<p>i got accepted into Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Colgate, Carleton, Vanderbilt, Hamilton, William and Mary, Texas, and Wisconsin - with a waitlist at Middlebury (those bastards)… My dream school has always been AMherst, but my twin brother, after getting rejected from the ivies, is going. I really don’t want to go to school with him, nevertheless, I am still considerign it. I have narrowed the options down to (with a possible geology major):</p>
<p>I wouldn’t turn down Amherst for Colgate or Vandy…which would leave me with two options: Bowdoin or Carleton. There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding; nonetheless, I’d pick Carleton. But even with your brother choosing Amherst, I’d deal with it and go there too.</p>
<p>If the geology is a significant factor, I would go with Carleton, even if your brother wasn’t going to Amherst. All bias aside, I think its pretty safe to say that Carleton has the strongest geo program of any liberal arts college (I apologize if I’m misinformed about this)</p>
<p>Are you really going to just go to the school with the highest tally? Attend as many accepted student events as possible, or just visit the campuses (unless you already have). Your brother going to Amherst shouldn’t really affect your decision; it’s not like you’ll be rooming together, and you’ll each have your own friends. Another idea - go to each of the school’s website and check out their geology courses and professors. Which intrigues you more? What about extracurricular activities?</p>
<p>With all the opportunities in the 5 college consortium, Amherst is a pretty great choice, but maybe I’m just biased Hope to see you there in the fall, but you should make the decision that feels right!</p>
<p>Carleton is completely different than Vandy or Colgate in terms of feel, with Carleton being much more “nerdy” along the lines of a Reed or Chicago, and the students tend to be much more liberal and crunchy/granola types. The workload is very intense, being on a quarter system (I think they call it something else, but it is three terms). And yes, Carleton’s geology program is top notch, as are their other sciences. </p>
<p>On the other hand, Colgate & Vandy are much more preppy and work hard/play hard social atmosphere. Both are obviously filled with bright students, but they are generally more social and less intense. Both are much more Greek-oriented than Carleton, which doesn’t have a Greek system. Colgate & Vandy also have D-I athletics, if that is important.</p>
<p>I realize I am stereotyping the three schools above a bit, and you can find kids of all types at all three… but I would think that you can at least decide between these three “extreme” schools, and whether you fit into either category. I get the impression that Bowdoin and Amherst are somewhere between these polar opposites. I love Bowdoin, from what I have heard and read, so I may be a little biased there.</p>
<p>You have a great spectrum of choices, and really can’t go wrong. So you really have to make the choice based on “fit”, since the academics and reputations of all the schools are great!</p>
Hope to see you there in the fall, but you should make the decision that feels right!</p>