<p>Been admitted to both. Decision date coming up May 1st. Currently 50/50 on both school, will appreciate any helpful inputs!
Thanks</p>
<p>Do you have any idea what you want to study or major in?</p>
<p>I have academic interests but no sure-fire majors. I’m very much attracted to the thought of unlocking academic curiosities in college, where the resources will be undeniable better than highschool. That said, I do take an interest in philosophy, mathematics, physics and psychology.</p>
<p>Thelam, you should be very careful about whatever advice you receive on CC. I noticed you posted elsewhere and received very biased and incorrect information about CMC. I won’t waste my time rebutting it, but consider the source and their knowledge of the school before factoring it into your decision-making process. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>You didn’t give much info to go on, so I looked over to see what was posted at Wes.</p>
<p>I am conflicted because I believe that if you don’t have something nice to say it is better to stay quiet, but I do also feel bound to point out that johnwesley has a long history of contentious, not necessarily accurate posts. (Feel free to check it out.) I have found most people to be very helpful and very generous with their time and information but there are a few that seem to prefer to stir things up. There are also those that give info that is out of their area of expertise based on interesting conclusions from other sources. Be careful to check your sources carefully before you put too much weight on any advice given here. (And yes, that includes me.) </p>
<p>Having said that, full disclosure…I am a CMC parent with a D that loves the place. We have visited widely with our kids, and our CMC D applied/interviewed all over. We also have family and friends that have attended/are attending many fine colleges. I would normally try to give you as much information as I can about whatever you are asking about relating to CMC, but I’m not really sure where to go from here.</p>
<p>In my experience, CMC and Wesleyan are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Wes is the kind of place that CMC is likely to get transfers from, based on bad fit. I feel like if you have visited both places and you are buying into what johnwesley has to say about CMC and the 5cs…then you don’t really get CMC. </p>
<p>You say that you had a “better time” at Wesleyan. I’m not sure how much potential CMC would hold for you if you feel that the leadership emphasis is a “gimmick” and not a “tangible factor”. Also, if you think Pomona “overshadows CMC in both reputation and ‘ahem’ campus rationing ratio”, I think you have answered your own questions. </p>
<p>I always advise prospective students when they are choosing between two great schools and most other factors are equal, to go where they would be happiest. This is where you will do the best and be most successful preparing for life after college. I could give you much more information about CMC but it is not for everyone. Also, the stats of CMC’s student body, admissions numbers and amazing accomplishments of the college in general over such a short time speak for themselves. One thing that you do seem to get about CMC is the “brimming potential” and that, along with the actual reality of the place after visiting made it impossible for my D to let it go. It was the best decision that she could have made…for her. </p>
<p>For you? My gut reaction to your remarks is that you want to go to Wesleyan but you are worried about the path not taken. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone goes through that to some extent. It doesn’t sound like you really appreciate the opportunities/prestige of a CMC education. Again, it is ok if you prefer Wesleyan. CMC has more enthusiastic admitted students than they can handle. They will probably over admit again this year.</p>
<p>If you have specific things you would like to compare, I would be happy to give you any other input that I can, and I am sure parent57 will do the same. If it is just a general feeling that you are looking for and you have already been to both places, I would say to just go with your heart.</p>
<p>Good luck. Once you make your decision you can really start getting excited about next fall!</p>
<p>I agree I may not get CMC to the full extent yet. So please, help me understand and appreciate the opportunities and prestige of CMC</p>
<p>Since you have already visited CMC, I am not sure what I can add to help you appreciate the opportunities at CMC. Like Critter said, it kind of seems like you have made up your mind. Just make sure it is not because of misleading information you have received at the Wes forum.</p>
<p>Although this doesn’t really help you because you may be very different, my son was admitted to Wesleyan and after visiting the campus as well as some other comparable schools on the East Coast to which he was also admitted, he chose CMC</p>
<p>OP.</p>
<p>My D got accepted to CMC, but is not going to attend since she is admitted to THE dream school . But, we know CMC is a great school for business, economics, and politics. It is totally different from Wesleyan, which is more broadly oriented.</p>
