Three amazing schools, one decision to make

College Search & Lists
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I have narrowed down my options for what school to attend to 3 options - Brandeis University, Umass Amherst, and UVM. Each of them has its own pros and cons and I am extremely overwhelmed trying to figure it out by myself!

First, Brandeis. Incredible academics, it was a reach school for me and its graduation rate is the highest out of the options and the acceptance rate the lowest. I can see myself fitting in with the students there perfectly, the teachers are amazing, a great location for what I want to study (US history), and it’s within close proximity to my family. I love their message of social justice and the passion that all of the students seem to have for academics. However, I got accepted as a midyear transfer, so I wouldn’t start at the school until Jan 2020, and I personally get really nervous with social situations. And at a school that a lot of people say it is hard to make friends at, that worries me a little bit. Its also the smallest school I applied to in terms of the numbers, so im worried about making friends in Jan after everyone has already bonded in my grade during the fall semester. Im not Jewish so im not sure if that would affect my experiences at the school. I would be near the lower end of the spectrum in terms of academics, but I am good at motivating myself and pushing myself when surrounded by people that are better than me at different things. It is also the most expensive option on my list, with one semester almost costing double than a whole year at another school. So, im not sure if it being so expensive and I start in Jan is worth it.

Next, Umass Amherst. I live in MA so I would get in-state tuition. It is the biggest school I am considering in terms of its student population, but as someone told me, “you can make a big school seem small, but you can’t make a small school seem big.” The campus in itself seems like a mini city, which is something that im not the biggest fan of, but I do like the campus. Its just the right size, and its beautiful, especially at the top of the library. Amherst the town to me seems to be in the middle of nowhere, with nothing major being close by Its food is amazing, and its also climbing the ranks in its reputation and level of academics. Their history department is good, but not as good as the one at Brandeis, and I would be in the middle of the spectrum considering its academics. However, I can take classes at Amherst College, which is one of the best history programs in the country. I am concerned about its location and that I would be a small fish in a big pond, and that me, being not that big of a partier, wouldn’t fit in with the general student population. There have also been hate crimes on campus, which makes me a bit wary. However, im sure not everyone parties, and I could see myself there, but not as much as at UVM or Brandeis. I didnt get any scholarships, but I have instate tuition, which is a plus.

Lastly, UVM. I have been wanting to go to this school since I was younger. I am familiar with the location having going up to Burlington and the surrounding towns every summer, and I have friends that already go to UVM and some family that lives 5 minutes away from the campus. It is the furthest away from home out of the 3 options. I love the campus and how its intertwined with Burlington and the vibe and can certainly see myself being happy and thriving there in a social aspect, but my main concern is what they would offer me for my major, with me studying humanities and not STEM, since they are always advertising their great STEM and nursing programs. I have visited and talked with people in the history department, who told me that I would be like a “big fish in a small pond”, and having talked to current history majors who attend I get the vibe that you have to work really hard on research papers to get an A, but my family and I are still concerned about what they would offer me with different opportunities for my major such as internships that other schools (such as Brandeis, with its close proximity to Boston) dont (their career services wasnt the best when we visited). I would also be on the higher end of the academic spectrum, being invited to apply for their liberal arts program. For cost, they are in the middle of Umass and Brandeis, and they gave me a $15k scholarship.

Im sorry this is so long, but it would be great to get some help with this since a lot of people have gone through this process of deciding where to go!

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Wow. Congratulations. What awesome choices. And what a great summary!

One of the single best assessments of school options I’ve ever read on CC. And at a level of detail that usually takes dozens of posts to coax out of the prospective student. Well done.

So Brandeis is the real deal. I believe your concerns to be valid. It can be tough to come in new and break into a friend group. If you were more outgoing I would have less of a concern. Being happy is important for doing well in school.

I am a Massachusetts fan and alum. So I can’t tell you enough how great my time was there and the experiences I had. All you mention is true. The partying stuff is old news. All kids like to have fun but it’s a much more serious place than in years past.

UVM is a great mix. It has a little of the social justice vibe you like and some of the friendly qualities I think you find at state flagship schools. And you’ve always wanted to go there.

  • If money were no object and I was willing to take a chance at having a little harder times making friends. Brandeis.
  • If money isn’t a big deal and you want to be perhaps one of the better students on day one. With a higher potential to fit in this laid back type environment. UVM all day long.

