<p>Ok, so I haven't gotten all of my admissions letters back yet. However, the thought of making a college decision in a one month period is somewhat daunting. As such, I thought I'd at least try to get some input to the colleges I'll consider, (not necessarily get into,) but just in case:</p>
<p>The schools:
Brandeis (already accepted, so, will only consider schools "better")
Williams
Bowdoin
Wesleyan
Vassar</p>
<p>Some stuff to help decide: I live like 10 minutes from Williams, don't know if that's a + or -. I'm not a party person, much at all. I don't drink / do drugs. I intend to major in American Studies / Political Science or American History. I'm gay and consider that a somewhat important factor in my search. Distance is somewhat important, although not much. I'm not really a "hippy" which could be a concern at Vassar or Wesleyan. I'm moderately liberal, actually more of just a moderate, and I usually consider myself a VERY moderate Republican. I do not play any sports, don't intend to, which could be problematic at Williams/Bowdoin.</p>
<p>Any input as to how, given the above information, I would fit in at the above 5 schools would be great!</p>
<p>As you find out from each school -- acceptance and any $$ offers, compare the two. (Brandeis and new one). Make your pick, then when the next one comes in, compare it to your previous choice--whatever is your favorite becomes the "one to beat". That way, assuming you are accepted to all 5, then it becomes a decision between only 2. Williams will probably be your last one to hear from, right---after April 1? You're right---the one month or less to decide the next 4 years of your life is kind of crummy. Good luck.</p>
<p>It depends. One of the things that bothered me about Purpoisepal's thread on "Comparing Universities to LACs" is how the same question subtly shifted from whether Wesleyan was a hippie school to whether Wesleyan was <em>perceived</em> as a hippie school: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=301229%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=301229</a> Two different questions. A visit is the only way to answer the first one concretely. As demostrated by the other thread you really can't argue against a perception; it all depends on your own level of maturity and self-confidence.</p>
<p>Well, I did visit Wesleyan, and quite frankly, didn't feel the whole "hippy" atmosphere. In fact, both of our tour guides were so preppy that they had popped collars. Seemed the anti of hippy to me.</p>
<p>But I still have to think that there is some validity to the general feelings of Wesleyan, etc. The fact that sooo many people suggest it has a "hippy" atmosphere must be, in some sense, true.</p>
<p>Right now my main problem is this - Brandeis seems to be my top choice, given the atmosphere, academics, etc, all seem a fit for me. HOWEVER, the other 4 are likely to give significantly better financial aid and are, by most accounts, more prestigious and "better" than Brandeis. I'd have a guilty conscience to go to a "lesser" school and pay more money.</p>
<p>If you literally live <em>10 minutes</em> from Williams, I think that you are underestimating that as a factor. Personally, I would never go there in your case. Some people would love it. Decide whether you find it a + or - because that would be important.</p>
<p>Haha, of course. Wesleyan's actually one I would be more apt to attend over Brandeis. Vassar seems solidly out of the picture. Bowdoin and Williams, primarily given the strength of their academics, are still somewhat in the picture. The party and athletic scenes at those and the drug/party scene at Vassar are concerns.</p>
<p>Wesleyan's party scene seems moderate. </p>
<p>I'm worrying about this when, in all likelyhood, I probably won't get into any of them. I'd be perfectly content at Brandeis.</p>
<p>I'd still like any input available as to the party scenes, social scenes and strength of academics at these schools! Thanks!</p>
<p>Well, for whatever reasons, you've applied to five academically prestigious institutions, four of which have pretty active party scenes of one type or another. My suspicion is that there is also a "party" scene at the fifth one (Brandeis) but so far, no one has been able to quite put their finger on what it consists of. Brandeis is the only outlier here; it's the only school with an active religious tie (albeit a strongly liberal one) and the only one founded since the end of World War Two. Technically, it's also the only research university on your list, though I don't think that necessarily makes it more academically prestigious or rigorous than the other four. It's bigger though I don't think that necessarily makes it any less personal than an LAC. Brandeis is just a an exceptional place; the fact that so many of its students are Jewish probably makes it more socially cohesive in some senses than Wesleyan. But. you could also say the same thing about Bowdoin and Williams since so many of their students come from similar (albeit WASP and sports oriented) backgrounds, too.</p>
<p>Which leaves Vassar and Wesleyan. Very similar and yet different. Both were formerly single sex schools that went co-ed at a bout the same time; they have similar sized student bodies and educational philosophies.</p>
<p>Most people would agree that Vassar has the prettier campus; it's walled in from it's host city of Poughkeepsie, but the town has a train that leaves for New York City pretty regularly.</p>
<p>Wesleyan embraces Middletown pretty completely; students and faculty live on its tree-lined streets; the school has made investments downtown. Wesleyan has a more spread-out, street-wise, feel to it than just about any other LAC except Barnard and perhaps, Trinity. Public transportation to and from it can be a pain in the neck, but, once there, Wesleyan students seem pretty happy with the mix of house parties, dorm parties and the occasional frat party. Of the five schools you've applied to, I would say only Brandeis and Wesleyan have the same degree of social and political activism.</p>
