Psych or possible econ major. If I go
psych (most likely), I’ll be pursuing a PhD. Does one have an advantage over the other? Cost is about the same. I know they are very different location/environments but really like both and looking for other info other than one is rural and one is near a big city. Help me decide!
Tell us more about you and what you like and what types of environments you thrive in or are excited to experience. There will be students that will easily choose one over another. We know a few kids at Boston College. All but one love it…the other is thinking about transferring. My son is a freshman at Colgate…we toured BC but ended up not applying. I can’t speak to psych but the econ program at Colgate is really strong - my son has now taken two econ classes and is likely switching his major from Bio to Econ with a Bio minor. He loves his econ classes and the professors. In general, the education has been excellent - he’s liked every class he’s taken and all the professors (ok…he did not like Chemistry…that kicked his butt). The access to the professors is unreal - he emails them, they email him back within an hour or two (or sometimes in minutes)…he visits office hours regularly, they all know his name, etc…not my college experience.
Colgate is a small school with a lot of school spirit and community. The alumni is incredibly loyal and proud. But it is in a remote area so the downside is that you’re all stuck there in the community on the weekends and evenings…that’s also the upside by the way. Socially, it’s a work hard play hard school and culture overall…there are all types of people but I do hear folks mention that Colgate leans a bit Greek/preppy. By the way, my son likes that aspect so for him it a feature, not a bug. That said, there isn’t a Greek scene until sophomore year (freshmen can’t rush first year). He has gotten involved with sports and some clubs and has made a bunch of friends through that. All that said, I do know he sometimes wonders if he’s missing out on what some of his friends are experiencing at larger schools or more urban areas (a bunch of his friends going to school in the LA area went to a concert a few months ago…that isn’t happening in Hamilton, NY!).
Best of luck - you have two great options.
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I think you know the main thing - one is a smaller school and it’s an LAC.
One is a university with ACC sports, a business school, law school, and more. One is jesuit - one isn’t. Does that matter?
Both are wealthy with BC awarding 917 of 2516 kids need aid and Colgate 257 of 812.
Both are about 60% white.
BC gives you access to Boston - which is a whole weekend or free time lifestyle choice differential.
Only you can decide.
Good luck.
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Regarding economics, Colgate has a mathematical economics major as described at https://www.colgate.edu/academics/departments-programs/department-economics/academic-program/mathematical-economics-major that appears intended for pre-PhD students. Additional math and statistics like real analysis and probability theory are also common recommendations for pre-PhD students.
Boston College does not have a specific mathematical economics major, but you can prepare for PhD study by choosing additional math and statistics as noted above and choosing more mathematical economics electives.
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Thank you so much for this detailed answer! I am leaning Colgate but am most worried about freshman year socially. I’m also fine with greek life and plan to rush, but have heard freshman have a hard time socially. Did your son do any of the pre orientation stuff or just found clubs once he got there?
That is helpful to know. I have been digging around trying to find more info on how many students go on to PhD programs and where they land.
You should ask the schools - although I’m not sure how relevant. These are both great names but why not look at curriculums to see who offers the sub areas you like - and class schedules (not just catalogues) of the last two years to see how often courses are offered. Looks like Colgate has 28 faculty/staff with some visiting. BC has similar but then more part time faculty. It has also Teaching Assistants that “help” although instructors are listed - does that matter?
Here is the College Factual PhD database. It’s 3rd party - so take it for what it is. The top school adjusted for enrollment is Vassar at 55 kids. Neither Colgate or BC show up on the list for total or adjusted.
So if you want to know where students go for PhD, if they do, then ask the schools…set up a meeting with a department chair, etc. The schools want your money, want you in their classrooms - so whatever questions they have they will be open to working with you…or if not, perhaps that isn’t the right school. If you reach out to the department, I’m sure they’d love to set up a zoom or call.
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If you haven’t picked a discipline yet (and nothing wrong with that- most kids who are sure they are going to major in X don’t end up doing that!) how can you know you already want grad school in an unknown subject?
So take that off the table IMHO. There are many careers that undergrads in psych end up doing, and you can’t possibly know which of them require grad school (some of them), which require a different type of grad school (Master’s in Public Health, MBA?) and which require nothing more than a BS.
I think the locations are SO different that this might be your clue…
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My son chose not to do the pre-orientation trips…and we tried really hard to push him to do it. I think the trips are fantastic and every person recommended doing one and every student we talked with that did one loved it. So, there’s your answer…you should do it. But my kid didn’t and was happy to spend the extra week or two with his friends having fun. In hindsight, Colgate has a later start than most of his friends heading to college so he realized he wouldn’t have diminished his friend-time by doing the orientation trips.
I don’t know where you’re coming from but we are west-coaster and didn’t know a soul at Colgate (other than a BBQ or two for some local kids in our area…interestingly those get togethers only had girls there so he didn’t have any guys he knew going in). Lots of the east coast kids have some connectivity either through other kids from their high school or kids that went to their high school in prior years. So…the first few weeks were a little disorienting for him…he was with a really quiet roommate and his freshman orientation group didn’t have “his people” that he could connect with. The other thing that happened this year specifically was that there’s a “Freshman Bar” that has been an institution for 30-40 years …The Jug…it closed and never opened this year so the school was caught a little flat-footed when the party/social kids didn’t have a place to go that was outside the dorms or organized activities.
So…socially, he’s figured it out and has made a bunch of really close friends through sports and some clubs (soccer, golf, flag football) and through just being open to meeting new people and putting himself out there more which has been really good for him. There are a few sports clubs that are really active like hockey and rugby (both men’s and women’s) but he wasn’t into those sports specifically but has lots of friends doing those.
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This post offers brief comments on Colgate in the context of comments on a few other colleges: NESCAC Spoken Here: - #5 by merc81 .
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very helpful - thank you
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