-If money is at all an issue or you want to have the challenge of slightly more academic student body - plus the highest ranked food in the country, the best men’s hockey team in the USA and fun oriented vibe. University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

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@privatebanker wow, thank you so much for that compliment! I made a pro/cons list for all of my 3 options so this post was just taking little bullet points and putting them into sentences, to be honest! Also for Brandeis, I should clarify that im not entirely shy or an introvert, im a pretty friendly and an open person but sometimes in certain situations, I get nervous. I come from a small-ish high school that has cliques left and right and im worried as that a school as small as Brandeis will also have their cliques that have already would have formed when I enter in Jan. What are your thoughts?

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Do I understand that you were offered admission as a mid year student (spring start)? If so, there will be a number of other students in the same position (not sure how many) and you’ll all move into the same housing community when you arrive. That should mitigate at least part of what you are afraid about? I don’t really know about cliques or otherwise, but the feeling we got when we toured Brandeis was that it seemed very friendly and supportive. If I recall correctly about 40% of undergrad are Jewish, so it’s significant, but I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker any more than going to say one of the Jesuit colleges is a dealbreaker for most Jewish kids.

I don’t know anything about the other colleges so can’t compare… but just wanted to say that while spring admits (at any campus) do lose out on some of the typical freshman experience, there will be enough of you that you will certainly not be the only one coming in alone and trying to make friends.

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If you really want Brandeis and your biggest concern is the social aspect of being a spring admit… is there any option to defer 'til the following fall and plan a whole, worthwhile gap year, instead of just a “gap semester”…?

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@aquapt I dont think there is that option at Brandeis! And if there was, I wasnt planning on taking a gap year so a semester would probably be the most amount of time I would want to take off, but I wanted to start college in the fall. So understandably, this is a big turn off for me from Brandeis, even though there are so many positives about the school!

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Midyear start would be difficult as many friendahips have already formed. Also, I imagine your friends will be gone at other colleges while you wait. I would choose from your other two options.

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In that case, I’d agree with @SJ2727 that you should get as much information as possible about the spring-admit cohort - how many entering students will there be, will you all be housed together, and what will the school do to support a good transition? Also… will you have enough AP credits to finish in 3.5 years (which would also save some money) and graduate with your class, or would you be out of sync at the end too?

Given that you’d also take a financial hit to attend Brandeis, I’d say the burden is on them to convince you that it’s worth taking a semester off that you didn’t plan or want, and deal with the challenges of starting in the spring. It’s a great school, but it’s a lot to pay more money for the privilege of dealing with all that. (This is why there are a growing number of first-semester-abroad programs that allow spring admits to bond with a cohort that they’ll return to campus with, and take classes that will keep their degree on schedule - your offer has no such option?)

UVM and UMass are both great schools. My sense is that UVM feels like a better fit for your personality, but you’re concerned about how the academics compare. I strongly suspect that if you want challenge and rigor, you can find it at either school. The Liberal Arts Scholars program at UVM sounds like a big plus.

I would say that you action item right now is, apply to the Liberal Arts Scholars program. That’s a first-come-first-serve, rolling-admissions thing, and they say you hear back within two weeks. So do that, ASAP. Then investigate the Brandeis situation more fully while the UVM program app is pending. If you get right on all of that, you should have all your proverbial ducks in a row by mid-April and still have a few weeks to process and make a final decision.

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^ if I think back to my own college days, it’s definitely not the case that friendships formed within the first 6 months remained unchanged all through 4 years. In fact I only met my best friend - still my best friend today - halfway through sophomore year. And while I agree that it’s not ideal to start a semester late, for me personally that wouldn’t be enough by itself to dissuade me if a college was first choice and the place I wanted to graduate from. For others it might be a dealbreaker. Adding the finances in though makes the total package less attractive. I think @aquapt ‘s last paragraph has good practical suggestions.

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@hamiltonfan1780 It is difficult to provide a recommendation without knowing how much you will need to borrow and be in debt for each of these choices. I would pick Brandeis without reservation if money was not a concern. It is a terrific university and, for the reasons mentioned above, I would not be worried at all about starting a semester late. Other advantages not mentioned above are that you can accumulate college credit at a local college and transfer the credit. So you won’t have to stay an extra semester at Brandeis to make up the credit. Or if you already have a lot of AP credit that could transfer then that plus the credit you take (and transfer) over the summer or Fall at a local college could perhaps enable you to graduate perhaps a semester earlier from Brandeis (or at least you could be in part-time status the final semester if you have obtained enough credit to graduate) which would help lessen the financial cost of attending Brandeis. Aside from Brandeis, if cost is an issue, my perspective is that unless the cost difference between your in-state flagship (UMass) and an out-of-state State flagship (in this case Vermont) is within the $5,000 to $7,000 range which you could cover by taking a direct student loan (you are allowed to take $5,500 as a freshman, $6,500 as a sophomore, and $7,500 as a jr and sr) , it’s not worth it. You don’t want to borrow over the amount of the direct student loan limit , which would then require your parents to co-sign. You are fortunate to have such a strong in-state flagship such as UMass. It’s academic reputation and the caliber of students who attend are stronger than its ever been. It attracts many wealthy out-of-state students who’s state colleges don’t offer as much as UMass. IMO Vermont today when compared to UMass, doesn’t have a stronger academic reputation, more serious students, or less partying than at UMass Amherst.

