Help me decide: Northwestern vs Swarthmore vs Wellesley for Theatre Studies + Film & Media Studies

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Hey everyone! It’s mid-April and I’m getting anxious here because I have no idea where to commit… I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks!!

Schools: Northwestern University, Swarthmore College, Wellesley College

Intended Major: Theatre Studies + Film&Media Studies

My future plans: I firmly want to go into the entertainment industry, whether as a film director, actress, or talk show host. (And it doesn’t even have to be Hollywood, maybe the Chinese entertainment industry as well!) I was also admitted into USC and NYU (I know these two schools are very good for that path), but they were just so expensive I cannot afford them :frowning: This is my top top goal which sounds pre-professional, but a LAC education just is so cool to me but also sounds risky because I’ve been poor all my life LMAO so many I need to force myself to become more pre-professional

Similarities: All three schools have given me generous financial aid packages, so FinAid is not in my consideration as I debate between these three schools. I gotta do work-study at all three schools!

Northwestern University (Transfer out of Medill into School of Communications)

Pros:

  • Definitely most alumni who has made it info entertainment industry (idk if it has to do with NU having big class size on its own but its resources for entertainment are definitely great)
    • Steven Colbert and Seth Meyers went to NU school of communication?? AHHHH :sob:
  • I heard general workload is really chill (especially compared to more rigorous schools like Swarthmore), students who go there all seem like they are having a great time whether socially or academically
  • Journalism is definitely one of my top interests as well (medill is great) but see cons for more, I gotta transfer out of Medill :frowning:
  • I have a number of friends who already go there or will be attending next year which is super cool to me (they all in Medill tho), verses Swat and Wellesley where I’d have the start completely new

Cons:

  • Though I love journalism and was admitted into Medill, double majoring across Medill and school of communications is not permitted, so I need to transfer out of Medill into school of Comm. It just makes me sad everytime I think about it because Medill is just a great school and I’ve got a lot of friends there…
  • I really really want to experience a true “tight-knit” community. I don’t think NU is as good at that as Swat and Wellesley but I think NU is still pretty good??
  • Education is not as open as LACs are?
  • 8000 undergrad sounds like a lot to me. Is competition for resources worse than LACs?
  • Everyone brainwashes me on how dangerous Chicago is :sob:

Swarthmore College

Pros:

  • Everything about it is just so cool. From the cashless campus to the letters I receive from my AO, I just feel like I’m vibing with Swat a lot.
  • LAC education is something I’ve always been interested in!! Swat has a cool film/media program and I could explore everything I’m interested in alongside of that with 0 issues
  • Swat’s access to Philly seems more accessible than Wellesley with Boston and NU with Chicago
  • I definitely had the biggest reaction when I got my swat acceptance lmao idk if that says something

Cons:

  • Grade deflation? Stressful curriculum? Depressing atmosphere? - “If i had gone anywhere else I would’ve gotten an A” - I hear about these accusations about Swarthmore online quite a lot, versus NU and Wellesley where I’ve heard almost 0 complaints about the curriculum or academia being too stressful and depressing.

Wellesley College

Pros:

  • Strongest alumni network out of the three from what I’ve heard. I do think there is something special in the bonds of female graduates from sister colleges though I myself don’t really yet see what’s very unique about an all-womens college… a lot of people seem affectionate to the idea of all-womens college but I don’t really understand (I am very open to learning more about it though!)
  • Boston sounds the nicest out of the three cities (Philly, Chicago, Boston)
  • My best friend is going to Harvard next year, so it would be cool that we could see each other conveniently

Cons:

  • I see almost none to meager alumni who ultimately make it into the entertainment industry. Wellesley seems most famous for its politicians but I’m not really interested in that.
  • This is awful to admit but to be honest I’m scared I’ll develop an inferiority complex under MIT, everyone seems to be advertising how wellesley people could take advantage of the courses at MIT but I just don’t think “MIT is more superior” is a good idea to flow around :,)

Tiebreaking considerations:

  • After being in IBDP in high school I just want to go to a school that prioritizes students’ mental health. I hope I won’t be overworked in college and become wrapped up in endless competitions that I experienced throughout high school. So to be honest, I’d appreciate a school whose curriculum isn’t stressful and doesn’t have grade deflation.
  • I gotta do work-study at all three schools. How’s the experience of work-studying at each school?
  • I lowkey like dorming alone after freshman year, I know it’s possible at Swarthmore but idk about Wellesley and NU.
  • I really really want to experience a true “tight-knit” community. A residential system thing or house thing would be cool.

