Colgate vs. Wake Forest vs. Kenyon vs. Sewanee vs. SMU vs. Grinnell

I am a high school senior looking for help on deciding which school to pick. I know that these schools have very different student bodies, but I fit in with a lot of different types of groups and could see myself at any of them. I would like to go somewhere where there is some range of diversity in the student body and political thought.

I am not 100% sure what I want to major in, but I am thinking chemistry. I am also interested in economics and could see myself doing something in business later on. My dream career at this point would be to have my own cosmetic chemistry line and company.

I am from the Midwest, but it does seem to me that the cosmetic industry has a lot of opportunity in New York City, so that is one thing I am considering. I know Grinnell and Kenyon have a good name here, but I wasn’t sure if that would carry out to the east coast. I’m guessing Colgate and maybe Wake Forest would have a better name in the NYC area.

I do want a smaller college, but Wake and SMU do seem small enough for me, even though I know the others are even smaller.

Money is not the major deciding factor, but it is still a consideration. Sewanee and SMU are quite a bit cheaper than the others and Kenyon is about 10-15k cheaper than Colgate, Wake, and Grinnell.

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations on what I should do? Thank you!

Kenyon enjoys a distinctive national reputation that relatively few colleges can match. Middle Path, Gothic architecture and an appealing fitness center add to the package. Gambier can be viewed as either a tiny college town or a fantastic student center.

Colgate enjoys a national reputation as well, has great science facilities, would be superb for economics, and offers somewhat of a NYC connection. Colgate’s small town setting can be regarded as authentically rural, a plus in my opinion.

Both of these colleges can claim campuses that are among the most beautiful in the nation. Political and social diversity might be greater at Kenyon, though that’s largely subjective.

Based on the information you provided, these might be my initial thoughts for you at least.

This might not help much, but if you could buy or check out Frank Bruni’s books “Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be,” Bruni shares an anecdote of a woman with similar goals to you. The young woman was interested in fashion and cosmetics, I believe. The reason I recommend finding the book is because she attended either an LAC or private university and was able to fashion (pardon the pun) an independent major for herself. I cannot remember the details, which is why I suggest finding the book. I want to say that she targeted one of the few schools that had a terrific theatre make-up major or concentration. She tweaked it into her own self-designed major.

True, her interests were not in chemistry and economics, but perhaps her story of how she was able to become successful in a field that doesn’t exactly require a college degree might prove useful.

My advice is to find the best cost/personal fit option. Best.

Thank you both for the replies!

@merc81 I really enjoyed my visits to both Kenyon and Colgate and appreciate your feedback on both.

@Hapworth I will definitely check that book out. It sounds like an interesting story and read.

SMU.

Why do you say SMU?

Cost, location & opportunity.

Thank you!

@collegegirl2600 Congratulations on your acceptances!

You said you are flexible but you might ask what kind of social environment you prefer. I don’t know all of the colleges on your list but I think that the student vibe at Sewanee or Wake Forest is quite different than Kenyon and Grinnell. I think preppy when I hear Sewanee or Wake and quirky/hipster/nerdy when I hear Kenyon or Grinnell.

You might also think about how rural do you really want? Sewanee, Grinnell, and Kenyon are pretty rural. That can be a plus or minus depending on your personal preferences.

I agree with @Publisher that SMU will probably be best for cost, location, and the flexibility that a larger campus would afford in terms of majors and courses. If you are set on a LAC, I would let cost and social fit guide you. Think also about ease of getting to campus from your home.