11

Congratulations!
I agree with much of what has already been said…mid year start is tough, especially in a smaller school like Brandeis. Anecdotally, I only know one Freshman at Brandies and he’s currently sending out transfer applications : (
The Libereral Arts Scholars Program at UVM (IMO) tips the scale …small, interesting classes, suite-style dorms in central location and the town of Butlington at your doorstep. That would be my vote! And many from this program transition into the Honors College in Sophomore year.
I also know a number of kids at UMASS, certainly a good option, especially with the Consortium.
But if you e always wanted to attend UVM and it’s financially in reach GO FOR IT — but do get that LASP application in ASAP!
Feel free to DM if you want more details, I’m very familiar with the LASP program!

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I love these types of posts because the answer is usually in the question. You’ve done a nice job highlighting the pros/cons, so you need to decide what’s most important to you. But with that said, here’s the observation I noted…

Brandeis

Umass Amherst

UVM.

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Interesting… we went to tour Brandeis because we know 4 or 5 people who went there, loved it and they highly recommended it.

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My one example of an unhappy Freshman shouldn’t dissuade anyone from Brandeis! I’m sure the number of thriving students far outweighs those who aren’t. Just my very limited personal knowledge.

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My S attends Brandeis and has a close friend who did the midyear program. He was able to do the Fall semester in London. The midyear group is large - they have their own orientation in January and a certain dorm dedicated to midyears. S’s friend thought it was worth doing the program and didn’t have any trouble making friends.

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^^ That’s what I was asking about. The idea of these first-semester-abroad programs can be daunting on the face of it, but I have yet to hear of a negative from those who have done it. (Other than, of course, cost.) I know both Northeastern and USC students who have had fantastic experiences in these programs. They get to know the other participants very well - often becoming more close-knit than friend-groups among entering students on campus - so that they arrive on campus in the spring with a solid support system already in place. And they take classes that are set up to count toward their degree programs, so that they aren’t starting out behind their class. If that’s an option and you can afford it, I’d consider it for sure.

But then again, the LASP program could be your best-of-all-worlds option - a campus and town that you already know you love, a more affordable cost than Brandeis, but a more intimate first-year program than you’d get at UMass.

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OP: I agree that the answer is contained in your question which started this thread. For example: “Brandeis is the most expensive option on my list, with one semester almost costing double than a whole year at another school.”

Realistically, you have only two choices as it is clear that COA is a concern of yours.

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I highly recommend the London program. My son, who is a student at another college, did the London program and became very close with a great group of kids from Brandeis who were mid year admits. It was such an unusual and awesome experience. They all have many friends now at their schools, and had no trouble assimilating, but still have a very close and supportive relationship with the other London kids. So, if Brandeis is your choice, don’t let the mid year stop you. My son would not have traded that experience for a regular September start!

The only downside is for people majoring in math or hard science, as the London program focuses on the humanities. With your interest in History, you will have so many good options for courses and lots of historical sites to visit.

Good luck to you in choosing!

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I also got admitted to Brandies Midyear. Have similar concerns about the social aspect coming in a semester later and all…

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I would vote for UMASS and especially the honors college. It is a self contained college within a large university. UMASS has many talented and published faculty in History Department who stay because the area is so nice. The 5 college consortium affords you the opportunity to hop on the PVTA and take a history class at Amherst College, Smith, Mount Holyoke for free. It is an excellent opportunity to add value to what is already a great deal. UMASS has become challenging for in state students to get admitted to. That was not the case previously. The Amherst town is a wonderful community much like Burlington and a short drive to Northampton MA (which is even more like Burlington). UVM is nice, but for out of state residents the Steep price tag differential does not translate into being worth it imho unless you are going pre med. as it has a medical school on campus. But for the humanities it doesn’t add anything. Take a look at UMASS. There is so much to offer on campus and off. You will quickly find your people at the Student Union/ at discussion groups and the many clubs on campus. Take a visit!