College Decision

Colleges and Universities A-Z Whitman College
1

I have been admitted to 7 different liberal arts schools and while I have some preferences I have been unable to visit all of them and would like to hear some other thoughts
Obviously money matters and if anyone has an experience where a school I have gotten more scholarship from has revoked money later or a school that has given you more money after appeal please let me know

Did anyone who is now at Whitman get into some of these schools and possibly have a similar decision? Any advice?

Whitman College ($13,000 merit)
Kenyon College ($25,000 merit)
Willamette University ($24,000 merit)
Wesleyan University (about $11,000 in grants/work study)
Carleton College (about $15,000 work study/grants)
Macalester College (about $14,000 merit)
University of Redlands (about $30,000 merit)

Waiting: Pitzer

For students possibly looking at schools to apply to here are the other results I got

Wait-Listed: Grinnell
Rejected: Claremont Mckenna College

I am IB Diploma Candidate, 5 HL Classes, 4.02 Weighted GPA (about 3.8 unweighted I think), Super-score SAT (660 CR, 650 Writing, 760 Math/2070 Composite) done lots of clubs/sports if you have any questions as a high-school student feel free as well

2

Well, money can be a big deal and a deal breaker. Our son was accepted to 13 schools ranging from elite to super safety. In the end, there were a couple we just felt we couldn’t afford, and that was sad at first, but it all worked out in the end. He’d applied to a wide range of schools, as you have, and there were great choices we could afford because of his hard work in high school and the merit awards he was offered. You too have obviously worked hard and now have great choices. Be sure you sit down and have heart to heart talks with your folks, and now is the time to do it, before you fall in love with one that may possibly have to come off the list.

Visit the top contenders if you can, each of these schools has it’s own unique vibe and personality. From your list our son applied and was accepted to Whitman, Macalester, and Willamette. When he visited, Whitman really grabbed him and he chose it. He loved the campus and the friendly students and the outdoorsy, sporty vibe. He had worked really hard in high school and knew he didn’t want a competitive grind in college. I think he was surprised that the academics are so rigorous because there is such a laid back atmosphere there, but the place really kept him on his toes. I think the collaborative instead of competitive spirit of the classes made it OK.

These institutions are all very different from each other, the settings, the weather, the student cultures are all different.
You should decide what you are really looking for in a college, and then ask specific questions about which schools have those things you want.

Congratulations on such great choices!

3

I got into Whitman and Willamette too, waitlisted at Carleton. I have visited all of them and am currently deciding between Whitman and one other school. While I’m certainly not an expert on these schools, I can tell you a little bit about my impressions of them. :slight_smile:

Willamette: I liked Willamette, but for me the location was a big downside. Coming from a safe small town, downtown Salem felt pretty sketchy. The campus is definitely not enclosed and I’ve read reports of some safety incidents. However, if you are interested in political science the location is a big plus, as the school is right across from the Capitol. The drama program is also supposed to be outstanding. If you are interested in Asian culture, the affiliation with the Tokyo International University of America is a plus. Food was good, dorms and gym felt pretty run-down. Probably not as rigorous/intellectual as some other schools on your list.

Carleton: Like I said, I was waitlisted here, but I’m hoping to get off the list! Northfield is a darling little town, and Carleton is one of my favorite campuses. As you’ve probably heard a million times, students are “quirky.” Strong traditions and sense of campus community due to rural location. VERY rigorous academics, with the fast-paced trimester system. Not sure where you’re from, but cold winters could be an issue. (I know they are for me!)

Whitman: I’m pretty sure I’m going to Whitman. I have two friends who are currently there, and they are LOVING their experience. Absolutely gorgeous East Coast-style campus, but it is in the middle of nowhere. (They’re not kidding about the wheatfields!) Small classes, great academics, close contact with professors. Student body tends to be more outdoorsy, but there’s also a good theatre program. Close-knit community due to the small size. Interesting environmental studies interdisciplinary majors, if you’re interested in that.

Macalester: I didn’t apply, but I did visit. Good if being in the city is what you want, but again, the campus didn’t feel very safe at all (very open). International emphasis. Students weren’t very friendly at all (surprising for Minnesota). Architecture is very eclectic, but I liked it. If you are looking for a tight residential community focused around a campus, probably not the best as the guides and admissions office emphasized how much students go “into the city.” VERY liberal as well (not sure of your political views, this might matter to some people.)

Hope this helps! You’ve got some great schools on that list. Let me know if you have any more questions about these schools I can answer.

