@privatebanker thank you for the information. Yes, and that area around Clark is exactly what worries me. I am going to be a commuter student. Therefore, I am worried about my safety in that way. What are your thoughts on Waltham? Do you have any experience with the city?
@madgemini4 yes, I think so too. But another issue is that I won’t be living on-campus - for personal reasons. Thus, I wonder what kind of security measures they have for commuting students… So I’m just trying to figure out whether Brandeis and Bentley really worth it, considering that they’re located in a safer neighborhood and much closer to Boston, which, I suppose, would provide some additional work/internship opportunities.
Have you (or really anyone on this forum) had any experience with Waltham? If so, what are your opinions on the city?
I worked at Clark (reserach assistant for a special grant project) for five years; while the neighborhood around Clark isn’t great, it’s generally safe if you use common sense. I don’t know if it has changed, but when I was there, the majority of undergraduate students at Clark lived on campus or nearby. Worcester isn’t a typical college town–it’s a gritty, old manufacturing city (most of the manufacturing is now gone) and the city fathers are trying hard to revive the city center–I just read an article about Worcester trying to get the Pawtucket Sox (minor league team) to relocate there.
Traveling to Worcester from Wellesley isn’t going to be fun–the only good thing is that you will be going against traffic. Wellesely is 35-40 miles from Worcester depending on where you are in Wellesely. It will take at least 60-75 minutes, mabye more. Plus, if you’re from Florida, it will take you time to get comfortable with winter driving conditions here. I lived 25 miles from Worcester and would give myself an hour (more in bad weather) to get to Clark when I commuted. Do you really want to give up 2-3 hours of your day to commuting time? Make sure you have a reliable car if you do decide to commute.
Waltham is much closer to Wellesley (8-10 miles) so your commute to Bentley or Brandeis will be much better. Waltham is a small city that used to have lots of manufacturing (textile mills). It’s called the Watch City because it was home to the Waltham Watch Company. There are great restaurants in Waltham, but like Worcester, it isn’t a typical college town. You can check the stats yourself, but my sense is that most Brandeis and Bentley students live on campus–not many commuters.
Have you visited the MA schools? My son-in-law is a grad student at UNC and he and my daughter live in Chapel Hill. The difference between Worcester, Waltham, and Chapel Hill is stark. I suggest you visit MA and experience what commuting will be like because that (as I see it) is going to be an important issue.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/realestate/commercial/long-a-college-town-worcester-now-looks-the-part.html
Here’s a good article from NYTimes about the nice improvements and changes happening in Worcester.
Chapel Hill has a lot of nice apartments geared toward students and a great FREE bus system in town, just fyi.
@Kate0615 The other posters have given you great information about Worcester and Waltham - I don’t have anything to add. I think you would be comfortable at Bentley, but UNC might warrant a closer consideration given that it’s affordable, perhaps less of a shock with the weather, and maybe a bit more conservative. It has a fantastic reputation – is a high reach school for OOS students here in New England!
If you are commuting to Clark you’ll be fine. It’s not a war zone. Just the New England version of a rust belt city. No one will bother you at all and Clark is an excellent school.
Waltham is just a bustling mix of corporate headquarters, a small rugged NE city feel and homes.
But the best advice I have seen is around traffic and driving. You will be very unhappy and tired commuting from Wellesley to Worcester. That’s no fun.
Wellesley is perfectly located for Brandeis or Bentley. It’s overall a great area to live.
That being said I would go to UNC in a heartbeat over these options. Not because of the education. I think they all would be terrific for you. Just for the pace of life. College vibe. College town and overall weather.