Vanderbilt vs. William & Mary?

ruraljuror
Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:43:34 +0000

I’ve been accepted into both Vanderbilt and William & Mary and just cannot make a choice! I plan on double majoring in political science and either math or physics. I love the liberal arts education I’d get at W&M but also think I’d enjoy the liberal arts curriculum at Vandy’s College of Arts & Science.

I love history, so W&M’s location near DC and like right across the street from Colonial Williamsburg really appeal to me. Problem is that they’re offering me considerably less money. At Vandy, I get 46k a year plus a 5k national merit scholarship. W&M is only offering me 25k a year in aid plus 10k a year in loans. Well, I’d also be a Monroe scholar, but that basically only gets me $3,000 for senior year. That means my family would be paying like 7-8k a year, but I would graduate with 40-50k in loans at W&M. My family is lower middle class, and my younger sister will be going to college in 2 years.

I visited Vandy this past weekend and really liked the campus, the dorms, the teachers, and Nashville. I’m worried though that the political science program at Vandy, while large, might not be as good or as prestigious as the one at W&M. I’m also worried about the Greek scene at Vandy; I’m from Georgia and know how Southern schools can party it up.

I would like to work either for the government, the UN, or a think tank one day. I also would not mind being a teacher or working as a lobbyist. I personally am a history and math geek (I love watching History and Discovery channels) who really only hates learning about chemistry. I like spending time with close friends more than large groups. I don’t plan to attend very many parties in college, and I certainly will not be drinking at those I do. I love reading and don’t mind having a lot of work to do. I definitely want to study abroad in England, preferably after my sophomore year.

Basically, should I choose the school I really like where I wouldn’t graduate with student loans that I might be socially miserable at or the school I love that’s more expensive, both in terms of cost of attending and costs of coming home? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.