Colby vs Bates vs Skidmore

College Search & Selection
21

In all honesty I’d be very hesitant to apply to any of these fine LACs without a visit. From what I experienced when we looked at different LACs with my D each school had a distinct vibe – she felt she could fit in well at some LACs while others didn’t seem to suit her as well. IMO that sense of fit is way more important than the ranking, campus esthetics etc.

IMO a person should only apply ED if both of the following conditions are true:

  1. The applicant has a clear top choice school AND
  2. The family has no need/desire to compare financial offers among different colleges.
    Sounds to me like you don’t have a top choice and that finances are a consideration so why is there a “need” to apply ED?
22

If you are looking only at academics and ‘networking’, why go to a school that values community? Why go to a small LAC? Bates is great and fosters community. When a school is evaluating your application and wants to get a sense of what you plan to contribute to the community, what will they see?

23

Saratoga Springs is lovely - for middle aged moms. :slight_smile: I don’t think of it having much of a college town feel to it, though.

I agree that one shouldn’t apply ED without a visit. @happy1’s post above is spot on.

24

Okay, some of the many colleges on my list have an optional rec letter option from a family member. I want to know is it appropriate to get a family member’s letter of rec? How do they see it?

25

@Ennab, what do you mean by ‘plan to contribute to the community’? I can’t contribute any monetary funds. Is it volunteering work? You know I’m on the other side of the world so don’t mind explaining further. What???

26

How will you be a part of the community? Other than attending classes, how will you engage on campus? Activities, clubs, teams, leadership roles, etc.

27

I think it’s a mistake to choose a college based on rankings, but if you are considering them you may want to look at a range of rankings.

USNews
Colby 11
Bates 21
Skidmore 39

Money
Bates 38
Colby 124
Skidmore 167

Forbes
Bates 39
Colby 75
Skidmore 101

WSJ/Higher Times
Bates 21
Skidmore 35
Colby unranked

Niche
Bates 14
Colby 17
Skidmore 35

CNBC Business and Finance “ The top 50 US colleges that pay off the most“
Bates 24
Colby didn’t make the list
Skidmore didn’t make the list

Washington Monthly
Bates 17
Colby 37
Skidmore 83

28

Colleges want you to contribute to their community. It means having skills you can share, for instance joining a team or club and helping it win because you’re very good at something, or, having shown ability to organize something so you hope to organize it again on campus or use that experience to develop x y or z… They don’t want students who spend all their time in their room doing nothing but study. Your presence should make a difference for other people.

29

@MYOS1634 summed it up in a succinct manner: “Your presence should make a difference for other people.”

30

@DexterTom
Although all three are great schools I would be concerned about applying anywhere ED without visiting first. For instance all three schools on this current list are in places with cold snowy winters. Have you spent time in a cold climate?

If you need financial aid that’s another reason to apply RD. Colby is the richest of the three and has a no-loan policy. Bates has the lowest average debt upon graduation of the three. Skidmore offers a number of merit scholarship while Bates and Colby are primarily need only. Which will come up with the best financial package for you? It’s hard to know.

Why do you need to go ED at one of the schools? If you were my child I’d advise you to apply RD to the wider list of schools on your original list then find a way to revisit once you know your final options.

How often does your school send students to these schools or schools like them? We don’t know your stats so it’s possible you’re an exceedingly strong candidate and would be easily accepted to all three, but I’ve seen students, particularly students from abroad, overestimate their chances at these schools. As others have noted up thread, these are tight knit communities that are looking for more than just academics when considering candidates.

31

You are getting excellent advice here. Applying ED commits you going there. Colby and Bates are need-based with financial aid, so is Skidmore but, it seems, it also has some merit aid (which rewards academic accomplishments).

Any of these schools will provide an excellent education with strong alumni networking/career offices. They will all connect you with good internships and experiential education.

Since you are mainly interested in academics and networking (I presume for job prospects) what is attracting you to these particular schools? They are heavy on emphasizing a broad liberal arts education, they also want students who want to contribute to the campus culture by joining clubs, participating in student government, etc.

It sounds like you may be more suited to a larger university with a heavy pre-professional emphasis.

32

They are test optional and meet need. And are reputable on Wall St.