Addendum:

  • I rly like snow!! I’m from socal tho so i have no idea if I’ll actually end up hating east coast weather or something…
  • I’m curious about the differences between what the cities (Boston, Philidelphia, Chicago) have to offer. I honestly have no idea what their differences are lmao… I’d appreciate advice!
  • I am a fan of gothic architecture (loved Yale!!) but honestly it’s not on the top of my list in choosing colleges lmao I think the experience socially and academically is more important than the buildings I see each day
  • I’m FGLI
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My two cents is Swarthmore is one of those colleges where the people for whom it is the right choice really know it is the right choice for them. I am not sensing that is you, particularly given your first tiebreaker point, so I don’t know if Swat would be ideal for you.

Otherwise, to me it sounds like you would more like Wellesley than Northwestern. You want a tight-knit LAC experience, it really doesn’t get better than Wellesley, so . . . .

Things I would not put a lot of weight on:

Entertainment career path issues. Many, many people change their minds about career during college. Even if you don’t, I really don’t think your college choice will make or break your entertainment career, it is going to be a matter of actually getting into the business and having talent and also out-hustling all the nepos and on and on. College for people with career aspirations like that is more, to me, what you will need if that doesn’t go as you hope, at least not right away.

Which city. NYC and LA are special for the entertainment business, otherwise I think any of these will do. I will note all these are big cities with lots to do, so much you will never really run out of options in any of them, particularly since college life will occupy most of your time. Something about Boston has captured the imagination of many students, but having spent plenty of time in all of these cities, I really don’t think it is notably more fun (or less).

The MIT thing. I think the point is more that MIT does some stuff that Wellesley does not. But vice-versa is true too. That makes them complementary, not one better than the other.

Finally, the dorm thing. Again, I think it is too early to know what you will actually want in a living situation to begin with, and you’ll figure it out regardless.

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I think if you are really focused on a film career, Northwestern is the only one of these 3 known for their department. But you could consider any of them (all amazing schools) and then grad school at somewhere like USC, NYU or Columbia.

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Just to set the record straight. NU isn’t in Chicago. It’s in Evanston a city that borders Chicago’s northern boundary. Secondly, Chicago isn’t as dangerous as the media makes it out to be. I live in Chicago. If you are smart about where you are and when you are, you’ll be fine. No different than any other big city.

For the film/theater industry NU is the best choice of the lot. A dear friend is a prof at Medill. With all that, I’m not a fan of NU’s ethos but that’s my problem. And my son is headed to Swarthmore this fall, so I’m biased towards it.

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Another vote for Northwestern if you’re interested in theater and film. The alumni network is head and shoulders above your other schools for these areas as are the on-campus offerings.

When we toured, both our guide and the AO at the info session made a point of saying that it was easy to transfer between most of the divisions except for music, which requires an audition.

Also, it’s not uncommon to major at more than one school. For example, my daughter’s friend is double majoring in theatre (school of communications) and gender studies (Weinberg school of arts and sciences).

Finally, many theatrical productions are not limited to students in the theatre program.

The bottom line is that you’re not locked into Medill if you go to NU. You could take classes in Medill and in theatre at first, then decide if you want to transfer schools, double major, etc.

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Agree with NiceUnparticularMan above: don’t worry too much about precise career path at this point–that changes more often than not!–but do focus on which place feels right as an intellectual and social home for the next four years. All of your choices are strong schools with tremendous resources (Swat most of all), so most important is where you’ll be excited to learn, explore, and challenge yourself over the coming years. Sounds from your comments like Swat but only you know for sure.

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Um, people don’t go to Swarthmore for theater; they go for breadth of exposure to different disciplines. They have theater; you’ll see performances. But, like nearly everything else at Swarthmore, it rests on the shoulders of a very small and motivated group of enthusiasts. I would almost say the same thing is true of Wellesley but with the added problem of casting for male roles.

I mean, without even reading the rest of your post, my reaction to your subject line was, “Is there really a choice, here?”

