<p>Denison may be your only affordable choice. As an international student, your ability to get student loans and work for pay is more limited than for US citizens and permanent residents. The other colleges are close to the outer limits of what you would be able to self-fund (through student loans and work earnings) beyond your parents’ contribution if you were a US citizen or permanent resident, but being an international student makes them even more of a stretch.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus: Both Kenyon and Amherst offer institutional loans to international students in order to close the gap. I’d be about 12.000 dollars in debt after 4 years. Davidson would mean getting a loan in my home country (which wouldn’t be any different.)</p>
<p>AmericanHope-if you can truly swing the cost, the answer would be Amherst College without question. It is intellectually superior to the others on the list, although they are all fine schools. But Amherst, along with Williams and Swarthmore, are considered to be the finest LAC’s in this country. In fact, a very wise man who was the head of college counseling at a nationally known prep school once told me that a student won’t get a finer undergraduate education ANYWHERE in the country than he will at Amherst or Swarthmore. If you plan to pursue your education past college, people who “need to know” will have heard of Amherst and know it’s reputation.</p>
<p>I’m in the minority here. I don’t actually see Amherst as a huge cut above Davidson. If you really like the culture and felt very comfortable when you visited, I can understand how you might prefer it to Amherst’s. They are very different, imo, and the sports culture at Amherst can seem overwhelming to people who are not at all interested in it. While Amherst has enjoyed the rep of one of the three best LACs for years, along with Swarthmore and Williams, I think there is a certain east coast bias and a long history that protects their ranking, which I feel overstates their superiority when comparing to other excellent colleges like Davidson, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, and others. If you are considering grad school, a great record at Davidson will be every bit as impressive as Amherst to potential graduate schools, imo, and if you are happier there, your chance of doing very well are increased.<br>
The only negative I see in accepting Davidson over Amherst (which from your posts I sense is your preference) is the money. It would cost you an extra 5K to attend, as you have figured it. I am assuming that because all of these schools are still on your list that you and your family consider them affordable. </p>
<p>It must be very hard to make a choice when you are not that familiar with American culture and don’t have first-hand experience on which to judge. But you do have your gut instincts. I’ve often told my kids to go with their gut when they have trouble making difficult choices. You have visited both colleges and do have something to go on, so trust yourself. </p>
<p>moonchild, if the OP had Pomona on his list I would consider it the equal (at least) of Amherst. But he doesn’t.</p>
<p>@moonchild: Thank you for that post.
I felt like there was less pretension at Davidson although it is D1. Amherst definitely wasn’t as “bad” as for example Connecticut College, but Davidson & the Ohio Colleges just seemed “nicer”. Then again, this is just a cultural difference between the different American regions.
A further positive about Davidson is that people work really hard. I think it was ranked 3rd after Swarthmore and UChicago in some ranking - and I really want to have dedicate 4hours/day at least to studying. </p>
<p>I should give myself a chance to fall in love with Amherst. If it doesn’t work, I’ll consider Davidson, Denison & Kenyon. Also, I am still in the running for merit scholarships at Davidson (between 300 and 15k a year - chances are 10%, but I was surprised more than once during this process.) </p>
<p>Gut feeling is sometimes difficult to decipher, unfortunately 
</p>
<p>I’m from New England. We had a kid apply to Davidson. It is a fabulous small LAC, very much like Amherst and Williams, in our opinions, but in a place with a more moderate climate. The campus has fabulous facilities (my husband has done design work at Amherst and Williams, and said the facilities at Davidson rivaled those two schools). They have a very impressive alumni network. Their performing arts facility is state of the art as are their science buildings and fabulous pool facility. Dorms are fabulous. </p>
<p>We have been to Amherst as well, but neither of our kids applied there. It was our opinion that Davidson would be MUCH higher on the radar screens if it were located in select college New England. </p>
<p>I don’t think your parents would be wasting money by sending you to Davidson. </p>
<p>In terms of access…Davidson isn’t all that far from Charlotte or Greensboro. Both have airports, and we have flown into both. Charlotte has international flights, and tends to be less costly. Greensboro is smaller but a nice airport just the same. So access would be as good as that from Amherst to Boston or Bradley in Hartford…maybe better.</p>
<p>Again, these schools have very different climates. During the academic year, it is lovely in NC most of the time, with a smattering of colder weather and occasional snow. At Amherst, you will have winter from Nobember until April…and the likelihood of much more snow.</p>
<p>Summers at Amherst would be more pleasing temp wise than Davidson…but you don’t plan to BE in Davidson in the summer, right?</p>
<p>Either of these colleges is a winner, if you can afford them. I am personally biased towards Davidson.</p>
<p>AmericanHopee, being D1 is meaningless when it comes to academic quality and prestige. The reality is that Davidson has only recently become better known because if its performance in the NCAA tournament a few years ago. They got TV exposure. This is the same phenomenon as people who think that Ole Miss is more prestigious than Pomona or Williams because they have D1 sports and a famous football program.</p>
<p>I also think that the idea that Conn College is “pretentious” in comparison with Davidson or Denison is strange. Certainly doesn’t reflect anyone I know who has gone there recently. Coupled with your fears about UMass, I’m thinking that your gut reactions are something you should question, or at least strive to broaden. :)</p>
