@ColdinMinny I totally agree. I really hoped one of mine would go to Furman and at least 5 kids from our neighborhood are there now. I just don’t think for the extra money it is worth it. If it was an easy financial get, I would put it higher on the list.
Choice of major would be a big factor for me. What does your D want to study?
My S lived on campus his first two years at Clemson then moved off-campus. Sewanee pretty much requires you to live on campus all 4 years. That may be good or bad - depending on your viewpoint.
As far as Greek life is concerned, I agree with scmom12 that there is a difference at Clemson, competively, between getting into a “top tier” (I hate to use that term) sorority and getting a bid. Nonetheless, there is a vast difference between a state school Greek recruitment system and Sewanee. Sewanee has the most laid back rush process I have ever seen. Literally, there are no cuts during the week. Girls return to the houses they like and then pref them at the end of the week. They barely even dress up for rush. If a girl doesn’t get a house she wants, she can drop and go through upperclass rush the next semester. Girls almost always get their desired house during upperclass rush. Rush and sorority life in general are very low key at Sewanee. I think that’s why so many girls join sororities.
Now if your D cares about football, there’s no contest - lol. Being in Death Valley for a big game is an amazing experience.
It really comes down to what your D wants in a school and which is a better fit for her.
@1966mom, no doubt you’ve heard about Sweet Briar’s decision to close. While it’s quite a bit smaller than Sewanee, I thought this essay from a former SBC student, who eventually left to attend UVA, might give you a little insight into the differences between a small private and a big public.
For someone not sure how to choose (and assuming she’s willing to go through the transfer process later), I can see an argument for starting at the small school and deciding later if it’s someplace she wants to spend four years. Lots of people make that choice, and it’s not automatically a “bad” one.
Major would be environmental studies/natural resources
@scmom12: “Sewanee is so pretty but very remote. D1 liked it but not as much as her eventual choice of another small LAC.”
Just out of curiosity, where did D1 end up, and what were her reasons for choosing that school? Thanks!
@gandalf78 She went to Washington and Lee, the first school she fell in love with. She had regional full tuition scholarship, so actually cheaper than Sewanee would have been. Lexington is not really near any big cities either but the town itself has a lot of stores/restaurants (compared to Sewanee). She did like Sewanee and went to the scholarship competition there.
My D got a full ride to DePauw, for a double degree, too, meaning the scholarship would cover the five year dual degree program. And she turned it down. This school was not for her: 1. Too rural for her, although Indy is just a hop down the interstate and Purdue is 30 minutes away. 2. Too Greek. About 70% (and the school only has 2800 students) so Greek life is huge, even though they try to tell you that it’s not a big deal if you are not Greek. Many of the national chapters were founded at DePauw. 3. Not many off campus choices for upperclassmen if you are not Greek and don’t want to live in dorms. 4. Big party culture. Lots of drinking (which I know happens at all schools), but since it is rural, kids are somewhat landlocked so to speak, as there is not much else to do on campus on weekends except go to parties.
It is a very pretty campus and kids and adcoms are all very nice. DePauw pulls lots of kids from Chicago area, so it has a strong regional presence and is not very diverse.
Uhm, Clemson has their own AA chapter as do all the colleges she listed except maybe Furman.
@1966mom, where did your DD end up? Is she happy with her decision?