Rejection and college students

NiceUnparticularMan
Sun, 18 May 2025 15:57:49 +0000

This also seemed to us a big part of the pitch when we visited Vassar post-offer. It seemed to us like they were basically marketing themselves as a friendlier, more supportive alternative to Ivies and certain NESCACs and such. Like to the point there were multiple anecdotes involving actual hugging.

And I think a lot of people there were quite receptive, although in the case of my S24, it soured him on the very idea of going East for college. Like he liked our Carleton visits much better, and then ultimately picked WashU, and basically part of the logic was they didn’t need to provide all those assurances, because it was built into the culture and assumed. At Carleton, the pitch was more about how much fun they had despite being serious students, and WashU Arts and Sciences was basically about how they had all the flexibility and per student resources of a top LAC while being part of a bigger research university.

That said, WashU apparently has its share of anxious first years, not least among the kids who basically chose it because it is known as a “good for premed” college. So I do think that sort of thing can be more or less common depending not just on the type of college but also the types of students who tend to choose that college. And all that can be affected by location, perceived academic strengths, and other things.