Amherst v Bowdoin v Middlebury v Wellesley

College Search & Selection
1

Hey everyone!! I was incredibly luckily this application season and was admitted to all of the above schools, but am now faced with the difficult choice of choosing only one of them. I’ll be visiting Amherst and Bowdoin next month because they are paying for my visits, but I’m not sure whether or not I’ll be able to visit Middlebury and Wellesley due to financial issues (I live in CA, so plane tickets are unfortunately very expensive). I’d greatly appreciate any information/advice from students/parents of these schools!

A little more about me: I applied as a potential English/Political Science major, but I’m honestly not sure what I want to study in college. I’m also interested in history, philosophy, and a bunch of other humanities/social sciences. I’m strongly considering law school in the future, but who knows what might change in the next four years, right?

I’m also interested in opportunities in creative writing, dance, mock trial, political activism, and study abroad. I honestly don’t know whether I’d prefer a more rural or urban setting for college, as I haven’t visited that many schools. I was in Boston a couple months ago for a summer program and loved it there – maybe that means I’m an urban type of person? I’ve never visited anywhere terribly rural though, so I can’t say for sure. I definitely prefer a school to have less partying/drinking and to be more artsy, though that doesn’t seem to describe any of the schools I’m considering (except maybe Wellesley??).

Here’s some of the information I’ve gathered so far:

Amherst – strong in English and Political Science, best financial aid, open curriculum sounds nice
Bowdoin – very strong Government major, comparably weak English major, little to no creative writing, worst financial aid but parents are still willing to pay
Wellesley – strong in English and Political Science, similar financial aid to Amherst (bit less), don’t know how I’d feel about being at a women’s college, close to Boston (!!), grade deflation?
Middlebury – very strong English literature and creative writing program, but my alumni interviewer had some major beef about the homogeneity/isolation at the school, J-term sounds really cool, can’t find too much info on Political Science (seems decent though?)

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for anything yall have :slight_smile:

2

Amherst seems like the best choice. Strongest in your majors and best financial aid are 2 major pluses. From what you’ve said about yourself, the open curriculum sounds like it would suit you, plus you can take classes at UMass or the other colleges if you need to (you have a very wide range of interests!).

Amherst is a great college town, with the 5 colleges there is a ton of activity. It’s a classic New England college town. You have the benefits of a small, elite college but it’s not in an isolated location. It has it’s own campus “bubble” if you choose to stay in that, but there’s a lot going on within even 2 miles of the campus (UMass with it 25,000 students is less than 2 miles away, for example).

It’s also the most selective (they are all difficult to get into, but Amherst is the most difficult) and highly rated of the 4 you listed, for what that’s worth. It also has the most name recognition nationally of the 4.

Bowdoin and Middlebury are both in more “unique” areas. Bowdoin on the Maine coast appeals to some. Middlebury is isolated and rural. That’s not for everyone.

Can’t see considering Wellesley when you have the other 3 options, but that’s just me.

Congrats on those acceptances, though. Very impressive!

3

For English, Government and, as you noted, an open curriculum, Amherst. Their drawback may be the collegiate gender imbalance in the area, which can lead to uneven social relationships. Good luck with your decision.

4

Gender is equal at Amherst, but as merc points out, with Smith and MHC in the area and part of the consortium, there is some “imbalance.” That includes socially at Amherst, where women from the other colleges are known to venture to from time to time for social opportunities.

Whether that’s a drawback, or a benefit, I suppose depends on your gender. :wink:

5

Wow, thanks so much for the speedy replies! Yeah, I’ve been leaning Amherst, and I think my choice will be more certain after I visit next month. I guess my real question is, is it worth the time/effort/money to visit Wellesley and Middlebury? My logical side says no, but my emotional side (oh here comes the cheese) is worried about missing out on the school that is the best fit for me.

6

Using your logical side, if you don’t like your visit to Amherst, wouldn’t you want to be prepared by having planned visits to all your other options?

However, Amherst is a great academic fit for you, so you will be especially likely to like the school for that reason. In terms of “missing out,” that’s part of choosing any one college. Consider the possibility hypothetically, but don’t let the thought become too emotional for you.

7

Bowdoin has weak financial aid and English/writing, and you have reservations about Wellesley as a women’s college. So it seems like you should visit and decide between Amherst and Middlebury, with a lean toward Amherst for the strongest overall academics (since you’re undecided) and financial aid.

8

As loath as I am to say it, Amherst is the best school on your list. No offense to Midd, Bowdoin, and Wellesley, which are all fantastic schools, but the 'Herst is a cut above.

