<p>I applied to several top LACs and universities. I'm fairly familiar with the reputations of the top universities, but my counselor and people I've spoken too have sort of muddled up the top LACs. I sort of went by US News as a basic guideline when I started looking, and I'm not sure of the difference in reputation between Wesleyan and Williams, for example. </p>
<p>I applied to Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Vassar, and Wesleyan. </p>
<p>Also, how do Pomona and Claremont McKenna match up against the LACs in the east?</p>
<p>There are various threads on Williams vs. Amherst vs. Wesleyan etc. so you might want to look at those for more detail. The student body is supposed to be a little more artsy/hipster at Vassar and Wesleyan and Swarthmore always gets listed as intense and intellectual. Amherst has no core curriculum which makes a difference to some people. Then there are the location differences-- suburban (Swarthmore) vs. small city (Wesleyan) vs. very rural town (Williams) vs. rural area with several colleges in a consortium (Amherst). Definitely go to admitted student days if you get the chance because that will also help to compare the LAC vs. university experience.</p>
<p>^So why is Pomona ranked 6th in US News when its endowment/acceptance rate/SAT avg etc equals or bests Amherst’s? i know USN isn’t gospel, but if “WASP” is an acronym for top LACs, why is Middlebury ranked ahead of Pomona and not included with those four?</p>
<p>I’m not really interested in engineering, so I never looked at Harvey Mudd. I’ve also already applied to schools… I just haven’t been informed very well on the differences because my school is pretty terrible.</p>
<p>Hitch, I’m more interested in the academic reputation comparison than the culture/location… would the level of education I receive at Wesleyan/Vassar be equal to “WASP”? Is it like the difference between Brown and Yale (negligible)?</p>
<p>The academic reputation of any and all small liberal arts colleges is variable, depending on whom you ask. All of the schools on your list are well known to graduate and professional school admissions committes, Fortune 500 HR departments, Wall Street and anyone who follows higher education. However, the average man/woman on the street, your nextdoor neighbor and 9 out of 10 people you meet will never have heard to them, unless they happen to live nearby or have a friend who attends.</p>
<p>You will get an excellent education at any of the schools on your list, but if you expect “brand name” recognition, forget about LACs. </p>
<p>Quantifying the level of education between these schools would be splitting hairs, though I would put the others slightly ahead of Vassar in academic rigorousness. The difference in reputation between Pomona and CMC and the Eastcoast schools is just that: the difference between East and Westcoasts because LACs tend to have regional name recognition.</p>
<p>All LACs have distinct personalities, in part due to the type of student whom they attract, in part due to their physical environment, in part due to their pervasive culture. If you’re so lucky to be accepted to more than one, you should be sure to visit before making a decision. At small schools, fit is very very important. You will do best where you are the happiest.</p>
<p>Williams, Amherst, and Wellesley remain the most prestigious LACs, but that doesn’t mean that institutions such as Swarthmore, Pomona, and Middlebury don’t offer academic and social experiences that one may justly consider superior.</p>
<p>Take Swat, for example: proximity to L.A., aesthetically pleasing campus, cross-registration with Haverford (Bio), Bryn Mawr (Art History, Classics), and Penn (etc.), more academically-oriented students (non-NESCAC LAC). Then, there’s Pomona, a sensible choice, due to its exceptional consortium, all the academic and social resources offered by it.</p>
<p>I am not interested in LACs vs universities or prestige/name-recognition so much as the place where I can get the best education. LACs interest me because of the lack of TAs and the small classes. I plan to go to grad school, so my primary goal at my undergrad school is to be in a good learning environment. </p>
<p>I’ve heard great things about Swarthmore and Pomona academics, and the open curriculum at Amherst is very interesting. I visited Wesleyan and really liked the students and the culture, but I’m not sure whether choosing Wesleyan/Vassar over a school like Amherst or Yale would be smart. </p>
<p>And yes, I’ll probably visit any school I get accepted to.</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much until you get in! Academics at Amherst and Williams are supposed to be great and I can’t imagine that Swarthmore and Pomona would be more so. Some people seem to like the tutorial system at Williams, but others love the academic opportunities that the consortium offers at Amherst. You might find a very slight difference in the caliber of student at Vassar vs. Williams, and that can impact the academic experience, but, as you said it’s like the Brown/Yale difference----slight.</p>
<p>If you end up having to choose, your decision should be made on ambience and learning style. The quality of education – especially among Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona – is identical and excellent. The culture and environment are all different and you, as an individual, may fit better at one instead of the other.</p>
<p>I could see good personal preference reasons to choose Wesleyan and Vassar over Amherst. My son ended up at Williams, but due to his personal education priorities, Wesleyan was his #2 and Amherst and Swarthmore weren’t on his shortlist.</p>
<p>Yale is a whole different category. A friend of my son’s chose Pomona over Yale and never regretted the decision, but again (and again and again) each person has his/her own priorties. Listen to yourself.</p>
<p>My point is, it’s hard to tell on a purely macro level who made out better on the deal, Williams or Wesleyan? The adcom at Wesleyan obviously saw something they wanted to lock-in via EDII that Williams didn’t.</p>
<p>I think the advice of momrath post #7 was good. Like you, D wanted only LACs for the more intimate intellectual climate. She applied to 7 excellent LACs and was fortunate to get accepted to them all. She therefore picked the one with an environment that spoke to her, and is happily nestled in the Bershires at Williams. I’m sure she would have been a contented student at Swarthmore for example, but the community had a totally different feel and she felt like an outsider. You can’t go wrong with all the excellent LACs you chose, but visit and choose the ones that you feel most comfortable. They all do have a distinctive feel.</p>