I was accepted to both William and Mary and Smith and I need some help choosing which one to go to. I would be an International Relations or Government major depending on the school with a goal of going to grad school and working for international NGOs like the UN.
William and Mary:
Pros
Monroe Scholar
In-state tuition
Great IR program
Cons
Lots of people from my hometown go
I’ve heard the community is pretty competitive
Smith:
Pros
STRIDE Scholar
Open curriculum
Great housing system/campus community
Great alumnae network/post-grad opportunities
Cons
Expensive (would need to take out loans)
I am super excited about the STRIDE program, but taking out a bunch of loans when I would be going into a pretty low paying career makes me very hesitant. Any info from past Monroe or STRIDE scholars would be really helpful!
I have had a career in nonprofit and education work. Do not take out loans to go to Smith if you have W&M as a top option.
William and Mary is the perfect place to “grow” into your interests in international non-profits with a better price point so you can enjoy foreign exchange experiences and internships with some added travel when you go.
You will find your own people at college and will also have folks to carpool home with if needed.
I cannot imagine how many could go from your school to a competitive school like W&M.
You had me at affordable vs. loans, especially for an IR / Government degree. The where you go will matter less and if you have future schooling, then that will add costs.
The reality is - finances are important - and any school that is not affordable is not one you can attend - simple as that.
You will have every opportunity at W&M to have a wonderful experience. And you will appreciate graduating without a monthly debt repayment hanging over your head for many years.
William & Mary just seems so perfect for you even before Monroe, given its highly developed IR and Government programs and strong alum network in your target career areas. And then Monroe acts as an Honors Program with a swank renovated dorm (addressing one of the top concerns about William & Mary, the sometimes iffy dorm situation), and programming to create a special community within the college.
Your cons don’t seem particularly problematic to me. You’ll meet many, many new people, including through Monroe. And all highly-selective colleges full of smart and ambitious kids are going to be somewhat competitive, including Smith, but everything I have heard about William & Mary is that it is on the friendly and collaborative side.
Whereas the con for Smith is a huge problem to me for the reason you gave–if you want a career in high level NGOs and such, the competition is fierce even for low-paying entry jobs in HCOL areas. So you have to be ready to grab whatever opportunities you can, and it is such an advantage to be able to do that without having to worry about how you will make your loan payments.