I am in a very lucky spot to be a recruited athlete at the following 5 schools:
Williams
MIT
Pomona
Brown
University of Michigan
I am having a very hard time making a decision and part of that is that I’m not sure which of these schools I fit in at best. I will list what I consider my defining characteristics and feel free to say which school you think I would be the best fit for or which school you think is the best.
Athletic, Fast learner, Successful in STEM, Not super nerdy, passionate about my academic interests, Can sometimes be stressed out by a heavy workload, Generally good at managing time, Enjoy spending time with close friends, Like having some time by myself, Dont like a dominant party scene but having parties as an option is desirable.
Thanks for your feedback!
What about large vs small? City vs more rural? What is your intended major? These schools have very different feels! Have you visited any of them?
If you are a recruited athlete at the D-1 level, then prepare to “be stressed out by a heavy workload.” I know several D-1 student athletes, and being a scholarship athlete is like working a full-time job, in addition to your academic studies.
You might want to talk to fellow athletes in your sport at the respective schools that you list, and ask hard questions about how they manage to balance athletics and academics. It may not be easy.
Brown’s open curriculum and flexible grading policies might make it a good fit. Their STEM programs are very well regarded.
Make sure that you understand the difference between a recruited athlete and an accepted student. The ability to convert one to the other varies a lot between sports and schools. It is very different if Jim Harbaugh or MIT men’s volleyball is recruiting you. The first has a lot of pull in admissions. The second is debatable.