would be great.
If you go back to Northampton you might as well visit the ones from the 5 you didn’t before since they are all part of the 5 College Dance Program but MHC does sound like the one that your daughter would fit best.
Having just gone through a similar year of search with a kid who sounds similar, there is one big thing that I regret. We spent a lot of time visiting LACs and didn’t put much time into visiting the in-state options and WUE options. D was really fixed on LACs but I wish I’d been able to convince her to apply to more in-state big school options. The reason is that come April when your kid is looking at schools as an accepted student, the school may look really different depending the aid package.
Well, you need a financial safety for sure, regardless of size. A school you know your kid will get into, can afford, and wants to attend. It always takes the most work to find safeties. But safeties can still be LACs.
@intparent Absolutely LACs can be safeties. But what I didn’t grasp was how D’s viewpoint would change once she had been admitted. It was kind of irrational but that’s what happened. A number of my friend’s had told me stories about how their kids had gotten into schools far and wide, then went the kid drove themselves to the admitted student weekend at their in-state ‘safety’ and had a totally different view. The stories normally ended with ‘I would never have guessed this.’ Now I get it. BTW, my D is very happy with how it all ended up. She has no regrets. It’s me thinking about what I’ll do differently with K2.
"then went the kid drove themselves to the admitted student weekend at their in-state ‘safety’ and had a totally different view. "
This happens a LOT. As Seniors start to realize how much their lives are about to change, and that they will be moving away from home very soon , suddenly a college that 's not too far away from home becomes MUCH more appealing.
60% of college students live within 400 mikes of home.
Yes, Rochester said today that Dance is now an official major at the University (although there have been students there who have designed their own dance major in recent years which was part of the reason the University created an official program). In any case, they are putting resources toward the program.
Also, what about Case Western Reserve University? You would have to check into the dance program but the University is surprisingly strong in the arts. It’s a very nice mid-sized research university that offers quite a bit of merit aid (up to $31K I believe) and it’s located in University Circle, an arts enclave with museums, performance venues. right adjacent to campus.
@gardenstatelegal. Earlham doesn’t have dance and Bard doesn’t give merit. But Dickinson and Denison are in the mix!
@momofzag Thanks for the update on Rochester. I will encouraged D1 to reach out to the people there to get more information. Also I had a very informative exchange with somebody I know who teaches at CWRU and it sounds really promising in many ways. The dance program looks good. He also said that the Greek organizations are more service-oriented than party-oriented (although of course there is some partying, and that’s fine and expected). But partying is not the dominant vibe.
I also recommend she take a look at the women’s colleges. Bryn Mawr, Smith, and Mount Holyoke all give merit (as does Scripps if CA is a possibility), and many a young women has said “no way!” to them until they see the beautiful campuses, gorgeous dorms, and the high quality academics and opportunities they offer. Bryn Mawr is the smallest, but with their super close connection with Haverford, it can feel bigger and more co-ed.
If a college town/ small city is a priority, Smith would be perfect. Bryn Mawr is in a suburb with easy access to Philly. Mount Holyoke, on the other hand, is very isolated although the free 5 college consortium bus provides a way to access Northampton where Smith is.
My daughter just sent in her deposit to Smith, so I may be biased of course, but Smith has so many of the things on your daughter’s wish list: college town, open curriculum, lgbtq+ friendly, international presence, fun traditions, warm and welcoming community, solid music program, etc. I can’t speak to their dance program, but I really encourage you to check it out.
On another note, not sure how into music your daughter is, but be aware that it is very difficult to play in the Conservatory ensembles at Oberlin as a non-Con student (this holds true at most conservatories with Lawrence being the exception). They do have a student led orchestra for College of Arts and Sciences students, but I’m not sure of the quality. Just something to check out.
I am late to this thread, and don’t know if it’s been mentioned but Wheaton College in Massachusetts might fit her culture criteria, minus the cute college town. It is not sports-centric. It would be a safety, and she would likely be offered merit aid. But their acceptance rate is 70% so although she would still probably find an intellectual crowd, it may also have some less motivated students.
Thanks @LBowie and @choirsandstages - unfortunately dance offerings are meager at both. But I appreciate the suggestions.
@Springbird Thanks for your suggestions about women’s colleges and, yes, we are aware of the limited access to the Conservatory classes at Oberlin. The A&S orchestra appears to be a good fit for her level of commitment and apparently it’s possible to take instrument classes from Con students for a modest price.
@mamaedefamilia , I didn’t realize that about Earlham and dance – it sounded perfect on all other counts!
As for Bard, they do have merit scholarships, but apparently, they are given out based on need. I don’t know if they use FAFSA for determining need or something else, so can’t say whether you’d have a shot at that. You might want to dig into that one just a little bit (if your list isn’t already filled out) because is sounds like it hits all the right notes (including dance!) I know that some of the folks who posted on the Bard 2020 thread received these awards, so they might be able to give you some insight. Or maybe you’ve already done that…
@gardenstategal Thanks for the follow up on Bard. I contacted admissions and financial aid some time ago and all the office confirmed that all of their aid is need-based. We aren’t qualified for need-based aid (but not affluent enough to afford it, regrettably). It did look like a very attractive option.
D1 LOVED the look of Earlham before she figured out that dance was not an option.
@mommdc Temple would be too gritty east-coast urban for my kid. Ohio University is a possibility. There is a dance major and I have read up on the Honors Tutorial program here and elsewhere (opinions vary). The “party school” reputation also bears further investigation - opinions vary there too.
The state of Ohio seems to be emerging as a merit epicenter so I think we may at least stop in at a bunch of campuses, walk around, say hi at admissions, and gauge interest. As a result of this thread, CWRU has emerged as a strong new contender and Denison is getting more consideration too.
How much merit do you need? We found OOS publics better deals than LACs even with great stats and highest merit awards at many schools. I know nothing about dance, so no help there.
