With Ivy Day finally over with and surprise decisions from my two remaining schools, I have finally received admissions decisions from every school on my list. The 13 rejections I got definitely stung, but I can happily say that all of the work I put into this process manifested in 8 acceptances.
I live in Upstate New York and plan on studying Philosophy in college before moving on to law school. Right now USC is looking very good due to its weather, philosophy department, and (let’s be honest) USNews ranking, but I am still waiting for aid packages from all of my schools and money will definitely play a role in where I go.
I very much value intellectualism in my peers, a drive to learn, and diversity. I’m a little hesitant re:BC because of its disappointing diversity statistics but if anyone has information to prove me wrong it would be much appreciated.
What input do people have regarding all of these schools? Has anyone had to make a decision between any number of them? I just feel a little overwhelmed and in need of guidance.
Thanks in advance to everyone who replies and everyone who has contributed on CC over the past year, this site has been a huge help and I don’t know if I would be as successful if not for this website.
I think you’re on the right track with USC - I would look at Tufts again though, particularly for Philosophy. Between those two, I would focus mostly on fit.
As far as BC goes, I would back up your assessment of BC - I thought the same thing and didn’t even apply - as a student currently attending Northeastern, I’ve seen pretty much what I’ve expected when I interacted with BC students.
As a NEU student, I’ve had a great time here! I’m a CS major but I’m doing an unofficial philosophy minor just cause and have had great experience with the three classes I’ve taken in the department. The prestige may not match up, but especially if money is a factor, I would keep it in the running. Of course, how you feel about co-op and your planned path if you went to NEU is important as well.
I would probably say decide between those three, but I can’t speak to UPitt / UVM / SUNY Geneso. So wait for someone else who knows more about them can compare to the others. Brandeis is a fine school, but I think USC and Tufts are the better options, especially with the price equal.
All of this is still VERY dependent on the aid packages - don’t make any decisions of course until you have those.
@wisteria100 do you have personal experience with BC’s philosophy department? I did a lot of research today into Philosophy graduate program rankings (hard to find stuff for undergrad) and BC hasn’t been ranked on any of them. As according to the most popular ranker, USC is #9 in the country.
@PengsPhils thanks for the perspective, it’s good to hear that my preliminary rankings have been accurate. What’s your experience been like at Northeastern as a CompSci major? I have a lot of friends who are/plan on doing that same program and I think it would be cool to be able to give them some insider perspective.
If you need to pay for grad school, Geneseo. It is very cheap w your scholarship. A great liberal arts school. Get all As and crush the LSAT. You can go anywhere then for law school.
For most intellectual, I would look at Tufts and Brandeis. I know money will be the key to your final choice. If you don’t get enough money from any of these colleges, I agree with the choice of SUNY Geneseo because of price.
Also remember that nowadays legal jobs are few and far between unless you graduate from a top law school. Play the long game.