Got a call today to get off Scripps College’s wait list. She has accepted at Boston University. Think BU is down to about 30% acceptance rate; Scripps has been about 27%, though I”ve heard it would be less (like the other Claremonts) were it co-ed. Bonuses are it’s SoCal which she loves (we’re in the San Francisco area, though she turned down 3 other SoCal schools–Pepperdine in Malibu closest in acceptance rate to Scripps), it’s part of the Consortium so there are boys and more people than just 900 other girls as Scripps has (about 5,000 and other 4 schools co-ed, share library and science labs, I believe). But it’s liberal arts (vs. research institute at Boston), she worries re science/research. She can take some classes at the other 4 schools. She worries Claremont is isolated (just like Pepperdine). We’d get her a car sooner than in Boston, of course. Is there any cache to be at the Claremont Consortium (Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd) in prestige. Sorry to ask it like that, but it’s one of the (potential) draws. Probably better for science/research (possible medical) and jobs/internships in Boston where she’d be in the heart of things, college town, booming place. Any thoughts much appreciated. She has a few days to decide. Money about the same, so not an issue.
PS she wanted the challenge of a larger school (16,000 undergraduates) (always is challenging herself, disappointed when she does not), urban environment, and being far away and testing that out, the other coast.
My D will be at Scripps next year. BU was the first school toured that she eliminated from the list. She did not like the urban campus and felt like it was too large. However, we will be touring it again soon with her sister who wants larger and urban.
She immediately fell in love with the Claremont consortium and then set out to find which would be the best fit for her. Initially she didn’t want a women’s college and didn’t even want to tour Scripps. But she ultimately decided it was the best fit for her and at the last minute, applied EDII.
I think it comes down to what your daughter is looking for. From your post, it sounds like that might be BU.
I have one kid at a Claremont school and one who attended a large urban school. So the fit is very dependent on the student. I’m not sure what you mean by the larger school being more challenging - probably not academically, or did you mean just because it is larger and farther away? I can’t speak to the research opportunities at Scripps; there are plenty at some of the other Claremont colleges, but if she wants large and urban Scripps is definitely not that. From your post it sounds like the only draws for Scripps is that it is in SoCal and maybe prestige?
@mamabear1234 Largely, yes, I mean challenging in that it is larger, strictly urban (I realize Los Angeles is not far away), and the other “coast.” I also mean there may be more (because Boston is a research, college, and booming town) opportunities for internships and research being plentiful and easy to get to. However, I am a little worried that she may end up feeling overwhelmed by the spread out campus at Boston and the sheer size. I think she can handle, but she may end up doubting herself or panicking at the last moment. that does not mean she should not take it on (and right now she feels compelled to take it on or she’ll doubt herself later or feel like she did not take the challenge, etc.–make sense what she has been feeling). I do feel that given it’s part of the Consortium, it may have more prestige and for the future and for the money, that has to be considered, as negative as that sounds. Indeed, SoCal a bonus… Thanks so for your very on-target input.
What does your daughter want to do? Assuming cost is not an issue…I would let her pick.
I have one kid who is a BU grad, and the other went to college in CA (though not the Claremont colleges). Both were vry happy with their choices.
I will say…the weather is VERY different!! Is that a factor at all?
If she wants to live in a big city, then Claremont wouldn’t be the place. But I hardly call it isolated. As for research and internships, lots of 5 C students have plenty of opportunities. But, yes, perhaps, BU would have these opportunities much closer (but does that matter, since usually that type of thing is done during the summer?).
FWIW, there is a train directly from Claremont to downtown LA for anyone who needs a big city “fix”. But if living in the big city is important to your daughter than Claremont isn’t the place.
I second the weather comment…if that is a factor at all, (and she likes warm weather), then definitely Claremont!
has she visited and spent some time with the Scripps students? Did she think she would fit in well with them? (The 5C’s do take classes in other colleges, but won’t hear first year seminars be in Scripps?)
I just ask bcos I don’t see the same girl fitting in at Pepperdine and Scripps. Besides size, two significantly social environments.
Did Scripps or BU feel like it could be “home” for four years?
fwiw: a couple of years ago, I attended a meeting at the Claremont Grad school complex. We got out late – 7:30 pm on a January evening. The kids were in shorts and flip flops. 
My oldest only looked at schools in Boston and Washington DC. She was able to easily have internships during the school year and thrived in the busy urban environment. I know some Claremont students do have internships during the semester, mine has not.