<p>Look, Davidson is a great school, and it does reportedly emphasize public service. If you like it that much, go there. Especially if they come through with extra merit $$ that puts it closer to Amherst’s price. </p>
<p>Davidson is a wonderful LAC. Tied for ninth place, with Haverford in US News, if we’re worried about reputation. I think all of the top ten LACs in this country are wonderful opportunities for the right student - a true privilege, actually, as are many of those ranked below this elite top ten group. I just don’t see a qualitative difference between a #4 ranked Pomona and a #9 ranked Davidson, or even a #1 ranked Williams. But they all do have different personalities and appeal to kids for different reasons, and their students will all get a serious look at the best graduate schools in the country.</p>
<p>To help figure out your real costs, check each of the colleges to see whether the dorms close for each of the breaks.</p>
<p>If they close for the short breaks – such as Thanksgiving and Spring Break – you will have to make arrangements to stay somewhere else during those times, and unless you can stay with a friend who lives so close to campus that there are no travel costs, that’s going to cost money.</p>
<p>I agree with moonchild. There is no substantive difference between these schools, either in the academic experience or student outcomes.</p>
<p>Also, are you female? I would not send my daughter to Amherst. It is way too much of a lax-bro/fraternity-dominated/“pre-business” environment, in my opinion. </p>
<p>You cite as your goal:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Go to Davidson.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you! This is way more helpful than Fiske’s Guide. </p>
<p>@marian: Davidson has a host family program. You are paired with an American family that for example hosts you during short breaks, hence, this really is total COA. Another one of those small things I like btw. </p>
<p>@sally305: My dad apparently called his American colleagues and confirmed those findings. The company he works for recruits nationally; they said Amherst certainly enjoys the elite reputation but so does Davidson, just
that it is not as “established” (for a lack of better word) in the northern part of the States.
And yes, I am female. Could you define “bro-culture”?</p>
<p>I still worry about cost. One thing that jumped out at me was that you indicated that your parents would use “mortgages” to help pay for your education. I am assuming that means taking out loans against their house??? If that is what they would have to do to help fund your education, I would highly advise them to look at other avenues, and for you to go to the lowest cost option. None of the schools you list is going to be a bad option- some may be preferable to others, but they are all great schools. If you are planning to go to grad school, then remember that you will somehow have to pay for that also, so any money you can save now can be but towards a more prestigious grad school program. If you were to graduate in a Public Health program, potentially salaries may not be all that high and you would have a tough time paying off any loans. Remember also that you are very limited in how much you could take out in loans. Most likely, your parents would have to be responsible for those loans. If they mortgage out their house now then they may have trouble getting more loans for grad school. In addition, depending on how old your parents are, you don’t want them to have to work until they are 85 in order to pay off any school loans. This may not be an issue, but something to consider. </p>
<p>Well, you can find plenty of articles online, as well as threads here.</p>
<p>You might start with this:</p>
<p><a href=“Sexual Violence On Amherst's Campus: Sexist T-Shirt Triggers Debate On Rape, Sexual Assault | HuffPost College”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;
<p>Here’s another, from a campus publication:</p>
<p><a href=“http://acvoice.com/2013/04/24/persistent-rape-culture-at-amherst-college/”>http://acvoice.com/2013/04/24/persistent-rape-culture-at-amherst-college/</a></p>
<p>And here’s a thread from this site:</p>
<p><a href=“Amherst Suicide after Sexual Assault - Amherst College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/1414071-amherst-suicide-after-sexual-assault-p1.html</a></p>
<p>The 5 college area where Amherst is located is fantastic and Amherst’s reputation is excellent. However, Denison as a small school has a very solid reputation. Not sure where you are located, but flying into Columbus is not hard and some of the regional airports have good airfares (ex. Trenton NJ to Columbus was under $100 RT). I attended an Ohio college that was a lacrosse rival of Denison’s and know many grads who loved their time there. </p>
<p>Congratulations OP! those are great colleges…</p>
<p>And to those remarking on the high costs, I’m not sure if its much higher than many parents are planning to pay here at CC…on the Amherst # for example, OP is estimating it’ll cost $31,000 a year…including room & board, travel, etc…</p>
<p>One thing to consider is the size of the international community if that matters to you. Davidson is a very small school which might translate into a small international community.</p>
<p>I live by Davidson. The climate is great (imho) and the people in this area are friendly. The school should be easy to get to from Charlotte. The town of Davidson is nice but small.</p>
<p>Thanks again!
As I am researching more and more, I think Amherst might be where I’ll go after all. I am creating a giant excel spreadsheet including a weighted ranking in order to compare the schools. I’ll go the the college with the most points and if that feels wrong, a decision is made either way ;)</p>
<p>I would choose either Davidson or Amherst. Davidson has that intellectual atmosphere you are seeking, it is an amazing school and its close proximity to Charlotte make travel and the ability to find an off-campus job much easier than Kenyon or Denison. </p>
<p>While Davidson is close to Charlotte, it is not close enough to work in unless you have a car. Davidson is a nice town but I suspect that off-campus jobs will be limited unless you have a car.</p>