My daughter’s applications were a bit scattered, so now her acceptances/financial aid are as well. There are still 5, maybe even 6, possibilities, in the sense that she liked them when she visited and that with merit and need-based aid combined, they are all in the same ballpark as to what I need to contribute. Should she go partly on perceived “prestige”/“name recognition”? I honestly want to steer her away from one school, even though it’s well-regarded and not all that easy to get into. I’ve been perfectly upfront with her about why. It’s 80 percent Greek and in a rather to very conservative area (depending on one’s viewpoint!), whereas she’s a flaming liberal, lol, with lesbian parents and a really diverse group of friends and a tendency to combine interests in ways that are a bit outside the usual (mathletes, a tap company, musical theater, foreign language). She’s full IB and a year younger than most kids who are graduating (but she’s been wth this class since she was 7). She wants to do some combination of environmental science/biology/pre-vet).These are her choices (apart from unnamed school that I am sure would be great for a lot of kids but not at all sure would be good for her): Bryn Mawr, Juniata (liberal arts), Goucher (ditto), the only two “state honors colleges” I’m aware of – St. Mary’s of Maryland and New College of Florida, and U of Maryland College Park Honors College (“Gemstones” research program focused largely on the impact of technology on society). Bryn Mawr would be the name more people would know, of course. And College Park, probably. Thank you for your patience – she and her choices are all over the place, as I mentioned. Any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks so much again!
PM sent. If it were me I’d choose between Bryn Mawr and UMCP. Conventional wisdom on this forum is to accrue the least amount of debt possible.
Would a LAC be the best choice for pre vet? Where is your state’s vet program. In VA aspiring vets go to VA Tech because they have a vet school.
I think I know what school you are talking about when you mention the 80% greek. If it is what I think, I share your concerns based on the description of your daughter. Your daughter sounds like a great fit for Bryn Mawr. The academics are ust as strong - if not stronger - than the 80% greek school.
“Tendency to combine interests in ways that are a bit outside the usual” is what stands out for me in your post. That and the facts that (1) she’s full IB, and (2) she may want to go to veterinary school.
Let’s start with the University of Maryland – my son’s alma mater, although he’s about as different from your daughter as any two human beings could be.
UMCP could be a very attractive choice because she’s likely to be exempted from a lot of the general education requirements thanks to that IB program. This would give her opportunities to fill her schedule with what she wants to take instead of what she has to take. I know a young woman who was a Gemstone student at UMCP whose AP credits gave her so much academic freedom that she was able to double-major in two utterly unrelated subjects and to do two study abroad programs during her four years. For someone who combines multiple interests, this kind of freedom could be UMCP’s biggest selling point.
Also, as a Gemstone student, she would be in the university’s most prestigious special program and would be living in a freshman dorm with other Gemstone students, who are among the brightest and most interesting people on campus. I believe (but double-check this) that Gemstone students are also automatically placed in the University Honors program, which gives them access to lots of special honors courses and honors sections of regular courses.
The University of Maryland also has an animal science department. Students who are considering applying to veterinary school often major in animal science or at least take some courses in it so that they can get experience working with large animals. Unless your daughter already has this kind of experience (from working on a farm or in a horse riding facility, for example), this may be an important consideration.
So in many respects UMCP is a very good choice.
The question is whether Bryn Mawr might be better. And I don’t know the answer. There’s a lot to like about Bryn Mawr, including the interesting women who go there, the intimate relationship with Haverford, and the close but not quite so intimate relationship with Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania. Because of these partnerships with other schools as well as its academic reputation, Bryn Mawr has huge advantages over the other liberal arts colleges on her list. The opportunities at Bryn Mawr are simply greater than at the other small schools.
I don’t think she has to rule out Bryn Mawr because of the lack of an animal science major, but she should think about other ways (job? internship? volunteer work? semester at another college?) to get some experience working with large animals if vet school stays on her radar.
I tend to agree with OspreyCV22 that these are the two most attractive schools. I don’t think she can make a bad choice, but they’re certainly very different options, so she has a lot to think about.
If you haven’t seen it, info on the Bryn Mawr pre Health advising: http://www.brynmawr.edu/healthpro/
Also, I think your wife started a thread on this forum called “Greek life.” It discusses a student with choices that sound like your daughter’s (although UMCP is not mentioned). There are some interesting insights there.
You are doing just fine, sharing your opinion but letting her make the final decision. If money is an issue, offering her the direct cash for cost differentials is an idea. Congrats to your DD on her great choices. Nice quandry to have.