<p>So. As we all know, the deadline is approaching, and I have a choice between those three schools. What to do? As far as qualifications/personality: I am valedictorian, SAT 2220, but I am also involved in swimming and baseball, and am certainly used to being outside. I would like access to teams and outdoor recreation. As far as majors, I am undecided, but something of a greenie - considering an Earth Science, Biology, or Biochemistry. Money can’t really be an issue - we haven’t received financial aid offers yet, and are unlikely to receive much, but my parents and I have worked out a payment arrangement.
I live in a very rural area of Alaska, so I was thinking Bowdoin might have the least culture shock, and the similar geography is quite appealing. I’m quite “outdoorsy” and don’t think I could stand to loose winter. Or an ocean. They also have Earth and Oceanographic Sciences available as a major, and it’s probably the program I’ve seen that best suits my interests.
University of Chicago would be a major change, and I’m really not that fond of cities, but the campus is huge and the Field Museum is a definite plus. I think I may fit in best with their social scene, but they seem like a very graduate focused school, and the Great Lakes (while great) are not an ocean.
And then there’s Princeton. I think I would be quite nervous there - really not a preppy type at all, and New Jersey seems just too… flat. However, I am the first person from my school to get in in over 15 years, and I feel a bit like I’d be wasting an opportunity if I did not go. Evolutionary Biology is Princeton’s most appealing department.
I’m visiting all these schools this coming week. Any advice? Things to watch out for?</p>
<p>I’d say either Princeton or UChicago–whichever’s cheaper.</p>
<p>First off, congratulations on all those amazing acceptances! I’m not a student at any of those schools but I went to Chicago’s first admitted students weekend and loved the vibe. If you like an intellectual and somewhat nerdish scene, at least the way I saw it, is definitely there. Don’t be fooled, though. I stayed up until 3 am talking to kids in my host’s dorm and not ALL the conversations were about Aristotle or Harry Potter, they also know about the “real world”. They were all very friendly, too, not pretentious in the least. So yes, that was my experience staying over and gives you an idea of the vibe. The only thing I guess you should watch out for is the safety, which I did not ask about (slightly regret not having done so now) but in general is a common concern and definitely a factor to take into account. You can access daily crime reports in the site of the university’s police. Don’t really know enough about Princeton and Bowdoin to comment.</p>
<p>Try to walk around and talk to as many people as possible when you visit. Go to the biological sciences buildings and ask directly about opportunies and such. I did that in one of the schools I visited and felt sure about eliminating it off my list after having spoken to a diverse range of people, from students to faculty.</p>
<p>Bowdoin sounds perfect for you since you’re outdoorsy and like the cold. Other than that, I recommend Princeton.</p>
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<p>Chicago’s campus isn’t all that huge. Compared to Bowdoin’s, yes, but compared to other research universities it’s on the small to medium sized. It’s also not any more graduate-focused than other research universities. The College has increased in size relative to the graduate divisions in recent years. Undergraduate class sizes are among the smallest of any research university (78% < 20, compared to Bowdoin with 68% < 20, according to USNWR). </p>
<p>Still, there is no getting around the fact that it is set in a huge city. That could be a growth opportunity for you or it could make you a fish out of water. They have a sailing club, but there aren’t too many weeks in the academic year where it will be active. As an outdoorsy person you might feel rather lost at the University of Chicago. You’ll have to decide whether the social and intellectual fit is good enough to override that.</p>
<p>It sounds like Bowdoin is the best fit for you, but turning down Princeton would be a tough choice</p>
<p>i think you should go where you feel most comfortable, but i get that it’s hard to turn down princeton. are you able to visit these places? it would be a hike from alaska, i know. bowdoin has a lot of academic offerings up your alley. what are princeton’s offerings in that area other than evolutionary biology?</p>
<p>Actually, it’s really easy to turn down Princeton. Just spend a weekend on campus and see…</p>
<p>Congratulations! You cannot make a bad decision. I have a personal bias towards Bowdoin and Princeton, but U Chi is equally amazing. Best advise is for you to visit each with an open mind.</p>
<p>Visit, but don’t fall in love. A lot may change once you see the financial aid packages. It could be a very simple decision after that.</p>