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Putting aside reputational shibboleths, I don’t think the workload or stress levels of these three schools is unlikely to be materially different, although it’s difficult to separate the reality from echo chamber.

Full disclosure: My D24 is very interested in Swat, and so I’ve done my own investigation into its reputation for intensity. Given the echo chamber effect of the internet, I’ve tried to focus on first or secondhand opinions and trusted third parties (Fiske, etc.). While there is no doubt that students work hard at Swat, for most of them, it’s mostly a labor of love. Swatties also universally proclaim that they are extremely collaborative and not competitive. They take on more work not so much because of external pressure but because they are passionate about the subject matter and their extracurriculars. And Swat certainly has a reputation for deflated grades, which will be tough if you want a 4.0. If you’re okay with a 3.3, it’s not an issue. As mentioned above, Swat may not be every student’s cup of tea. But, as far as I can gather, the vast majority of students and alumni have fun and enjoy their experience.

As for your other specific concerns: I spoke to a FA officer at Swat and was impressed by the breadth and flexibility of Swat’s work-study program compared to the other few schools that D24 is considering. (She will do work-study wherever she goes.) I don’t think singles are common at Swat until about junior year. Swat is definitely strong on community. While it snows in all of the locations you’re considering, none of it is “pretty” snow. Swat is going to be the warmest and get the least snow. And I’m sure you know this, but Swatties can take courses at Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Penn. (Wellesley students have similar options with a few local schools.)

Incidentally, Wellesley also has a similar reputation for intensity and competition (mind you, people often conflate the two) and is frequently listed on Princeton Review’s Schools Where Students Study the Most list (on which neither NU nor Swat appears). But, like Swat, most Wellesley alumni seem to also have fun and enjoy their experience. D24 eliminated Wellesley because it didn’t appear to have a particularly strong visual arts department. I’m not sure about its theater or film studies departments.

I know the least about NU because it never appeared to be in the realm of affordability for us. But, if you go to NU’s Niche page, of the seven words used to describe NU students, you’ll find “busy,” “stressed” (listed twice), “depressed,” and “pressured.” Is that accurate? I couldn’t say. But I wouldn’t presume that NU will be a cake walk compared to Swat or Wellesley. That said, NU seems like it has world-class theater and journalism departments and is likely to have the most extensive industry ties to the entertainment industry. I think Swat or Wellesley could probably get you wherever you want to go, but NU seems to offer the most direct path.

Are you attending any of the admitted students days? That seems like the best way to gauge things. My D24 is attending Swatstruck in a couple weeks, which will give her an opportunity to assess whether Swat is a good fit directly.

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FWIW, I happened to have listened to a virtual panel of Swat students this morning, and two of the five student panelists chose Swat because of its theater department. The second of the two chose it because a Swat theater professors invited her to a production in Minnesota before she was even admitted: https://youtu.be/74lY7ClNrDg?t=118

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Then Northwestern University is the most reasonable choice for you.

Students at Northwestern can be part of a tight-knit group if they want. Happens naturally in Schools of Communications, Music, SESP, & Medill (Journalism). Northwestern University is really like 6 LACs situated on the same campus.

If you are worried about stress & mental health, then Swarthmore may not be the best option for you.

Oddly, I suspect that Wellesley College may be the best option for you as your awareness of the realities of Northwestern University and of Swarthmore College are off base. Plus, I am not convinced of your stated career goals; if they were true, then this thread would not exist.

My suggestion is to go to Wellesley College, explore various academic disciplines, and find yourself and your career goal.

P.S. Northwestern University’s main campus is located in Evanston–not Chicago. Evanston is an upscale suburb of Chicago.

Northwestern University’s Chicago campus is located in a very upscale area on the North shore. The Chicago campus is home to Northwestern’s law school and medical school.

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I am attending the admitted student days for NU and Swat… Wellesley I’m not sure as they do not reimbruse and it is OH expsensive. Maybe I’ll meet your daughter at swatstruck!!! If she is going on the latter day then we’ll both be there on the 19th : ) I think you are right on NU being “the most direct path,” but it’s just hard for me to weigh where these paths will take me in the future with the experience of the schools themselves within those 4 years.

