Beloit - party culture, intellectual culture, and academics

@lisabees, I have one Beloit graduate and one current Beloit sophomore.

My sophomore has had a great experience–the academics are top-notch and her professors have been wonderful. (She’s double majoring in Biology and Art, which both overlap nicely with her Museum Studies minor.) She has been in a couple of theatre productions and really enjoys that group.

@GoingGrey, my daughter plays D&D at Beloit and there are plenty of others who do! One of the things she likes is that there is so much crossover among students: Your friends can be a mix of hard-core scientists, creative writers, actors, dancers, introverts, extroverts – they all hang around together and enjoy one another’s company.

@1518mom: My daughter got into Carleton, but nothing really clicked for her at the Accepted Students Days. When the weekend was over, she laughingly said, “I don’t know, I think I just need…more blue hair.” On the way home, on a whim, we pulled onto the Beloit Campus and got out of the car for a walk. The first student we saw was a young woman with blue hair, chatting happily away with a friend. Maybe it was your daughter! :slight_smile: Anyway, I think my daughter took it as a sign from above, as Beloit is where she ended up, with no regrets.

For the record, we love Scotty B., too! He’s a dynamic, caring president, who connects well with the students.

Re future employment, all I can say is that my older Beloit daughter was hired immediately upon graduation, in a job that was directly connected to an internship that Beloit arranged for her when she was a student. She went on to graduate school and has had steady employment in her chosen field ever since.

My one complaint is that the Beloit administrative departments are not always on top of their game. We’ve had miscommunications with Financial Aid and Student Accounts, as well as some confusion over study abroad programs. But that’s mostly just a nuisance – the education and the environment are what matters, and those have been excellent for both my kids.

D put the deposit down on Beloit Friday night!

I only hope that she is prepared for the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin LOL! I will soon be asking for recommendations on winter gear because her hoodie and jean jacket just isn’t going to cut it for a Wisconsin winter… or Fall or even Spring for that matter. =))

@GoingGrey Northface is worth the investment, especially since she’ll need it for 4 years (though with global warming, I’m not sure it’s been overly frigid in the last few years). My D also purchased a thinsulate-lined wool peacoat from LLBean for the less than frigid cold (e.g., 20-40 degrees). Though, I just dropped in on her last weekend when it was in the 40s and she was walking around outside in a wool sweater, no coat. Also, don’t forget good wool hats, gloves/mittens, and scarves.

And, even though it’s only for the first month or so, make sure you get fans if the dorm she ends up in has no AC. My D has AC now, so she will pass them down to S who will be attending Lake Forest College only 90 miles away. H and I will be operating a delivery service since Beloit’s dorms open the day after LFC move-in.

@GoingGrey Land’s End has some jackets that you can zip out the fleece jacket, so it can be 3 variations, and they have great sales. You’d be surprised at how quickly the body adjusts. Honestly, my teens in Chicago rarely dress warm enough for the weather, its like they have a tolerance my hubby and I don’t have. Everyone is different, but my kids don’t do scarves.

Thank you so much, everyone! It’s comforting to hear your great stories. She is still on the fence! On the countdown!

What schools is she deciding between?

Just paid DS3’s Beloit deposit a couple of days ago! I expect him to hook up with the BSFFA when he arrives. lol

We attended the Admitted Students event a couple of weeks ago, but were only able to come up for Sunday. I personally found the president to be an engaging speaker (compared to the other events I have attended at various schools).
Beloit really wasn’t my cup of tea, but DS was smitten. He is very much a free spirit whose interests spread across a variety of social groups. I think he felt like Beloit was the best place to be himself. Plus, someone in the physics department took the time to give him a very long personal tour. That was the clincher for him.

@lisabees my D15 is a junior at Beloit and a creative writing major, studio art minor. She’s had a very good experience. FWIW, we love Pres. Bierman.

@GoingGrey Agnes Scott and Beloit!

I had a dream last night that we went back to Beloit and I LOVED it!

@lisabees We live in Atlanta!!! While I don’t have personal experience with Agnes Scott College (have friends that work there), I am very familiar with City of Decatur and the surrounding area if you have any questions.

@GoingGrey We loved Decatur! Is there something about the area we should know? What do your friends say about the school? And knowing Beloit, how would you say the schools seem similar or different (besides the obvious)?

Son loved Beloit, it was a top fit for him, however, aid packages were better at other schools, and I just couldn’t support the additional Beloit loan. He’s a theater kid, so just carrying the federal limit student loans is enough.

@lisabees Decatur is a great area. Lots of restaurants and shops and very walkable with access to MARTA if you want to get to downtown Atlanta. I think the area is “relatively” safe, meaning normal precautions are necessary but not something one has to be concerned about walking around.

I have never heard a bad thing about the school. My D visited with her class (all girls high school) and while she liked it a lot was not interested in a women’s college. I don’t know enough about Agnes Scott to compare the two schools except that their LAC focus are probably quite similar.

We visited Beloit once, back in October. I was hoping to make an accepted student visit but our schedules just didn’t allow for it. I have a few concerns about transportation around Beloit without a car but we are hoping it won’t pose too much of an issue.

There was something about Beloit that just resonated with my D back on that October visit that catapulted Beloit to the top of the list (others in the running: Allegheny, Goucher & Wooster). I really can’t put a finger on it. I will say the scholarship they awarded her didn’t hurt either!

:))

@GoingGrey Gotta love that scholarship!!

She returned from school today and claimed it is Beloit!

She can always change her mind, but that’s where it stands now!