Amherst vs. Vanderbilt vs. Michigan

TheGreyKing
Sun, 08 Apr 2018 02:08:41 +0000

Congratulations to your son on getting into three wonderful colleges! He will be able to get a top quality education at any of the three.

Has your son visited all three schools?

“Quality of life” is subjective. In my personal opinion, the quality of life and educational experience at a small liberal arts college is the best. Amherst has small classes, close relationships with professors, undergraduate-centered opportunities, among the most impressive per-student financial resources of any college or university, and the open and abundant social and extracurricular opportunities of a top small LAC without fraternities. Amherst is also part of a five-college consortium, increasing the opportunities available to students without sacrificing the benefits of a small college community.

But your son’s impressions may be different. A visit should help him feel out urban vs. small town, large vs. small, northeast vs. south vs. midwest.

When faced with three such high-quality choices, there are no “wrong”choices. It really comes down to a decision about in which environment he feels most comfortable and will thrive best.

P.S. I do NOT think your son should choose by rankings, but since you mentioned prestige, if he does pick Amherst, you can feel good about the Forbes college rankings, in which Amherst is ranked highest of the three. But really that is not a meaningful difference— they all are well-regarded colleges that attract top students and that employers and graduate schools will hold in high esteem. Pick by where he will feel most “at home” for four years!