Barnard, Scripps, or Wellesley?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm having the hardest time choosing. I love all three, but Barnard is probably the frontrunner. The thing is, I'm still waiting on a financial aid package from them because a certain part of the process is taking longer than expected.
My Scripps EFC is basically the same as Wellesley's, but Scripps is giving me $3500 in loans while Wellesley is giving me only $1800. Even if Barnard is the least affordable, I can't even choose between Wellesley and Scripps. </p>

<p>I want to major in econ or computer science and study a language or two, but I'm not completely sure, so I can't really make a decision based on that. Diversity is important, but I think they're all pretty good in that area.</p>

<p>Barnard pros:
-NYC and its opportunities
-affiliation with Columbia
-not completely isolated from men
-love the campus, Nine Ways of Knowing
-it's been my number one for over a year and it'd be almost impossible to give it up</p>

<p>Barnard cons:
-NYC is incredibly expensive
-likely to be least affordable (based on cost of living alone), but of course I don't know yet
-lack of community feel
-smallest campus</p>

<p>Wellesley pros:
-amazing alumni network
-best financial aid
-recognition (not a determining factor, but maybe something to consider)
-incredible campus
-relations with MIT, Harvard, other close schools
-close to Boston (which is more affordable than NYC)
-seems to have endless opportunities, if that makes sense
-likely to graduate with least debt </p>

<p>Wellesley cons:
-known for being very difficult, grade deflation (I'm worried about not being able to keep up)
-in a seemingly wealthy suburb, not in a city
-most isolated
-seems to be a ~rich girl school, maybe one I'd feel uncomfortable/inadequate at </p>

<p>Scripps pros:
-stunning campus
-weather, something totally different from home (plus, that kind of weather really puts me in a good mood and winter can depress me)
-consortium with four other great schools in such close proximity
-small, most peaceful seeming
-seems most tight-knit and supportive </p>

<p>Scripps cons:
-least well known
-smallest
-probably most homogenous
-financial aid is doable, but not amazing
-doesn't seem to have the resources of a school like Wellesley </p>

<p>I feel like Wellesley has amazing resources/recognition and could be great for me but also that the competitive academic environment would depress me. I originally eliminated Scripps, but I think California would be an awesome change of pace, and I'm absolutely in love with the weather and idea of a consortium. I also love the northeast, though...I didn't think anything could top NYC, but it's not like I'd be running around with endless spending money, so it might not be as fun as I'd like to imagine. I feel like I'll regret any choice I make. Thoughts?? </p>

2

<p>Any of those schools will give you a great education and terrific experience. I’m curious as to why you find Wellesley a “rich girl school”? There’s a bus that runs regularly between Wellesley and Cambridge, and the Wellesley student we know has taken classes at and participated in MIT extracurricular activities.</p>

3

<p>I don’t know, most of what I’ve read just gives me that vibe. That’s not really something that would keep me from going there, anyway</p>

4

<p>bump?</p>

5

<p>The cost of living in NYC is a bit less of a factor because you’ll be living on campus, and in my experience the residence halls at Barnard are far cheaper than what it would cost you to live off-campus in an apartment. I mean, in your upper-class years you may buy groceries and cook in your residence hall. You’re also right in that doing things in the city will be expensive; that was a big bummer for me when I moved here, and I haven’t been able to take advantage of the city the way I thought I would simply because of cost (although I’ve still enjoyed myself immensely). But Claremont/Los Angeles and Wellesley/Boston are very expensive, too. The biggest difference between them is rent, which is a moot point for you. You really have to wait on the financial aid package. The ethnic diversity of Scripps is pretty similar to that of Wellesley, if that’s what you meant by homogeneous.</p>

<p>I do agree that you seem to have a couple of unsubstantiated stereotypes - I don’t think Wellesley is any more of a “rich girl” school than Barnard, nor do I know that Wellesley is particularly difficult/competitive in comparison to Scripps or Barnard. This is a generalization, but women’s colleges tend to be collaborative/collegial places.</p>

<p>Honestly, any of these three colleges is a great choice, so it’s really just going to come down to personal preference. Wait on the financial aid package from Barnard, of course, but if Barnard was your first choice and it’s affordable for you to go there, then I would go there. Otherwise, though realize that Scripps and Wellesley are pretty similar as far as rigor and the competitiveness of your classmates goes. Scripps is smaller than Wellesley (1,000 vs 2200 students) but the consortium might make up for that. It seems like it’s important for you to have access to other institutions for a variety of reasons, and while the campuses of the Claremont Colleges are coterminous, Wellesley is an (easily traversable) distance away from MIT and Harvard.</p>

6

<p>Try California. :slight_smile: </p>

7

<p>I’m biased because I went to Wellesley, but I think you have the “pros” exactly right. It has the resources and alumni connections that will take you anywhere. Its been a number of years since I graduated there, but I remember the students being more competitive with themselves than each other. I also remember there was a lot of support from the faculty. They all have office hours and are there because they want to teach. I came from a large public high school and was not as well prepared as some of the other students, but within a semester I caught up. There are some weathly students there, but look at the percentage of students on financial aid - they are the majority.<br>
As for isolation, I agree with taking classes at the consortium schools. I found that Wellesley was very connected socially with the other Boston schools and I have great memories of the three classes I took at MIT (sooo very different than Wellesley classes). Good luck with your decision. You have great choices and really can’t go wrong. But I will say that if you are planning to live on the East Coast later in life, Wellesley and Barnard will have greater name value and alumni connections here.</p>

8

<p>Thanks so much for the feedback! Wellesley is looking more and more probable since I just got my financial aid from Barnard and it’s, as expected, more expensive than (Scripps and) Wellesley, even though they gave me more loans :frowning: I don’t even think it’s doable because I REALLY don’t want to take out even more in loans to meet the $5500 max. I’m so disappointed, but maybe it’s for the best?</p>

9

<p>You will be SO thankful after graduation that you minimized student loan debt. </p>

10

<p>I hope so…I’m still worried about committing to Wellesley because I’m scared the environment will be too competitive/intense for me. It’s all I ever read about the school…and even though Scripps is more expensive, it may be a better fit. I know they wouldn’t have accepted me if they didn’t think I could handle it, but I don’t know. I might not even have the option to choose because money is a huge factor</p>

11

<p>They absolutely would not have accepted you if they didn’t think you could do well there! Don’t overcommit to extracurricular activities your first semester, make good use of your professors’ office hours, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. </p>

12

<p>I think you are over thinking this. Wellesley is beautiful, its near the greatest college city - Boston, it has amazing alums and great job/graduate school placement, and its offering the best financial aid.
Also, I just noticed that you are interested in Econ. Wellesley’s econ department is absolutely top notch which is why so many of the top women economists in this country are Wellesley graduates.<br>
Maybe do junior year either abroad or at a California school to get a change of scenery? </p>

13

Being a freshman at Barnard and who also faced the challenge of deciding between Smith, Wellesley and BC, what I’ve discovered is that Barnard is very urban. You are smack in the middle of NYC and that influences everything. Moreover, the integration with other Columbia University colleges is almost complete, to the point where the only thing that is “women’s” at Barnard are the dorms. Don’t come to Barnard seeking a women’s college. Come if you want to go to university in New York City (“in” not “near” like Wellesley) and want to be part of a massive university that happens to have a women’s liberal arts faculty. Most Barnard students even eat in Columbia College dining halls. I love it here but it definitely isn’t a liberal arts or women’s college experience.

14

One other thing. The financial aid at Barnard is awesome. I was offered incredible financial aid with a very small loan. Being from a low income family, Barnard’s package was by far the best and only matched by Brown.