<p>IMO, CMC belongs to a different league than W. Although it’s ranked just outside top 10 LACs in US News, it deserves at least top 5 ranking. In terms of practicality (real value), it is better than any other LACs and as good as top business programs in the nation. People who know CMC believes that it is grossly under-rated. But Forbes ranked CMD just behind Harvard and above Yale. It is also one of the top feeder schools to prestigious graduate/professional schools. Please don’t be misguided by the US News ranking that favors reputation and tradition/history. CMC is disadvantaged because it is relatively young and small. The graudates are doing great.</p>
<p>I think the people posted above think that you don’t fit (or maybe deserve) CMC. They might be right. I feel the same way. But, as a parent of a business student, I think CMC is several times as good as W.</p>
<p>I agree with your post, typdad, but just wanted to let the readers know that you can also receive a fine education in the many majors outside of economics/business and politics. If you are interested in english lit, psychology, philosophy/religious studies, history, languages and the sciences, you will not be disappointed with CMC. Also, the PPE program (philosophy, politics, and economics) is a separate interdisciplinary major, which is a tutorial-based Oxford-style program emphasizing expository writing and critical thinking. I don’t believe you would see a program like this at any other liberal arts school.</p>
<p>Typdad, forgot to add my congratulations to your daughter; it is great when your kid has the opportunity to go to their dream school.</p>
<p>typdad-</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your D! It is so great that she gets to go to her dream school…and wow! Wharton/Penn. </p>
<p>thelam-</p>
<p>I don’t know if you made your decision yet, but typdad had some good information to add. As I said before, I think CMC is full of opportunities and has plenty of prestige (where it really matters). I get the feeling that you really want to go to Wesleyan and while I think CMC is wonderful, I do not want to try to talk you out of what is best for you. </p>
<p>That being said, as far as CMC vs Wes- first, what about $$$? CMC grads have a debt average that is about 1/3 of that for Wesleyan students. Remember, even if money (or lack of) is not a problem for you, it will influence who your classmates are, as far as socioeconomic diversity goes. The average grant amount is quite a bit higher at CMC. They also provide many other extras once on campus, from snacks, to very low cost trips into LA (Knotts, ball games etc). CMC does out rank Wesleyan by a fair amount re financial resources.</p>
<p>Speaking of peers, CMC is also quite a bit more selective as far as acceptance rate, with somewhat higher student stats as well (if that matters to you or if you think it contributes to ‘prestige’). Wesleyan is no slouch in those areas, but CMC has one of the lowest acceptance rates around. Could be the weather, the consortium, financial aid…the students are known for being happy there and it ranks extremely high on many lists for great $$$ value for the education as well as quality of life/happy students. All of those factors were important for my D, who could care less about prestige (except when it comes time to apply to grad school) but she was most on the look out for smart/interesting peers.</p>
<p>The last thing I will mention is the ‘x’ factor issue. Both colleges are politically active. parent57 know more about this personally, no doubt, because I have never visited Wesleyan. I do however, have close friends in Connecticut, so that was something that was a planned omission after much research. To be honest, Wes is off of the moderate scale both politically and socially (which is perfect for many but made it an impossible sell for my college bound kids, so far). Part of the draw of CMC for my D was the fact that it is very politically diverse. CMC also gets very high marks for study abroad, career services, great dorms and food, accessible professors, great administration (Check out Forbes, the Daily Beast, Princeton Review, etc) but in my opinion, once you get past stellar academics the great finances, happy students and quality of life are what matter most. As someone that looked at schools all over the country, D also thinks the racial diversity and ease of interaction (it is a non-issue at CMC) is priceless. Wesleyan, on the other hand, seems to get press for strong theater, very liberal politics and a quirky, counter-culture environment. Which appeals?</p>
<p>I could go on about prestige and name drop, or talk about internships and amazing post-grad stats/opportunities but I think what is really important is what you think! Basically, they are both top notch colleges. You don’t seem to be too thrilled with CMC’s leadership approach. (But after all, they are all about ‘leadership in the liberal arts’.) You had more fun at Wesleyan. There is plenty of fun to be had at CMC as well, but I understand that Wes is more, umm ‘uninhibited’ and a little less traditional in this sense (and probably in many others.) Does that sound good to you? It was a deal breaker for my Ds. My kids were also not excited about what they read and heard about Middletown from friends.</p>
