I am stuck trying to decide between BC and CC to commit to, and I was wondering if you all have any guidance!
I was looking for a medium school where I could get a bit of a college experience, however I am extremely outdoorsy and spend my time rock climbing 6 days a week. I like skiing and sailing too! I’m worried BC might be a little too preppy and not have enough climbing. I am also worried that CC would be too small, too close to home, and pre med would be very challenging on the block program.
You’re going to college to get an education first. There are lots of breaks when you can focus on your hobbies. If you want to go to med school, you’re going to have to put in a lot of time on your studies and get top grades. Both of these schools draw top students, so the competition is going to be severe.
The size of the college is less important than some of the other things you mention because research says that you’ll have the same number of friends regardless of the size of the school. I also wouldn’t worry about the preppy factor at BC. It’s big enough that you’ll find others that you can connect with.
I would spend more time evaluating the block plan and how well you’ll do in that system vs the more traditional format at BC.
I think that distance from home is important too. Going thousands of miles from home is not for everyone. A lot can happen in 4 years, and sometimes being disconnected from people who matter to you can be hard. On the other hand, if you want college to be an adventure where you can be exposed to new places and new things, going far from home is the way to go. In addition, there’s an enormous difference between Colorado Springs and Boston. All of this comes down to personal choice.
One factor you didn’t mention is the fact that Boston has more world class hospitals packed into one city than almost anywhere else. Mass General. Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Boston Children’s. All best of their kind. And that’s just for starters. When my pre-med GD at Harvard took a Covid gap year last year, she continued to live in her off campus apartment and found a full time job as a research assistant that she could commute too. You can look for summer internships anywhere, but when some of the ones you want to apply for are right in your own backyard, it’s a little easier to get started. The average age of first year medical students is now 24. Med schools like to see their applicants do something else for a year or two after college. Again, there are lots of great opportunities in and around Boston.
Bottom line is that both are great schools where you can get an excellent education. But they will be 2 very different experiences. Your choice. What do you want?
Given your interest in pre med, I would really try to figure out how you think you would learn best.
Some students really thrive on the one class at a time model. You can be all in. Lots of time for labs. If immersing yourself in a subject appeals to you, it’s great. Otoh, if you struggle with a concept, you will have less time to go find help, circle back, or review because the class will be galloping ahead.
Maybe having a mix of classes suits you better. Having variety may feel less tedious. You will have time to get help with confusing material before the class moves head. But you’ll have to juggle more things. Prof A won’t know that Prof B has also created a heavy demand on the same time.
There is no right answer for everyone. It’s up to you.
As for climbing – you are likely to do this on weekends and breaks. There are opportunities within a few hour drive from Boston. Perhaps a little less exciting than CO but if you are doing this recreationally, you’ll have outlets in either place.
Lot of good points in your post, but I just wanted to ask about rock climbing at Colorado Springs. I was only there once and it was for a short visit, but it struck me as very flat. Sure, there are mountains in the distance, but I imagine that they take a long time to get too? Maybe I’m missing something.
Also, s/he likes skiing & sailing. You can get to skiing opportunities from either school, but where do you go sailing in Colorado?
I don’t think any of this is the basis on which to make a decision about a $300,000 investment in higher education other than being a tangential consideration, but just curious about a couple of these points.
Interesting thread. Both attract a lot of students from prosperous families.
Colorado College is at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Lots of access to rock climbing & snow skiing within a reasonable distance.
Substances are more prevalent at the laid-back Colorado College. It would not be unfair to describe this school as a haven for rich kids who enjoy both indoor & outdoor recreation.
Colorado College is small.
Boston College is not small & is located in one of the best cities for college students in the world
I have never known of a student deciding between these two schools. Very interesting.
All of the BC applicants that I have known regarded BC as their top choice school.
Hmm, on lakes and reservoirs? If OP says they like sailing and CC is close to home, so OP must have opportunities to sail somewhere close.
Colorado springs is not flat. Climbing opportunities very close. However, I agree that a student will not be able to go 6 times per week for several hours per day. Lots of other activities like biking and running available.
My D22 was also going back and forth between these very two schools this fall! She eventually chose Colorado College because it checked many of the boxes that were important to her without compromising on easy access to the outdoors for hiking and skiing (she is not a climber though). CC attracts serious climbers… and those kids find a way to integrate their sport with the rhythm of the block plan. So it is possible to climb at a pretty intense level with so many opportunities close by.
I agree the two schools are very different in a lot of ways. She loved BC but at the end of the day after spending some time on both campuses she felt like CC was a true fit for her.
Of course you can’t go wrong by choosing BC- so impressive on many levels and the spirit/community seems incredible. Good luck, I know first hand it is a tough decision because my daughter struggled a bit until she got onto the campuses. Maybe that could help you as well if you can spend some time at each school? Good luck!!