I would agree with most of the others that a lot should depend on which of the two very different environments she sees as being her home during her undergraduate experience. D graduated from another one of the 5Cs (Pomona), but now works at BU. While BU is a wonderful college (she has two friends who attended and really enjoyed it) and Boston is an amazing city, she is really glad she chose to get her BA in Claremont. The science departments at Pomona/Keck are focused 100% on the undergrads and she always had internship and/or research opportunities in the local area during the school year and the summer. FWIW, here’s the advice D followed back when she was faced with a similar decision: You can always go to a big university for grad school, but you can only experience a small LAC as an undergrad. Good luck and congratulations to your daughter for having such great options!
Class sizes and types should be considered as well. One thing to keep in mind is that some (most? all?) of the best research opportunities for undergrads at BU have already been given out. They were given out with admission and scholarship offers, to draw those kids to the school. BU also has grade deflation, which IMO isn’t that big of a deal if you’re a hardworking kid (a slacker kid will likely suffer). No need for a car in Boston. Has she looked at the distribution requirements at both schools? Is she happy about them?
Thanks to all for the amazing information as she weighs this out–all information most welcome. At first internships would be the summer following freshman year, but after that I’d expect she’d likely juggle them in one or both semesters. Research could start any time (likely January 2017 since I am sure the slots for Fall 2016 are allocated most likely) and would be during the school year, too. My son, who is in DC, has done 3 internships (1 in summer and 2 during school year) and just finished his sophomore year. Part of the reason for these expensive schools and for going so far away to cities with much opportunity like Boston and DC are the internships as much as the academics, at least for my son I have strongly felt that way so far. As to weather, yeah, she’s a California girl for sure and suffers under 65 degrees if there is no sun,but she’s convinced she can handle it…
I would dig a little deeper in terms of where your daughter will find the best research opportunities.
My daughter attended an LAC and had fabulous research opportunities in the field of science. Additionally, on graduation, a professor at her LAC put her in touch with someone at the research institution where she now works.
Scripps will give your daughter more individual attention. BU may be a research institution, but I suspect she will have to hustle more to find internships etc.
P.S. Also all research opportunities at an LAC go to undergrads, whereas at a university many go to graduate students…
^^sure, but grad students also need helpers/assistants so IMO, that is an oversold factor for LACs vs. private Unis. (Yes, the publics can and will have more limited resources but the delta between a LAC and a private Uni?, not so much, particulalry since the Uni’s PhD’s programs mean lots of research money, by definition.)
And no doubt about it, the Boston environs is chock-full of high tech and bio/pharma companies who are all seeking interns/research assistants. Very suburban Claremont, not so much.
As one example, I googled Pomona College undergrad research, Chem, and all I found was primarily summer research. Awesome research projects, but the fact is most SURP’s are federally-funded, and offered by many other colleges. In contrast, many Unis have regular Labs where undergrads can work all year.
The other thing that would concern me, was the competition for the research projects among the 5 C’s…where does Scripps fit in the sorting hat order after Pomona and Harvey Mudd?
All questions that I would ask Scripps.
https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/chemistry/research
Agree it is a good question to ask Scripps. It looks like Scripps, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer have their own science consortium, the W.M. Keck Science Dept.
My Pomona D’s summer research after her freshman year was offered to her by a professor. (He had extra grant money to use up!) A definite advantage of the small LAC is the opportunity to easily get to know professors. She did not ask for a research opportunity, he asked her, but I have heard of other students approaching professors they had not taken class from because they were interested in their research. This professor also asked her to write an essay for an academic journal, which has been published.
My D had a similar experience as mamabear’s. Upon hearing that my D did not have a research opportunity lined up, one of the professors at Keck called upon an alum who was able to offer a position. This kind of personalized attention from professors is a big plus in my book.
To sort of answer this:
Since Keck (CMC/Scripps/Pitzer) is separate from Pomona and Mudd, there would be no competition with those students for on campus research. For off campus, obviously, there would, but then again they are competing with everyone.
@lynjobes did your daughter make a decision?
@Marcie123 Has until Friday to make a final decision. Still agonizing. Worrying about an acquaintance telling a friend that her daughter was unhappy at Scripps, the other 4 schools don’t like Scripps students. On other hand, it’s becoming obvious being part of the “Consortium” might be useful/compelling for jobs, grad/med school later. SO confused.
You are needlessly obsessed w admit rates-- like somehow a school w a 3% lower admit rate is better quality/ more presitigious. Get over it.