33

Hmmm. I am not sure I would choose any of these 3 schools if your goal is to work on Wall St (assuming that based on your reputable statement).

With that said, while it is certainly possible to get to where you want to go with these 3 schools, Colby would be the best choice IMO.

34

Let any of those 3 see this is about post grad Wall St and forget it. This is about the 4 years, not your personal career goals. What do you really know about these 3 and what they expect from you? Applying blind is not a good idea. You have a lot to prove in the full app.

We get that you want one of them. But what makes them want to pick you?

35

Op lives abroad and certainly wishes he could visit, but that’s just not within the realm of possibility, nor how it works for internationals who need financial aid (they would not be needing financial aid if they could visit).
In addition, for an international who needs a lot of aid, ED is the best bet. Turns 1% odds into 3% (literally).

@DexterTom :
If you’re applying test optional, you need a stellar record (like AAA) AND something they want.
What do you have that they want?
(cricket captain, grand Master chess player, national youth party leader, etc.)

36

i don’t mean monetarily in any way. But many LAC are looking for how you give to the community by participating on campus- what kind of roommate will you be?, how will you participate in campus events, organizations, etc. I hope that helps.

37

All excellent academically and have strong reputations. That being said, they are a bit different culturally in terms of student focus and campus vibe.

So please take these as grand generalizations but within it is some directional truth. Imho.

Skidmore is arguably one of the most passionate “student activist” type cultures in the USA. It’s part of the attraction for many students. It would hold the opposite appeal for others.

Colby is a pretty remote location. Gorgeous and socially active. It also can be more oriented around the “weekend festivities” than others due to the location.

Bates is probably a bit of both. It’s also a very strong brand in banking and finance in the northeast USA.

If I had to choose one based on your specific observations. I would choose Bates. Location. Portland and Boston. Access to airports. Outdoorsy. Diverse politically within reason.

Academically it’s a wash to me. Bates and Colby tends to be viewed as slightly more selective in my region. Skidmore is also considered very selective.

38

It appears from the original post that he/she is an expat (American citizen) not an international student.

39

@privatebanker I’d disagree about your characterizations. In fact, at Skidmore, we couldn’t find community activation, which was a deciding point for D1. Yes, we asked. Apparently there is high need in Saratoga, somewhat hidden to visitors. But no one could cite activation. I do believe any NE liberal college will have its active sorts. I do respect the college for some very real strengths.

Bates, in contrast, puts the book in front of you- literally, a thick binder of opps to engage with the community, near and further. Part of a center for community partnerships. Not all kids participate routinely, sure.

All three can lead to Boston and NYC (and other) finance opps.

None of the 3 are easy to get to. Lately, a lot of posts talk about Colby’s beauty. But Bates is no slouch in that dept and I find poor little Lewiston to be intriguing. (In that way New Englanders can sometimes appreciaite former mill towns and their evolution.)

But the bigger issue to me is that we’re putting the cart before the horse, not knowing if OP has the record to get into one of the 3. His questions hint he doesn’t understand what it takes. Eg, what it means to “contribute to the community.” That it’s not simply academics and networking, they vet for more. It leads me to question if he knows these schools versus just that they can serve him. Not how it works.

And the question about family LoRs refers to homeschooling. First, each college gives instructions and it generally should be someone who oversaw the high school years, there’s an intent to the LoR, it’s not just commentary (nice kid, works hard.) And 2nd, for homeschool, it’s often tough to meet their expectations when you describe isolation and main focus on academics. How will OP show engagement, in ways these colleges want to see? So, again, does he understand what it takes?

40

Well, @lookingforward, you have questioned my abilities but you have not read my original post properly. This thread is not about me or whether I can get in to them or not. It’s plain and simple English- given the 3 colleges and had to pick one based on few general observations for ED. It’s not whether I’ll get in or not. Let me do that job myself. I’ve come here only for listening to what 100 people say with 100 different opinions as something is always better than nothing and I’m abroad, so posters above especially @MYOS1634 , @privatebanker , @merc81 helped a lot.

That’s all I need to know. This is not about me, it’s about the colleges. And whether I fit in or not or whether they consider me fit, I’ll take care of that.

My apologies if this came out rude but I can’t just keep calm and watch when somebody can’t comprehend a question and it’s requirement written in plain English.