We made some real progress this week on D24’s college list.
Williams: Down and OFF. Williams is a top academic choice for many kids, and the campus in Western Massachusetts is undeniably gorgeous. Several amazing kids we know are/were very happily enrolled here and for good reasons, which is why we visited. But, depending on where the student is from and what kind of high school they went to, it really can feel exactly like high school 2.0 or boarding school for adults with rich parents. It’s TINY. Remote. Sporty / preppy. Our tour guide made sure to mention which extremely expensive, extremely competitive private high school in Manhattan they graduated from. Then a couple of students in our tour group mentioned rival high schools in Manhattan that they currently attend. It was a love-fest. For them. For everyone else on the tour, it was cringey. Like a satire of what a Williams tour might be! There’s not a lot to do around campus unless you love outdoor recreation (many do of course), and the student body is TINY – roughly 2000. Yes, Mass Moca and the Clark museum are nearby, but that’s of limited appeal to most kids. We heard what happens socially on weekends from the afore-mentioned students there we already know, and it’s definitely not museum visits. The academics were very impressive (at least to me! 
), but not enough to outweigh everything else and so this is off the list for us. Fit is so important and this visit really opened D26’s eyes to that.
Wesleyan – neutral. The campus in Middletown, CT is very nice, but not nearly as beautiful or well-kept as Williams. But it is in a big town, so the campus feels more alive. What we loved were the students. These tour guides (and their many friends that said hello or popped into the tour) were welcoming, smart, hilarious, creative, bold, well-spoken, and humble. Just…wow. We each went with a different tour group to hear different things and all came away impressed. Wesleyan seems like a terrific school for creatives interested in film/TV, theater, and writing. There’s still the sporty prep NESCAC element. But the excellently weird artsy vibe seemed more pervasive. We loved that it was slightly bigger – 3,000 students. The weekend shows/performances and activities put on by the students sounded truly spectacular. So much to do–how would you choose? Not sure she will apply, but we loved our visit.
Wellesley – UP + LOVED. This campus is one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. Really a fairy tale of a campus. It’s 12 miles outside of Boston and cross-registration with MIT is easy (we heard that cross-registration with Olin and Babson, depsite being advertised as easy, is anything but), so that’s very appealing. Wellesley is only slightly larger than Williams, but the fit felt infinitely more right. Strong academics, so many activities that D26 would be delighted by (like a disco-arts/crafts-pizza party), and super impressive and friendly students with easy access to a major city. It was funny how this campus did not feel like high school 2.0 to us, but I suspect that’s all about the personal lens of the viewer. I think it could to some other applicants, so would recommend a visit. The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that a non-tenure track professor strike had caused major disruption for many students who had already had their schooling disrupted by covid. The strike was in effect when we toured and we drove past a picket line. I’m in favor of unions and fair pay. And I certainly don’t have all the facts here. Just saying I really feel for these students. I would not want to be paying $$$$$ tuition for…weeks of uncertainty + no classes in some cases. Yikes. So, we’ll be keeping an eye on this. The strike is resolved, but we hear neither side is happy.
Tufts – UP / We loved this tour. The campus is lovely, the 6,800+ undergrad student body felt like an exciting but manageable size. Academics are so impressive. Our tour guide was HILARIOUS. We saw really nice dorm rooms. The only thing I didn’t love is the campus food wasn’t great. But there are many easily accessible in-town options and grocery stores. Plus Boston is an on-campus T stop away. Tufts is a vibrant community and D26 could see herself really having a great time here.
Smith – LOVED. The campus is beautiful, the town of Northampton is cute and fun, and a train and bus station are right nearby. The dorms we saw were charming and beautifully appointed. Loved the bio lab and the greenhouse. Our tour guide was terrific. This is likely going on the list.
Mount Holyoke – neutral. Very beautiful campus (though not as gorgeous as Wellesley), friendly students, great academics, but this is likely in too small a town. We’re going to visit again when a friend enrolls next fall to get the real scoop.
And that’s our week! I know it might not sound like a lot of progress on our list, but believe me we were in “shrugs and I don’t know” land for months and months. We are no longer there! That’s huge.