Implications of Wait list

mini
Sun, 13 May 2012 21:55:54 +0000

Having had a daughter at each of these two schools (my younger one graduated with a Masters in Accounting from American yesterday, having done her B.A. there in three years), there’s absolutely no question that, in most areas, the academics at Smith are much, much, much stronger. American is very pre-professional, with only 40% of students in the arts and sciences (and the sciences are almost non-existent.). Having said that, the undergraduate in-term professional opportunities are much, much, much stronger at American. They organize the entire academic calendar around them. (Which is why you’ll almost never have a class on Wednesday, and you’ll have lots after 4 p.m.) It’s just the way it is. Different schools. My older d. would have hated American. My younger d. would have been a disaster at Smith.

I’m betting you’ll find Smith’s aid significantly better (Smith’s endowment is four times the size of American’s, with one fifth the students). (We’re not complaining: both schools came through for us.) Let’s hear, so we can compare notes.