Babson College v. Washington University in St. Louis

I commited to Babson College on May 1st and I have a quarter tuition scholarships, but yesterday I got the call that I was accepted to Wash U!! In the end Wash U is a bit more expensive which makes it harder for my family. I am from St. Louis though so it is very convenient and I am very familiar with the school. I plan on studying Finance and maybe Entrepreneurship or Business Law. I am now struggling to decide where to go. Is Babson really that great? Is Wash U Olin? Is the difference in cost worth it? Just looking for some opinions and guidance.
Thanks!!

You didn’t even mention the cost different and if it is borrowing or where the money is coming from. There is often some padding in the COA that you can reduce if frugal. But you can’t just shave off 10k a year if that’s what you are talking about. I think for the right person that Babson is a great pick, an exciting pick, I get the impression of a great deal of energy coming from that college and it certainly fits what you want to do. I think the profile is high enough. I think it would be a bit better to get the away experience, you can have your foot comfortably in two parts of the country. That’s just my first reaction.

I vote wash u if you can swing it financially. The fact that you live in St Louis is a plus in my book if you plan to stay in your hometown for a job. Many New Yorkers worry about going to Olin, they still happily go in droves, but in the back of their minds, they are worried about getting a job in the northeast should they wish to return to their families. I looked up the stats on our high schools naviance for you. It wasn’t even close (seriously!) so the caliber of student is definitely going to be different. I don’t know anything about Babsons programs but I trust that Brownparent is familiar with the school and is confident of the opportunities there. Good luck!

Unless you’re sure that entrepreneurship is for you, then WUSTL is a far, far better choice. As great as Babson is for undergrad biz (entrepreneurship in particular), it’s pretty lackluster in most other areas, so if there’s any chance you’ll switch majors or want to branch out, go to WUSTL, which is very strong in virtually every discipline you can think of.

Unless the cost difference is really great, I highly suggest WashU. I know it’s nice to get away from home (I would recommend study abroad), but WashU is very strong. Keep in mind you would need to spend more on travel for Babson, so that should factor into your cost calculations.

Olin is getting better every year and WashU is one of the top entrepreneurship schools. There are the student-run storefronts on campus, a contest that gives out up to $50,000 each year to students, and the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurship. There are many start-ups in St. Louis and around the country started by alumni (search Sparo Labs and Janji for just two of the ones that came to mind).

Babson is a business college-easy one.