I only know of these schools by reputation and research. Only a few of my friends attended Bates and they loved it.
But I want to offer a different way to look at this. As a dad.
If I were sending my d to a school in Malaysia there would be two major concerns. Outside of finances.
One the education. All four schools on your list are world class. This would check that box.
Next would be fit. And not just who has the best outdoors club. I mean the practical and day to day happiness you get from having friends. People to make sure of your mental state and homesickness being so far away. I went to big school like UCLA. My d at a mid size private and wife went to a smaller Ivy . That’s our only points of reference.
Hers my experience.
As a dad, I would say unequivocally to look at the smaller lac since you like them. Both grinell and Bates are known for being accepting of cultural and personal difference. The administration and staff would know exactly who you are and how you are doing. Yes UCLA and neu have more students and more Malay, I am sure. But you have to find them.
And nyc is really big too and no place in the world can you be more lonely than feeling alone in a sea of people.
Don’t get me wrong. Wonderful and caring people at UCLA and neu. And they are very elite schools.
But if you can’t focus because you aren’t happy. I don’t care what school it is.
And with that I mind. I would choose Bates. You will have access to a small city and a quick bus or train to Boston. A weekend in nyc isn’t out of the question either. And the airport in Boston is quite convenient for international flights.
You will get homesick. You will miss your friends. Focus more on a place that will embrace you more than a school that requires you to navigate a lot on your own.
Bates or Grinell. Bates for location. Grinell if the economics work better for your family. They are coequal choices.
And of course my wife just disagreed with me. She thinks the many ethnic groups, activities and religious outlets of cosmopolitan UCLA would be better for you. And flights are shorter home.
Just to be honest with you. And give you both sides. Lol.
Another thought, @thylakoid . Grinnell and Bates are peer institutions. You can contact Bates to see if they can offer more money, based on your other offer. Though Bates will probabaly not be able to compete with Grinnell in that regard.
Thank you for not stating that you greatly desire to attend med school, besides the fact that it would be tough for you in the States.
UCLA, as @Twoin18 may have intimated, has worked especially hard to reduce class sizes. Additionally, UCLA has also worked extremely hard at making classes available so students can graduate timely, and the four-year rate is at ~ 75%. (I think the E majors are lingering to cap out nearer to the 220 max credits, which is understandable.)
Neuroscience . . . excellent, but the others’ are undoubtedly too, or at least their bio departments. I’ll leave the polemics of rankings to others, but life sciences to UCLA is like snow to Eskimos. There are many ways in which UCLA serves it up: MCDB, MIMG, Computational and Systems Biology, etc. There are some nice sides (minors) also: Biomedical Research, Society and Genetics, etc. Here’s the linky, [Majors and Minors](https://lifesciences.ucla.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/).
But what helps UCLA be UCLA are the ancillaries (to academics): weather and location, location, location.
@Twoin18 May I ask what your son is studying there? :o Would you happen to know anything about the Biological Sciences/Neuroscience department at UCLA? I assume that it’s really good considering that it’s UCLA, but would just like to hear a firsthand perspective
@Andrew2199 Thanks! How is your son finding Grinnell? Do you think socioeconomic diversity makes a huge difference between the environment of colleges?
@privatebanker Thank you so much! Would you happen to know what your friends studied at Bates and how their experiences were like in more detail? I’m trying to find out more about Bates from the perspective of students there
@Lindagaf Thank you, I read your post on Lewiston! Was very informative and super helpful! And my college counselor actually made the same suggestion, would you happen to have any tips on how to go about asking for more financial aid? Should I just send an email to the financial aid office?
@thylakoid , you might want your parents to email Bates FA office, but it’s fine if you do it too.
I’d say something like:
To the Financial Aid Offcie (a name is better of course, in which case you should say Dear _____)
My name is xxxx and I have been admitted for Fall 2019. Bates is my top choice, however it’s also my most expensive choice. I have been also been offered admission at Grinnell, who have awarded me financial aid in the amount of $xxxx. Please see the attachment. (You will need to show proof of the award.)
If there is any way that Bates is able to offer me more financial aid, I will my pay deposit right away. Please let me know if that is a possibility.
Sincerely,
Bates doesn’t have scholarships, so are asking them to award more FA. If you have any other information that might let them justify giving you more aid, such as an unforeseen exepense due to medical issues in yiur family, or an unexpected hardship, let them know that too. Do this ASAP, because the clock is ticking.
The best way to get a FA reconsideration is to offer some change in circumstance or information they didn’t have the first time around. Way back in the day my husband got his FA doubled after his home country had a currency devaluation that would have made Bates unaffordable otherwise. Essentially they’ll want an excuse to revisit your FA award.
Electrical and Computer Engineering/Computer Science. We should all check in on 5/1. So ready for the decision to be made and start planning the next step. Good luck with your decision. One thing I remind myself of is that my son is likely to be happy at most colleges. He is ready for more independence and excited about the next step.
Some solid posts here. One thing re Bates: seems folks are forgetting about Portland! Yes, Boston is an easy 2 hours away by car or bus that leaves right from campus, which is nice, with Maine beach towns and Portsmouth, NH on the way - another great town. But Portland is a mere 35-45 depending on driver and is an absolutely wonderful city. Lewiston/Auburn, while not the most charming town, still has some solid offerings for the students, and the gorgeous coast, lakes, and mountains are all nearby. Having grown up not far from Grinnell, I personally wouldn’t say it’s not meaningfully different than Lewiston (or Maine or New England generally) as much as I love the Midwest too. Will leave that there.
Re $, Bates is known for being generous with financial aid so I am wondering if the numbers just weren’t there on your CSS Profile or it’s the international factor - international $ is tough to get so Grinnell’s generous offering is nothing to sneeze at. (BTW, is that merit, for 1 year, or renewable financial aid? Apologies if I missed it.) Both schools are great - congratulations and good luck deciding!