9

@justoneoz If you have the time in your schedule to visit Wellesley and Middlebury, I suggest you call them and see if they are willing to fund visits for you. Let them know, politely, that other schools are doing so and that you cannot afford to travel to visit their schools. Nothing to lose, right? All they can do is say no and you are back to where you are now.

That being said, Amherst’s rep and best FA is a compelling combination, although I prefer Middlebury’s campus and Bowdoin’s location. I’ve known a few young women who’ve been less than thrilled with the social climate of Wellesley although it provides a wonderful education.

10

@marvin100 Just curious, but what makes you say that Amherst is the best school? I’ve personally always thought that these four schools were pretty similar in terms of academic quality.

@doschicos I will definitely try asking! Ideally I’d be able to visit all of these schools, though that is an awful lot of school days I’d be missing.

11

@justoneoz: Even though Amherst requires standardized testing of all applicants, it still is the highest ranked from your group in a list such as “The 50 Smartest Colleges” (Business Insider).

12

@justoneoz Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, and Pomona are widely regarded as the LAC counterparts of HYPS, as in a cut above the other top 10 schools. Among LACs, these 4 tend to have the strongest students, the highest endowments and spending per student, the best financial aid, and the best graduate outcomes (e.g. elite grad schools, prestigious fellowships, selective companies, etc.).

13

Given that these schools are all similar academically, unless you have a strong preference for one after visiting - I’d go with the one offering the most FA - Amherst. Bonus being that it’s arguably in the top 4 LACs in the country as others have mentioned.

14

Ideally, you could piggyback on one visit out East to visit the other schools and not waste time flying back and forth more than necessary.

15

Going into Boston, you could hit Wellesley, Amherst and Middlebury. It’s a bit of driving but not too bad.

But to be honest this seems like an easy choice.

16

These are all recognized as elite colleges. I don’t think there is much of a difference in prestige among them: everyone reads the US News, and a difference in rank of three or four spots is not even worth mentioning.

That said: as others have said, Amherst seems to have at least a nominal edge in the academic areas that interest you, as well as the edge in FA. So on paper and in the pocketbook, Amherst is maybe leading.

You can do all the class/program research and create personal and family budgets based on the FA offers until you’re sure you know your choice… but you can’t really know if you could call a place “home” until you visit it… so do visit all four.

I think the “academic edge” thing can be overblown in a comparison of schools of such similar caliber: I don’t think that any of the programs at any of these outstanding schools would fail to educate you to the highest undergraduate standard for that specific program, or that any of them would fail to deliver a top-notch education overall. It’s not for nothing that these are all top-ten LACs.

So I strongly suggest visiting all four. If they are all financially feasible, pick the one that feels like home.

17

Sorry for the double-post. I want to amend and clarify something:

There may be fairly minor differences in the quality of specific programs among these four schools and the open-versus-core curriculum issue can be an important one to consider.

I just don’t think the difference would be large enough – again, given that all four of these schools are top-notch – to cause a prospect to choose based on that variable, while overlooking the “fit/feels like home” variable.

You have to be there for at least four years. If you are miserable, it won’t matter how good the academics are. So if the FA is enough to permit you to attend at least somewhat comfortably, consider going to the place among those four that you think is the coolest.

18

Niece and nephew went to each. Wellesley forms wonderful comradery amongst the women and you can cross register at MIT so it’s a natural way to meet some guys and take some great courses. You’ve seen Boston so know its location. SO many women grads are top int heir profession.
Amherst: nephew loved it. Intellectually as well as socially a great place and with the 5 college consortium, you can take classes at Hampshire, Mt Holyoke, etc. Another way to explore courses and meet other students.
Bowdoin and Middlebury: both great places too.
If you have more aid at Amherst and aid is important, then can’t go wrong there, right?!

19

There is not a bad pick here! Congratulations on your acceptances! We have been to Bowdoin and to Middlebury and we know students at each one of these schools.
Our daughter had almost attended Middlebury so my bias would be to favor there, but I have no depth of knowledge about Amherst or Wellsley.
Middlebury is in a very rural location so if that is a negative for you that needs to be considered. Midd is very strong in languages, writing and international relations. Aesthetically Middlebury is beautiful. You have wonderful choices, Best Wishes!

20

@justoneoz The above by Prezbucky is great advice.

There is no real-world difference in the four schools. Go where you fit in best and where the money is right, but don’t go based on opinions about prestige. In the real world nobody really cares that much.