Wellesley or Northwestern?

Pizzagirl
Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:55:04 +0000

It will give you DIFFERENT opportunities.

Gang – opportunities aren’t a zero-sum game here. There are tons of opportunities at Wellesley, and there are tons of opportunities at Northwestern. They are just different opportunities. There are more opportunities at any school in the top 20 on either the LAC or university list than any one human being could ever take advantage of … so whether there are 20,000 at one school and 25,000 at another school is a distinction without a difference. Substitute in any top LAC for Wellesley and substitute in any top university for Northwestern.

I have long maintained that if my kids were to (hypothetically) get into any school in the top 20 on either list, none of them are “better” than the others and I’d tell them to make the decision based on personal preferences and desires. For a number of different reasons, I have a D who sparks to Wellesley’s intimacy, sisterhood, “bubble” campus and rich traditions. I have a S who sparks to NU’s larger campus, school-spirit-rah-rah, location right next to Chicago, and a whole different set of rich traditions. This is really silly to try to compare prestige or opportunities. It’s ALL GOOD. And I guarantee that my kids each are very proud of their twin for making the opposite choice. Please.

OP, do you envision yourself in a small LAC setting or more of a university setting? Does the single-sex aspect of W thrill you or chill you? Where do you live, and is it more of a stretch-outside-the-comfort-zone to go to Chicago or to Boston? These are the things to think about. Not “prestige” or “opportunities.” It’s all there, in spades, in both places. Best of luck to you!

D tells me that there are a few of you out there who are deciding between W and NU. I know she will agree with me that there is no “right” choice / answer. It will be a fun journey for me to see how both these great places unfold over the next few years. Go Blue and Go Wildcats!