Hi guys,
so as someone who wants to study economics/international relations and potentially going to law school, I am really interested in Connecticut College and Sewanee. I didn’t get the chance to visit but interviewed both schools and felt like I would love these two places most.
However, since I don’t have much info on these schools I was wondering:
1)Which school is more prestigious/well known? I know i won’t be basing my decision on this but I only found out about these schools like late last year too so was wondering if it is well known to employers/within the US.
2)As a low income/non-white student would I have a problem fitting in at both? What is the community like at each school and what is the campus like?
- Which one would you recommend and why?
if you have any info on these two, please let me know. Thank you!
I’ll leave #1 and #3 to others. Regarding #2, the following may help if you haven’t yet discovered it on your own.
Both have the same number of students, ~1720
Conn College has twice as many minority students, and twice as many international students.
Conn College and Sewanee have relatively equal numbers of students from different SES levels.
Sewanee is located in a tiny town (<2,400) in the south that is not diverse at all and is very remote.
Conn College is located in a small city (~28,000) in the northeast that is very diverse: 35%+ of the city of New London are minorities. There are stores, restaurants, apartments, banks, museums and activities in the area around the campus.
Good luck in your decision!
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Are you still considering the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia ?
Any other options ?
Suwanee–The University of the South has a breathtakingly beautiful location.
The University of the South has a bit of a well off , conservative Southern feel.
Dominated by Greek social life. Lots of drinking. Small school of about 1,700 students.
Reminds me of an elite prep school for Southerners. Could be a great experience for 2 years, but then the smallness of the number & variety of students may cause some discomfort.
A significant percentage–about 11% or 12%–do not return for the sophomore year. This is not considered a high attrition rate, but it is noticeable in such a small community.
Similar to Washington & Lee University.
Overlap schools: Furman, Wash & Lee, Wake Forest, UNC, Univ. of Virginia, Univ. of Georgia, Univ. of Tennessee, & Rhodes College.
Very similar to a conservative, elite boarding school experience with alcohol. Can be fun for the right person for 2 years, then it would be time to move on to a larger school in my opinion.
Thank you for the comment - that was really interesting and something I didn’t think about so it was really helpful 
And yes, I am still considering the University of Toronto as I got my offer already! Just deciding between UofT or waiting for LAC results (especially these 2)
Congratulations regarding your offer of admission to the University of Toronto. Very exciting !
Conn College is nice. Full of nice people. Majority female student population. Near the US Coast Guard Academy.
Hope that you get to visit Suwanee. The location is incredible.
I & my family members love Vancouver & Victoria, British Columbia. Gorgeous.
You have interesting taste with respect to schools. I admire that quality.
U of Toronto, for sure. SO much more opportunity at the highest ranked university in Canada, vs small, less than top notch LAC’s in the US.
But if you were choosing between these two LAC’s, I’d recommend Conn College over Sewanee.
Have you ever been to Toronto? It’s a GREAT city - tons of energy, like NYC, but feels cleaner, safer. Lots of exciting ethnic areas. The campus is close to the downtown, but still has a campus feel to it. I don’t see how you could turn them down.
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Between those two Connecticut Colleges for the same reasons others mentioned. Between Connecticut College and UT I would compare COA and if somewhat equal would favor Connecticut College.
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Tough to turn down the University of Toronto unless one strongly prefers a small, intimate environment.
U of Toronto carries a lot of prestige & offers a lot of options in an exciting location.
Of course. But those two schools couldn’t be more different. Generally speaking I’ve seen quite a few “low income/non white student(s)” struggle at gargantuan universities (even though it is easier to find a group) and better outcomes at small/intimate environments. It is a bit of a paradox and not really set in stone. But if OP is bringing this question up I think maybe it means something?
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For “a low-income non-white student”, the clear choice is the University of Toronto if COA is equal.
OP: Are you a US citizen or a Canadian national ?
I disagree as I don’t think there is such a thing as a “clear choice” in these matters, it all comes down to fit and there are no clear rules like that.
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Thank you everyone for your response -
@Publisher I am an international student and for COA, I would be paying roughly $1,000 more for Connecticut/Sewanee compared to Toronto but this should not be a problem.
@notigering @parentologist Thank you for your opinion between UofT and the LACs as well. I do get a lot of “you should go for UofT for its prestige” and i do know UofT carries a lot in its name, however, I do know that the prestige comes from graduate research output and not undergrad. I just thought LACs are better for me since I enjoy small class with discussions, and wanted a full college experience and I heard UofT lack a sense of community due to a LARGE amount of students and a commuter campus feel.
I do want to go to Law School and thought Conn/Sewanee had a lot of support as well so that is mainly why I am looking at LACs.
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Similar level of prestige, but slight edge to Conn College, maybe because of its New England location.
That may be more about you, but there is far more diversity at Conn College, so if that makes you comfortable, that may be the better choice. According to my sources, The University of the South is one of the most beautiful LA campuses in the nation.
Conn College, mostly because of the questions you asked and not necessarily because it is better. Close friend is a graduate of Sewanee and not even close to a rich white southerner and still raves of his college experience. He loved the traditional education and southern scene it provided - and he was a diverse northerner.
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If you want to go to law school I would strongly advise Connecticut College. Huge public schools are notorious for weeding people out of their medical, law and engineering (this one through attrition) dreams. Some of course still make it in the end but it is a tiny minority. The proportional hit rate of LAC graduates making it into professional graduate programs such as medicine and law is much, much better. Something important to consider that gets almost no attention here.
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Given what you have said in other posts, Conn College seems a better fit for you than Sewanee. As a NESCAC school, it will be more known in the northeast of the US, whihc might be advantageous in terms of networking and opportunities after graduating.
Conn has a slightly higher freshman retention rate than Sewanee. It is markedly less white. Have a look at Niche and compare the two schools, which will rate various categories, from professors to campus life.
Toronto will have a totally different feel altogether. It isn’t comparable to the two schools you have asked about here.
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One thing you should look at is internship and career placement at all 3 schools as well as law/medical school acceptance rates of that’s something you are considering. You might be surprised to see how well a small, not east coast school like Sewanee stacks up.
Also fit is key. An LAC can be a much better choice and launch you farther if you are someone who would benefit from that kind of small supportive environment. It can also be easier to be a big fish in a small pond and distinguish yourself.
I suggest you go back to the admissions counselors at each school and ask some of these questions. Explore the career offices and find out where students are getting g internships and how strong the alumni networks are as they often drive career placement.