PrestonWA

I’m an incoming senior, male, at a private school of about 500 students. I recently checked out colleges on the East coast and came away with these three schools as favorites, so I have some general questions about them.

Vassar: Probably my top choice so far, one thing I don’t know much about is the social scene, for underclassmen in particular. For someone interested in business but wanting a liberal arts education, how is the economics program and are there solid internship opportunities at local businesses and/or in NYC?

Bates: The Bates campus had a very comfortable feel and outstanding facilities. My main two questions: 1) are the academics on par with these other two schools and 2) how would you describe the overall student body?

Colby: With the small student body, large number of students studying abroad and spread out campus, does the place sometimes feel empty? I visited a week ago and loved the campus but Waterville was even smaller than I expected. I live in the city but generally feel comfortable in rural environments, and I’m wondering about the general social scene. Also, how is the economics program?

Sorry there are a lot of questions in here but any help would be appreciated, and any other comparative advice between the schools is welcome! Thanks!

ReallyOk

Sounds like you've done a good job analyzing the different schools. I can't really comment on the differences between the business/economics programs at each of the schools, but can share some observations after having one child choose Vassar and another look very seriously at Bates and Colby. The first observation I would have is that the culture at Vassar is a bit different from the other two schools. It is, on the whole, a bit more open, liberal, and diverse in my opinion. The school has a more mellow vibe than the other two schools. Bates and Colby strike me as a bit more classically preppy and athletic. I wouldn't say the culture at one school is "better" than the other two, but they are different. I think Vassar would be generally viewed as a bit more prestigious academically, but not so much so that I would choose it if you felt the programs at the other schools were a better fit for you. Vassar is also a train ride away from NYC and the obvious internship and job opportunities there for students, whereas I think Bates and Colby orient more towards Boston and New England. We liked Bates a bit better than Colby. Colby has a beautiful campus and the students seemed happy there and well balanced, but the location is very isolated and not for everyone. As you noted, it almost feels a bit empty. Bates is in a small city and seemed to us a more vibrant and energetic place, although it's endowment is much smaller than Colby's, which might impact resources at the school. Hope this helps.

PrestonWA

Any thoughts on the quality of the academics at bates in relation to the others?