4

Hi all - my son has a somewhat similar mix and I am happy to review our results/thoughts:

FYI - 3.9 GPA (UW) and 34 ACT
Wanting to study psych, and also business with a focus toward sustainability
From St. Paul, MN - white male with dyslexia and good activities, volunteerism etc
A little geeky academically but also outdoorsy (track, wilderness camper, big skier & climber)

Applied to:
Stanford - no
Brown - no
Grinnell - waitlisted
Macalester - yes with $15k in merit
Kenyon - yes with no aid
Whitman - in with $13k merit
Willamette - in with $24k merit
Puget Sound - in with $22 merit (accepted to Business Leaders Program - considered Honors but went for BLP)
Clark Univ - in with $22 merit
Univ of Vermont - in with $20k merit (accepted to honors college)
Beloit - in with $25k merit
Univ of San Francisco - in with $22k merit

We visited most - did not make it to Grinnell, Kenyon, or Beloit. Not surprisingly his favorite campuses were Stanford, Brown, Whitman, Puget Sound. Vermont surrounding area is amazing but the actual campus was surprisingly utilitarian - a lot of buildings in a relatively small footprint and not a lot of tree cover, etc.

First phase of ruling out - Beloit (too small & remote for him); Kenyon (no help); Willamette (didn’t love Salem location); Clark (interesting choice - strong psych, in consortium with Holy Cross & Worcester Poly Tech, potential of free 5th year to do combined masters…but he couldn’t see himself in Worcester).

Next phase of ruling out - UVM - hardest one to let go so far - residential honors college, good size, business school, huge environmental focus, strong disability services support, great location for outdoorsy skier like him, and most affordable of the group besides Beloit. However - he is pretty clear at this point that if he’s leaving home he wants a smaller community to be part of. His high school class is only 40 students - crazy small. So 1,500 - 3,000 total students is actually big for him. At 12,000 UVM was deemed too large. (His DAD would LOVE to go there!) :slight_smile:

USF - sort of a weird choice that he even applied, in this Dad’s opinion. But he loves San Fran, his Aunt lives there along with friends, and he knows a friend who is there and loves it. They have good business program and an architecture school which he had an interest in and maybe still does. They were simply too urban (65% live off campus), too large for him, and we were concerned about whether the peer group & rigor would be a fit.

Finalists & why:
Macalester - highest ranked, decent aid, good fit for peers & rigor, close to home (almost too close though), has friends already there or accepted, strong psych dept, strong local alumni network and internship opptys. Negatives - not as outdoorsy at Whitman, almost too uniformly liberal (even though he’s pretty liberal himself), no business classes (would focus on certain Econ courses instead), urban setting OK but not ideal, campus OK but not as nice as other two, and of course expensive.

Whitman - also very highly ranked - best fit for peer group & rigor (outdoorsy, laid-back but also very high achieving student body - perfect fit here), strong psych, strong activities on campus and off, great campus, pretty setting and great reviews from Niche and College Confidential. Concerns - too remote? Greek scene sounds less intense than many schools but it’s still there and helps define social scene a bit; ability to connect with alums and/or get internships or research seems like a variable, no formal business classes and same cost as Mac + we’d have to budget more travel expenses.

Puget Sound - Business Leaders program sounds pretty interesting - trying to talk with folks in the program or who have completed it (may post again after this happens), great location - sort of a nice compromise between urban and rural, great campus, very outdoorsy and enviro focused, good combination of liberal arts experience with practical business training, and costs $10k less than other two choices. Concerns - not as good of a fit as Mac or Whitman for peers & rigor (hoping the BLP solves for this to some extent), reviews are largely positive but a bit more mixed.

Those are the bullets. Hope the summary is helpful to others!

5

I think you posted this elsewhere. I continue to believe that of that group, your choices should be down to Wes and Carlton. Congrats on Wes - they received over 12,000 apps and had a combined admit rate of 17% and a RD admit rate of under 14%.

I think Willamette is a nice school - I’ve been there since posting before on this topic with you. I still think Whitman is in its own league academically among the NWC schools, but Willamette and L&C are reasonable alternatives to Whitman if you just don’t want to deal with WW. Redlands is not a highly regarded school based on my experience and knowledge. It just doesn’t belong on that list in my view. That would be a “no” for me right off the bat.

I would lump Kenyon and Mac in the next tier, including above Whitman, but with that said, if you really liked Whitman I’d say go. It’s not compelling enough to head to Kenyon or Mac if you don’t like them. I myself liked Kenyon a lot when we were touring, but that school has money issues that they need to fix. Whitman has addressed that issue with a good fundraising campaign. Kenyon has not to my knowledge. Both Whitman and Kenyon are isolated. Macalester not so much.

But I think the conventional wisdom wisdom would be that Carl and Wes are in a category well above the others, and you can flip a coin there. What I like about Wes is its place among the Little Three, its history, the kinds of people who come out of there, the range of things they’re very good at and its status as a founding member of the NESCAC, the trend setting and preeminent D3 sports league in the country. In another thread, someone reported that seven NESCACs (Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Tufts, Wes and Midd) had admission rates below 20%. The competition among those schools in everything is fierce, and I just think it makes them all better. Carleton is a bit of a loner in its conference and affiliation. It really has no regional peers to speak of - maybe Grinnell. But everyone knows Carl is the very best LAC in the midwest.