I am biased, but am surprised Bates hasn’t been mentioned yet. No Greek life, 71 countries represented, no rah rah scene, no heavy partying scene, though there are parties like everywhere else. Excellent study abroad and a strong focus on undergrad becasue it’s a LAC. All students must complete a senior thesis. Bates is #5 for producing Fulbright scholars. It’s very inclusive and students are inolved in campus life.
@jello99 Yes both UChicago and Columbia have a strong focus on their undergrad programs.
Univ of Rochester and Brown come to mind. Why would he take Georgetown off the list? It would seem like a good fit with his interests.
In my opinion, for a student who may be interested in a wide range of liberal arts and sciences, Georgetown may be comparatively limited. Though G-town would be exceptional for study in fields such as political science, history and English, they lack courses in topics such as geosciences and astronomy that might appeal to students inclined toward broad and varied intellectual pursuits.
Colleges without internal divisions/schools may be among the most suitable for your son. Even at schools without formal divisions, some courses may be restricted by excessive audition or submission requirements, or limited to those in certain majors. For generally open and flexible curricula, look to colleges such as Amherst, Hamilton, Grinnell, Brown, Vassar and URochester, though many other schools may nonetheless approximate the attributes of this group. For relative undergraduate focus at a university, Princeton stands out.
I second Rice. It’s size–3900 undergrads–and residential college system make it a kind of ideal blend of research university and LAC, one that offers the resources of a bigger school and the focus on teaching of a smaller school. US News ranks Rice #5 nationally for Best Undergraduate Teaching, behind only Princeton, Miami–Ohio, Yale, and Brown; Niche ranks Rice #1 for Best Professors.
As epicenter of the energy industry, Houston is a truly global city, and this global focus is reflected in many of the programs sponsored by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy (a think-tank located on campus).
@MrSamford2014 He visited Rice and liked it a lot but convinced himself it was more STEM focused. The Baker Institute looks great! I’m curious if the Institute leans right?
@jmek15 He visited and loved Georgetown–particularly the School of Foreign Service. Then he decided he didn’t want to pigeon-hold himself into that school and was a bit less enamored with A&S. He loved the global focus of G-town (not “tacked on” but truly integrated in a long-standing way). What I think turned him off was the feeling he got on campus that often pervades DC–networking, business, who you know. He’s more of a idea guy that is currently uncomfortable in that environment. I was really impressed with the School of FS when the Dean met with the tour.
@merc81 Do you know what the social scene is like at Princeton? Is it a party school? Don’t they have something like frats, but by a different name? Thanks!
@Lindagaf Thanks for the rec!
@jello99 : You’re referring to the eating clubs, of which conservative/exclusionary aspects may have historically contributed to a portion of Princeton’s more enlightened students disliking their experiences at the school in general. That said, colleges change (by degrees at least), and Princeton (not a party school) has a lot to offer in terms of attention to undergraduate education.