<p>I live in Texas, and I love all four of these schools but I cannot decide. I was accepted into SMU, Wellesley, & Trinity as well as some other schools but I have narrowed it down to these three...also I was waitlist at UT Austin and I love the school but I don't know if I should wait for it...seems like I have about a 40% chance of acceptance based on past acceptance rates</p>
<p>Wellesley: love the school it is beautiful, different from anything I've ever experienced, very far from home & I'm close to my family (I have to pay around $10,000 includes $2,000 in loans) also because Wellelsey is so far travel expenses will be high</p>
<p>Trinity U: again I love the school, I would get to have my car, San Antonio is a nice city, (I would have to pay $7000 however this does not include $8000 in loans)</p>
<p>SMU: I love Dallas, would get to have my car, (I would ave to pay $17,000 this includes the loans offered but they are goign to look at my financial aid package again because I told them about the other aid awards form other schools)</p>
<p>UT Austin (waitlisted): I haven't got my financial aid package because I'm on waitlist but if I decide to wait for UT and don't get in I might have to go to UT Arlington - they have to let me know by May 13</p>
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<p>other people who don't have any past experience keep telling me various things, go to Wellesley because of rank, wait on UT because it is UT, Trinity is such a nice school, SMU has very good programs but I would like to hear from parents and students who have experience</p>
<p>Thank You...I appreciate any help I can get because I am very lost</p>
<p>Also any advice on how to get better financial aid packages from other school’s to match Wellesley’s would be nice as well as advice on how to get off UT Austin waitlist</p>
<p>Your comments focus on location, proximity to family, and lifestyle (i.e. having a car) rather than on academics. Wellesley is very different from the other schools on your list. What moved you to apply there? What do you want to study in college? What kind of learning environment do you want? What programs/majors do you need? What do you want to do when you graduate?</p>
<p>Well I didn’t comment on academics because I’m not worried about that…I’ll work hard regardless where I go.</p>
<p>I’m interested in law school or maybe grad school for public policy, I loved the all girl aspect…and I wanted a different environment, I think Wellesley is a place where I could really focus on my studies…they also have the albright institute which I would love to take part in</p>
<p>I would like to study economics, political science or English but I also want theater because I would like to be involved in a few plays because that’s what I did in high school</p>
<p>Wellesley $10,000 plus two or three round trip airfares each year.
Trinity $15,000 plus car maintenance and gas.
SMU $17,000 plus car maintenance and gas.</p>
<p>You would be very hard pressed to spend $5,000 and $7,000 just for airfare to and from Wellesley. Right now, it is your most affordable option.</p>
<p>The only loans that you are guaranteed to qualify for are the Stafford Loans, and for your freshman year, the limit is $5,500 (I think). Where are you going to get the rest of that $8000 in loans that Trinity has included in your package?</p>
<p>The folks at FinAid.org have put together a nifty calculator that will help you compare the different financial aid packages as well as some of the non-numeric aspects of these institutions. Why don’t you run your numbers through it and see what you think? [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Advanced Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid)</p>
<p>On an academic level Wellesley is the hands-down winner in this group. You are smart to think about the challenge of adapting to life far away from your family and without your own car. However, wherever you do go, you will probably be living on campus and you won’t get home all that often. You may still be in the same state, but in many ways you will be far from your family and friends. If you choose Wellesley, you won’t be the only person there from Texas, or who had to leave their car in another state, or who just plain feels homesick on any given day. In the long run, distance will probably turn out to be a much smaller issue than you currently fear.</p>
<p>All are excellent at Wellesley. I think you should take the plunge and go there. The vast majority of students come from elsewhere and will be facing the same adjustment issues you will, being away from home and family. You will not be going through this alone.</p>
<p>The academics are so top notch at Wellesley and so is the alumni network. It would be a shame to pass it up. At least it’s not a rural place that’s far from an airport (like Dartmouth and Williams, for example).</p>
<p>thanks NJSue and Hitch123, I am going to visit Wellesley again with my dad for Spring Open Campus and after that I will make my final decision, but I think I will attend Wellesley, I want to, I was just worried about adjusting to the big changes that going to Wellesley would bring</p>
<p>There will be big changes no matter where you go to college. In many ways it is like moving to another country, and you are almost certain to experience some culture shock even at your local community college. You can’t avoid passing through this experience any more than you can avoid coming down with the common cold once you’ve been exposed. However just as you can feel a bit less miserable once you realize that you’ve got a cold and you start drinking those hot liquids and taking it easy, knowing culture shock for what it is means that you can help yourself deal more effectively with it. My favorite book on the topic is “The Art of Crossing Cultures” by Craig Storti. In that book, Storti offers specific strategies that can be very helpful as you adjust to your new life wherever it might be.</p>
<p>I’m a New Englander who married a Texan. We actually met in college. You will most certainly be in for a culture shock, the degree will vary depending on where in TX you are coming from (city v. country, north vs wougth vs west TX). Wellesley is a GREAT opportunity. You should think very carefully before passing it up—particularily if it is your least expensive option!</p>
<p>Factors to consider:
-are you a “Texas forever” type girl? My husband came to New England from Dallas (his family is still there), and never wanted to move back. If you see yourself trying to get a job in Dallas after graduation, the alumni network should you go to SMU is something to consider. That school has a great regional reputation. You’ll feel more “at home” at a TX school. People are nicer in Texas, and there isn’t (much) snow. Boston is cold, and people aren’t friendly. </p>
<p>Luckily, Wellesley is in a suburb of Boston, and Wellesley’s student body is quite diverse-- you won’t find yourself stuck with all new england women. If you want to get a very competitive job after graduation in a big city (LA, SF, Chicago, NYC), you will have a MUCH stronger chance with a Wellesley degree. As you move south, where SMU has a great reputation, Wellesley has less of an advantage over SMU.</p>
<p>Part of what you should ask yourself is if you want the “culture shock” that most students get when they go away to college. Imagine growing up in a major city then schlepping to the midwest to go to Notre Dame! Or growing up in a rural southern town that lived and breathed high school football and moving to LA or NYC for college! You won’t often have opportunities to get yourself out of your comfort zone…and going to Wellesley is certainly a chance. But it’s scary, and not for everyone.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for all the helpful information, I live in a big city in Texas and I’ve been to NYC several times and I.love it, I haven’t exactly had a chance to tour the Boston area but that’s why I’m going to Spring Open Campus at Wellesley so that I can get a feel for the area. I will definitely take a look at the book that was suggested. I live the city but I love the peacefulness of the country as well which is partially why I applied to Wellesley. The main things I’m worried about is the weather, not so much distance anymore, because as a Texan I love the sun and I’ve heard it rains a bunch. I am an African American female and as such I would really like to see the world, I might like to eventually live in Texas but for right now I’m not sure. So while I do think SMU has some powerful connections in the area, since I want to work internationally for a while I probably shouldn’t choose SMU. Also Wellesley is the cheapest option and is an option my parents said could afford at SMU or Trinity I would have bunches of loans.</p>