You gave some interesting perspectives for researching these schools that I haven’t really thought of previously. I will continue researching, and hopefully I’ll have an answer soon! Thanks a lot a lot

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Thanks for sharing! 6 LACs on the same campus is such an interesting perspective. I might actually visit wellesley if I get a chance then. I was debating whether to go or not on their Thrive! Admitted student day because I’m from LA and wellesley does not reimbruse for travel so it get expensive. You mentioned you think Wellesley is the best option for me. Besides my (very biased for sure) perceptions, what else would make you say that? I’m just curious!

What do you mean by “awareness of the realities of Northwestern University and of Swarthmore College are off base”? I am aware I’m researching these schools from the perspective of someone who could only hear from others and not experience it for myself so I would gladly listen if you have additional advice or commentaries.

As for career goals, I think they are more understandable if I call them something I would definitely explore a lot in college. They really are what I want to do but of couse I wouldn’t die if I end up falling in love with something else in my exploration process and end up pursuing a different job, but it’s something I’d regret for sure if I don’t explore them in depth during college so I still wonder which of the three provide the best experience to explore that in depth.

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For the cities. Do you think it’s worth it to go through appealing finaid at NYU and USC to see if they are options too? Currently, I have offers from both schools but awh man they are expensive.

For swat, I’d definitely explore a little more when I go to their admitted student event. To be honestly, right now, Wellesley is the school I am sensing the least emotionally. But I am putting myself through the research logically too, which is the reason I started the thread haha.

Thanks for sharing! This is helpful.

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Why Swat most of all? I do feel like it is the peak of the LAC education experience where student body is small and thus leaves a lot of resources. However, I sometimes worry about the practicalities of a LAC ed as I’m not planning to go to grad school at this moment and also grew up from a low-income family, which makes me worried that I’ll end up being too not pre-professional at LACs and miss out on some resources, say, the film resources that Northwestern has.

I definitely really really like Swarthmore. I will go to explore it more this month, and hopefully I’ll have a decision by then. Thanks for advice!

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Are you 100% sure you can transfer into the Major in Radio/Television/Film major at Northwestern? If the program is full, they could tell you “no”. Can you confirm that you can 100% transfer before you commit?

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I have not heard a lot of appeal success stories with those colleges, but if you have the bandwidth, why not?

Just to be clear, an awful lot of LAC grads go into professional careers, far more than end up academics or such. Of course many get some sort of advanced degree as part of that journey, JDs, MDs . . . MFAs . . . and so on.

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One thing to add about Wellesley.

Unlike Northwestern and Swarthmore, it does not have a Department of Theatre. It has a Theatre Studies Program.

What does that mean? NU and Swarthmore have tenured/tenure-track professors appointed in their Theatre departments.

The faculty of Theatre Studies at Wellesley are all senior lecturers. They seem to be on long-term contracts and seem to have built fine careers teaching there. They have the Wellesley Repertory Theater, which is a good thing.

But I don’t see an institutional commitment at Wellesley to theater similar to the one at Swarthmore (the most comparable to it, as a liberal-arts college). And Wellesley’s commitment to theater isn’t even close to Northwestern’s.

On the face of them, Wellesley’s and Swarthmore’s Cinema and Media Studies programs look pretty comparable.

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I meant “Swat most of all” in terms of resources: almost $2M per student of endowment funds, which allows for all sorts of possibilities (I can imagine things like Swat-supported summer internships with film studios or that sort of thing). Wellesley isn’t far behind, but Northwestern has around half the endowment resources per student. This isn’t a dealbreaker, just means there’s fewer funds to go around at NW. About the practicalities of a SLAC: you hear over and over and over that the top skills most employers are looking for are critical thinking and communication–not profession-specific capacities, outside of certain technical professions–which are precisely what a liberal arts college develops. There’s a reason so many SLAC graduates are in top positions across business, government, and the arts: they’re whip-smart, flexible in their thinking, adaptable in their skills, and well-trained in the interpretation and communication of information. Those seem like pretty fundamental skills to me, for filmmaking or any other career path.

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Ooof. I am actually not too sure. From what I’ve heard, however, inter-school transfer is pretty easy at Northwestern. Even then though, I would for sure be able to at least obtain a theater minor or film minor in the school of comm…

But this is a good thing to think about. I will email them today to ask!

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I also generally think it’s straightforward to change majors at NU (aside from audition type majors).

I would go straight to the source to confirm:

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