<p>Anyway, there is no right or wrong answer here. I think that those who attend Wesleyan love it there too. Congratulations, whatever you decide/have decided and I hope you have a wonderful 4 years!</p>
<p>If when you graduate you are planning to work in the east coast go to Wesleyan… It’s a great University! Besides I understand CMC has a very structured curriculum… Though it’s a LAC, you can’t explore that much in terms of the subjects you want to take…
I’d choose Wesleyan! no doubt about it!</p>
<p>“Besides I understand CMC has a very structured curriculum… Though it’s a LAC, you can’t explore that much in terms of the subjects you want to take”</p>
<p>CMC does not have a very structured curriculum. CMC has broad general education requirements that result in a diverse LAC education and the opportunity to explore potential majors an entering student may not have previously considered. If a student is only interested in a narrow subject focused education, CMC is not the place.</p>
<p>As for the opportunity to explore the subjects you want to take, the combined course offerings of CMC and the consortium are a multiple of what would be offered at any single LAC.</p>
<p>Actually, the information posted on the Wesleyan forum is quite deep and accurate. The poster JohnWesley has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the university and most other top liberal arts colleges. He is certainly no shill for Wesleyan–he regularly criticizes and takes issue with things he does not agree with, but he is very fair-minded and well-informed.</p>
<p>That said, both CMC and Wes are fine schools. If I were you and if wanting to explore many different areas before choosing a major is the main issue for you–then Wesleyan is your better choice. </p>
<p>Wesleyan is THE ultimate in giving you latitude to explore options–and, once you choose, you will be in a rigorous, intelligently designed major (possibly one that you and your professors have designed!). </p>
<p>I graduated in the 70s from Wesleyan’s College of Social Studies, a very demanding multidisciplinary major in economics, government, history and philosophy. CSS features small, Oxford-style tutorials and seminars, with the requirement of a senior honors thesis or similar project. </p>
<p>Looking at CMC’s curriculum, it is certainly strong, but the key difference is that Wesleyan’s is much broader, and allows you all kinds of combinations of majors that are simply not available within CMC’s programs. </p>
<p>Good luck with your decision and let both the CMC and Wesleyan boards know what you decided!</p>
<p>With all due respect, Morganhil, the poster, JohnWesley, likes to engage in my-school-is-better-than-your-school debates in many of the CC forums. Much of the time, he does this by denigrating the other school in an attempt to build-up his alma mater. I understand he is fiercely loyal to his school, but it is juvenile to engage in this type of behavior. I expect it from the high school students who participate in the discussions, but you would expect an adult to know better. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, he quite often gets his facts wrong. He acts like he is some kind of expert regarding CMC, but I would bet you he has never stepped foot on the campus or met anyone who has actually gone to CMC. In his posts, he cites a number of facts, most of them are either misleading or incorrect, for example, suggesting the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance opened in 2007. Some time ago, he made the ridiculous claim that CMC students would rather wear Pomona t-shirts than their own. His comment that a student taking science courses would want to take them at Pomona is based on what. How does he know that - has he ever spoken to a CMC student who told him he wishes he could take Pomona courses. It is comical how he tells everyone on CC that his school’s science courses are superior to the courses at their school. I don’t know whether it is true or not, but it certainly doesn’t speak well of him and, ironically, it reflects poorly on his beloved school.</p>
<p>Please don’t use the CMC thread to get in a stupid debate comparing CMC and Wesleyan, particularly if you are not an expert in both schools and if all you are going to do is engage in a juvenile my-school-is-better-than-your-school rant. Thank you.</p>
<p>Parent57 - you’ve just demonstrated the old law school adage, “if you can’t argue the law, argue the facts; if you can’t argue the facts argue the law. If you can’t do either – just argue”:
FYI
<a href=“http://www.cmc.edu/rdschool/discover/[/url]”>http://www.cmc.edu/rdschool/discover/</a></p>
<p>And, FWIW, I thought a debate, or at least a discussion, was exactly what the OP requested. :/</p>
<p>JW, the undergraduate economics and finance program is as old as the school. They changed the name of the school in 2007 to recognize his generous gift. </p>
<p>I don’t recognize what you do as healthy debate but rather as immature, adolescent behavior.</p>
<p>Hey Lam–what did you decide? sorry it’s too late for any info, and i don’t have lot-- just a story. my daughter had a friend who looked into wesleyan and decided not to apply. She thought it was too far off the deep end. And this friend of my daughter-- her parents smoke pot.
That could be a plus or a minus for wesleyan depending on you. Just thought I’d pass it on.
let us know what you decided.
best.</p>