Now it is my turn to ask the "which one" question

[BunsenBurner]

Oh, dear, last fall I would have never guessed that I'd be asking this question in the spring. I was seriously worried that D would have very few acceptances, but in the end, D got into too many great colleges! After some serious rounds of elimination, she is down to two choices: Scripps and Wellesley (based on her visits and the academic offerings). Could CC parents please weigh in with their opinions on these fine schools? Pros, cons, good and bad - I really appreciate your input.

[menloparkmom]

I say Scripps because of the Claremont consortium and her ability to take classes at the other 4 colleges, including Pomona, all within walking distance, the weather in LA-[full disclosure-we are from Calif and son goes to USC.] and the vitality of LA. I know nothing of Wellesley other than it is a very fine LAC.

[dragonmom]

West coast vs. East coast. Where are you from, where does she want to establish ties, etc. Both are wonderful wonderful choices.
My money would be on Scripps, but I just love the campus.

[broetchen]

I got the impression she had already decided on Wellesley... But I, too, am very interested in hearing about both these schools.
Congratulations to her on both, btw

[BunsenBurner]

We are in Western WA. D wants to study psychology/languages/(possibly bio?) and would love to get away from home as far as she can. She thinks that she needs to expand her horizons beyond the PNW, but mom's heart aches every time she says that. She says she'll come back to U-Dub for graduate school, but I'm afraid she'll fall for some MIT or Harvey Mudd kid and will never come back. Wellesley is her current top choice, but my D is known to be just as certain as an electron's location, LOL.

[catbird]

I toured Scripps two summers ago with a relative who is on the faculty. I was soooo impressed at the "wall of fame" where they listed all the outcomes (graduate school, jobs, internships, etc.) for the 2006 class. The young women had excelled in an incredible variety of fields, and the majority of students were choosing between multiple fabulous post-college options.

[menloparkmom]

Since you are on the west coast, I can tell you how NICE it is to be able to not deal with east coast weather and it's impact on travelling home during the Holidays. It was one big reason son decided against Dartmouth. If Wellesley doesn't have something to counterbalance this factor[ the strong possibility of weather complicating travel to and from an east coast college] then my vote is even more strongly for Scripps.

[riverrunner]

I feel your pain Bunson. We're in Idaho and D will be in New Haven in the fall. She fell in love with the feel of New England and the charming old campuses. She's been to California many times and felt progressively less comfortable there as we made visits.

This is just her, of course, but maybe her sensibilities are similar to your D. Your comment about falling for a boy from far away is my personal nightmare. I think the guys tend to follow the girls home, however. That's what I'm banking on....

[jazzymom]

Ahh, cowboy up, BB, you're going to have to let her go. This is not a "which one is better" question......it's location mostly. East coast/West coast. California(LA)/MA, Boston. If I were you, I'd have my fingers crossed for Scripps, but it doesn't really matter. At Scripps, through the Claremont consortium, she could meet and fall for a nice guy who plans to do his graduate work in Boston and then......

You can't predict the future; you just have to let them decide and see what happens. We had our fingers crossed for an in-state school, but can't complain. He's happy and thriving. Best of luck to your D.

[dragonmom]

Sorry, I can't help with a comparison. I know Scripps is great but nothing about Wellesly.
If it comes down to minute differences = which is an easier flight?
We didn't realize how confining our youngest's school was in terms of getting in and out

[JHS]

My daughter has a close friend at Scripps now. Her experience there has been everything one could hope for -- friends, close faculty relationships, research and internships, a great deal of personal growth, academic success -- . . . except, she has sometimes not felt challenged by her classes. This is the "laid back" second daughter of very high-strung, high-achievement academic parents, with a world-conquering older sibling to boot. Because she got more Bs than As in a very tough high school, her family convinced her that perhaps she should avoid an academic pressure cooker. Hence Scripps. She has loved it overall, but occasionally wishes for the challenge of a place like Wellesley.

[paying3tuitions]

My impression of kids' travel and school choice patterns is that it's possible to meet anyone from anywhere everywhere, so hang it up on the idea that you can manage the geography of your D's future boyfriends. JMHO

[archermom]

JHS,
I agree with your assessment. I believe the likes of Scripps, Wellesley, Smith, and Bryn Mawr would have the nurturing environments that provide support for personal and academic success. I also tend to believe that academically Wellesley rates slightly higher. It depends on the child. D1 was admitted to the first three...and it came down to Wellesley and another top 10 coed LAC. She decided on the latter. But the Wellesley campus is gorgeous and with top notch facilities...

[Shrinkrap]

I vote for Scripps because of the consortium (and because D loves it!).

[mini]

I really love Scripps! Note that the not all consortium classes are easily open to students from the other schools. (or at least that was the case four years ago.)

What does she want to study?