Hello all! I am very happy to have finished my college list, and I am very proud of it.
Here is my list:
Baylor University (accepted, hefty scholarship)
Hamilton College (Applied ED)
Tulane
Grinnell
Colby
Rhodes
I am planning on majoring in philosophy, and then either pursuing a doctorate in order to be a professor, or going to Law School. I live in Texas, and my question is, is it worth leaving my family and friends behind and going to the more elite colleges on my list, rather than Baylor? I know that I haven’t been accepted into all of them, but I am fairly sure that Hamilton, Rhodes, and Tulane will accept me. Let’s assume that the cost of attendance is the same for all of the colleges. Should I pick Hamilton over Baylor? Or should I focus more on one of the other schools. I believe that I’d be comfortable at any of the colleges.
@siliconvalleymom yes I understand, I should have been more clear. I am wondering if I should withdraw my ED application, and apply regular decision instead.
@siliconvalleymom My family says that I should make the decision I feel most comfortable with, but I can tell that they lean for Hamilton (which is why I applied ED). The Baylor scholarship is not impacting my decision.
“Let’s assume that the cost of attendance is the same for all of the colleges”. So in your hypothetical situation, Hamilton is and the others all cost the same as Baylor? Then, if you feel like you want to get out of Texas, the others would give you a more unique experience.
That is probably not the real situation though. Have you looked at the cost of Law School/Grad school and the job prospects for lawyers and professors? Those are 2 of the most difficult careers to get into these days. Really - check it out.
With your ED school you would be electing a purely undergraduate focused environment and rich course catalog. Beyond prestige, your thoughts on these aspects of your choice may best determine whether a venture into the Northeast could be a great experience for you. Note that many students from farther than Texas, particularly Californians, choose to travel long distances to attend Hamilton as well, so you would find ample precedent were you to make a similar decision.
-Prestige can matter, but not as much as some people believe and not necessarily for the reasons some people believe. If you want to go to law school or get a doctorate in philosophy, you can do that from Baylor. It’s an excellent school with above average students who are largely drawn from the top quarter of their high school classes. What you might get from a more prestigious/elite college like Hamilton or Tulane or Colby or the others is even more elite, ambitious students - the true tippy-top of selectivity - and potentially more recruiting resources if you wanted to work after college in an industry where prestige matters.
-These schools are different settings. Baylor is a medium-to-large university with much more of a stereotypical “traditional” university feel - big sports, Greek life, etc. Most of the students are also from Texas - it’ll probably feel a little like a public university. Tulane is a medium-sized university in a big city (New Orleans) with some of the trappings of the big U feel - Greek life is big there and they also have big sports. The other places on your list are all small liberal arts colleges, and Hamilton, Colby and Grinnell are located in small towns in rural-esque areas. Which experience do you want to have? It’s fine, of course, to apply for more than one, but when comparing Baylor and Hamilton note that it’s a big difference.
-College is a time to grow and gain more independence. For some students, that means moving away and trying something new. Of course, you don’t have to move away from home in order to do that. But it may be worth asking yourself if that’s something you WANT to try - making new friends in a different setting.
-Hamilton is well-known for its writing program, and both academia and law require a lot of writing and critical thinking. You may want to reflect on whether that’s something that’s more appealing to you.
If you can get into one of Baylor’s honors programs then that would be the best of both worlds. You save money, visit your family/friends often, have top 1% students in your cohort, enjoy great Texas college experience, make connections in your state, can ask parents to mortgage a tiny old house that costs same as dorm expense but still get two room mates to save additional money, go to Baylor law, the way Waco real estate is warming up, you pay off your law school loans with the equity in your home. You’ll walk out as a lawyer without a cent in debt and good connections in Texas to cash on and all from one of the top 3 colleges in Texas.
This is a lot to think about! I just want to make sure that I make the best possible choice for me. I’ll continue to think about my options. Thanks guys!
If admitted to Hamilton, go to Hamilton - you ED 'd for a reason (likely: both you and your parents see it as a good fit + superb writing program= great for your plans) and you say scholarships aren’t a factor.
If you’re not admitted to Hamilton, revisit the other possibilities.
From what I know of Hamilton, I’d recommend the school for virtually any qualified student. This would apply even more so in your case, since Hamilton would be perfect in light of your academic interests and career aspirations.