<p>Go with what you like, not rankings. I’d personally avoid Princeton: It’s the most competitive socially and academically, so you’d never get a break. Bowdoin’s the least competitive, not because classes are easy, but because everyone watches out for each other. U Chicago’s social scene is less partying and more… study partying.</p>
<p>Also Bowdoin is really, really green and they have a tight Coastal studies center, along with an environmental studies program which concentrates many unique majors into a path revolving around the environment.</p>
<p>My preference would be Princeton (no big surprise), but all three schools are excellent and quite different. I’ll only discuss what Princeton would offer, since my knowledge of the other two schools is less detailed.</p>
<p>Princeton has a beautiful self-contained campus located reasonably close to NYC and Philadelphia (and by the way, many other parts of NJ are beautiful as well and NJ has an extensive coastline). There are numerous opportunities for outdoor activities at the school, since the main campus encompasses about 500 acres including Lake Carnegie. The Outdoor Action program, as well as sponsoring freshman trips, also offers numerous backpacking, climbing and hiking opportunities [Outdoor</a> Action Hiking & Backpacking](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/hike/index.shtml]Outdoor”>Backpacking & Hiking | Outdoor Action). Princeton also offers club swimming and baseball and tons of other club sports.</p>
<p>The school has a true focus on undergraduate education–professors are there because they want to teach and interact with undergraduates. Almost every department at the school is highly ranked and the school has extensive resources to devote to its students. In practice, what that means is that if you want to do something, the school will facilitate it. So, if you want to do research in Kenya or make a field trip to Maine for your thesis, you will probably be given money to pursue that opportunity. One of the hallmarks of Princeton is the requirement that students produce a senior thesis-you work closely with a faculty adviser, enhance your analytical skills and at the end of at, have produced a work that is quite substantive. The President, Shirley Tilghman, is a molecular biologist who often teaches at the school and the ecology and evolutionary biology department is strong and quite popular (about 100 undergraduates are concentrating in the department). </p>
<p>In terms of the student body, while Princeton always seems to elicit the description of “preppy”, Princeton is an incredibly diverse school with students from every state and numerous countries. In addition, the financial aid program is one of the best in the country, with 60% of the students receiving financial aid. I firmly believe that most people will be happy at Princeton–students are smart, incredibly active and relatively low-key and pretty much all the students are happy with their decision to attend the school (that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems with some aspects of the school, but it does mean that overall, they would not trade their experience for anything).</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I would say Bowdoin is a great choice. Granted, it will be difficult to make a decision - regardless of where you ultimately choose. You mentioned being outside and near an ocean, having the right major - Bowdoin seems to have the best fit there. Also not to be looked over - the school has one of the most amazing museums in the country and their art director is great. Good luck and duh, congratulations!</p>
<p>When at Princeton, ask about possibilities of studying/interning abroad or in other campuses over the summer or post-grad. Princeton is very generous as far as travel money is concerned. If there are programs you’d want to do – even overseas programs – because the area you’re interested in is lacking at Princeton, you could probably get them to finance it. And don’t discount the advantages Princeton offers in terms of a boost in your post-grad job opportunities or grad school admission. There really are companies that limit themselves to recruitment at only the HYPSM campuses. I think coming from Alaska, you’d be surprised just what a ‘golden ticket’ a degree from Princeton is, particularly on the east coast.</p>
<p>I would opt for Chicago - have a different experience - Chicago and Princeton are a cut above Bowdoin - so I would definitely choose between the two.</p>
<p>Speaking from an ecology and oceanography background, Bowdoin easily holds its own against the other two and could get you into excellent graduate programs. If it fits the best, you needn’t worry about academics or prestige. It’d be my pick of the three; not having to deal with grad students is nice. (I say that as a grad student.)</p>
<p>Between Princeton and Chicago, I would pick Princeton. Princeton is quite a bit stronger than Chicago in ecology, which is still weak relative to its truly excellent evolutionary (paleo) offerings. Princeton also has much more of a track record in oceanography. They’re more or less equal in geology, with Chicago taking the lead in solid earth and geophys/geochem, and Princeton taking the lead in environmental geo and atmospheric studies.</p>