My kid is making up pro/con lists for several colleges. She is going to revisit Princeton and Swarthmore but can’t get to the admitted student events at the other places. She wants a diverse student body in a fun area with things to do in the city or town. She is looking for a collaborative campus with non-competitive opportunities. She has a brother at Harvard who was unhappy with the social life there until joining a final club and getting selected for some other competitive extracurriculars that he wanted to join. She hasn’t decided on a major but leans towards humanities.
The top contender right now is Princeton mostly because it won’t cost anything. However, she is worried that Princeton’s eating clubs and social life might end up being similar socially to her brother’s experience at Harvard. The other colleges are Williams, Harvard, Swarthmore, Wellesley, Bowdoin, and Tufts. The list is in order of net price. The full ride at Princeton is by far the least expensive. That package includes everything and a grant to cover personal expenses. Williams, Swarthmore, and Harvard are affordable (bills of $1000-$4000) but not as generous as Princeton and don’t have personal grants. The last three on the list are not currently affordable but if she decided that one of them was the best fit, we’d try appealing the aid.
Any advice about the campus climate at these places?
I would plan for Princeton - as no appeal is needed. So it’s likely the only choice.
Her brother’s experience would not necessarily be repeated. They are different.
One thing you can do is - if you can’t revisit, ask the schools to set you up to speak with a student ambassador to get your students questions answered. And if she doesn’t like the Princeton discussion and likes another, then you can appeal but you have to have the mindset of not getting approved - although a Princeton admit may wow the others.
I think the clubs are pretty open and inclusive. Everyone seems to have friends at various clubs, even if not involved themselves.
Having said that, one of the things that I have found hard to match at other places is how robust the social life is outside of partying. The university puts up a lot of events, from skate nights, to movie screenings, to carnivals. There is always something going on and events are well attended. My student is not much of a partier in the traditional sense, but never runs out of things to do. Still, she joins her friends at clubs, for a band, or a fun theme night, etc…
The larger the school,the greater the opportunities and diversity.
Your options in terms of affordability are:
Princeton–full ride plus.
Williams College–affordable
Harvard–affordable.
Swarthmore College–affordable.
Wellesley College–unaffordable.
Bowdoin College–unaffordable.
Tufts University–unafforable.
No need to consider the unaffordable options as the best schools are all affordable.
Would be tough to commit to Williams or Swarthmore without a revisit in light of the generous offers from Princeton & Harvard. With a son already at Harvard there is less of a need for a revisit since it would impose an economic hardship.
No need to fear the social life at Princeton University as everyone can belong to an eating club or join in on the other social opportunities offered by the university.
Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Still, her brother’s experience worries her and me too a little. He eventually found his footing, but initially he found a people to be pretty competitive and a little cold. I do want her to be able to choose between the places. Is Princeton more welcoming and friendly? What about Williams and Swarthmore? Can anyone with direct experience of the other colleges chime in? The FGLI groups and support organizations at Princeton, Swarthmore, and Bowdoin have reached out to her directly, but not at any of the other universities.
If your daughter visited Williams she probably reacted one way or another to the insular mountain village environment. It’s usually either a strong positive or a decisive negative.
My observation is that the students who are happiest at Williams choose its BECAUSE of its insular, rural setting not in spite of it. The natural beauty and serenity of the area provide a balance to the rigorous academic requirements, as do the focus on sports and outdoorsy activities. These are active, outgoing kids.
Many students are also dedicated to (though not necessarily majoring in) an artistic pursuit like art, music, drama. There are three major museums on or near campus. Social activity centers around campus (and there’s plenty of it), though students do manage to get to Boston or New York once or twice a term.
Williams first years are assigned a residence group, called an entry, guided by sympathetic juniors. From day one students have an automatic assortment of classmates to have meals with, attend activities with and generally hang out with. Although Williams has its share of students from wealthy families — as do all selective northeast schools — flaunting wealth is rare as there’s simply not much to spend money on.
Professors are extremely supportive and nurturing. They get to know their students and provide advice and recommendations for graduate and professional schools for years to follow. Summer internship opportunities and career counseling are excellent
Along with the entry system, two other Williams features that my son enjoyed are Winter Study in January — a just for fun month of winter activities and not too serious but very interesting courses. And the Oxford-style tutorials which pair two students with one profession for in depth research and discussion.
My DD had zero interest in the eating clubs at Princeton. She went to a few of the parties and it just wasn’t her scene. But she met lots of people and made good friends through other groups. Some were in the eating clubs, some weren’t. It was never an issue.