<p>I had pretty much written off Vassar. The supposed drug scene there was something of a concern. And, I wouldn't have much guilt attending Brandeis over Vassar, due to the relative prestige, name recognition, financial aid, etc.</p>
<p>As to the other 3, I'm somewhat up in the air. Wesleyan seems like a place I could handle. Williams is nearby, so, I'd still have people off campus to befriend, I know the area, and would feel "at home." Bowdoin's the farthest away of all my schools, and quite frankly, don't know if I see any reason to go there.</p>
<p>Could anyone comment on how non-party students get by at Williams, Bowdoin, Wesleyan?</p>
<p>i was a non-partier/drinker at bowdoin, and i'm gay. i made a point of living in the chem-free dorm my freshman year, and kind of (in a way) lived that way throughout my time there. my senior year i drank a bit, but maybe once a week, with friends down in brunswick. i went to a house party once my senior year for anthropological reasons. i felt i should know what it was like...put it on record. </p>
<p>i think bowdoin was very supportive for me, as a gay man. first, my friends were all, without exception, extraordinarily good with the news. they are still my closest friends even now, a few years after graduation. the school's atmosphere is very tolerant, almost exceedingly so, although there are sometimes problems with small levels of homophobia. there is an article in the orient now that deals with a recent issue. i never experienced homophobia at bowdoin, but when there was an isssue, the administration was very heavily involved, fora were held, discussions, etc. bowdoin deals with diversity in a really robust way. and i think that's fairly evident from the programs and curriculum. ultimately i thought the school was great for me as a gay man, a non-drinker, an intellectual type. </p>
<p>what i remember most from bowdoin is how fantastic the education was and how good the people were there. yes, there is a sporty/party scene, but i chose to be out of it, away from it, and loved my years there. if you have any other questions, i'll be happy to answer them. they're all tremendous schools. i don't think you can go wrong with any of them.</p>
<p>I had heard Bowdoin had a particular tolerance of the gay community, in fact, I mentioned it in my "what do I intend to experience at Bowdoin" essay.</p>
<p>What brought you to decide on Bowdoin, given the party scene and your lack of interest in that?</p>
<p>There's a substance free floor in one dorm at Wesleyan but it is not heavily utilized because after frosh year and certainly by junior year, Wesleyan students have a fair degree of control over who they share housing with. Sophomore housing tends to consist of small dorm suites and so-called "woodframes" which are nothing more than modest sized houses that the university has bought up in the surrounding neighborhood. Each year a lottery is held and you and your friends are able to pool points toward the most desirable houses. Seniors have the most points and sophomores the least. Suffice it to say that if you wish to start your own substance free living arrangement it's fairly easy to do so.</p>
<p>The other point that should be made is that no one, but no one is forced to drink (or, do drugs) at Wesleyan. It is not at all unusual to go to parties without doing either. And for people who prefer to avoid the party scene altogether there are movies, movies and more movies. Wesleyan is movie central among New England colleges; people teach and learn about them, watch them two and three nights a week; alum produce, direct and screenwrite them and come back to campus to show them and talk about them some more. And, there is a cineplex right in downtown Middletown. And, when your eyes get blurry from watching too many movies there are the usual mix of concerts, plays and stand-up comedy nights. Did I say, Wes had a fairly significant arts scene? It does.</p>
<p>i didn't really think of bowdoin as having any more significant a party scene than the other schools i was considering (dartmouth, and uva, in particular, were much more notorious party schools). when i visited, the school seemed smart, classically New England traditional, liberal, grounded, and full of friendly, good people. the party reputation didn't factor in much because i had a good vibe from the place when i visited and i knew there was a chem-free option. </p>
<p>also, i think the party reputation comes from a bowdoin many years ago. while i was there, and certainly even more so right now, i didn't get the sense that bowdoin was particularly raucous. the frats have been eliminated, the student body is significantly stronger, is more diverse, and more academically oriented than, say, years ago.</p>
<p>Like many things at Wesleyan, athletics are taken seriously but represent only one slice of the campus. Athletic fields take their place right beside academic buildings just like at British boarding schools; it's hard to escape football season because it's played right in the middle of campus. Even the new student center/cafeteria is shaped like a stadium. But, for all its "storied halls and brownstone walls", only about 26% of all Wesleyan students go out for varsity sports. There are two what I might call, sports oriented fraternities on campus, DKE and Psi U. They give great parties. But, there are many more non-sports houses that give good parties, too.</p>
<p>An addendum to johnwesley's post-- although 26% of Wes kids might be on varsity sports teams (where did you get that number?), it certainly doesn't FEEL like it. Although I personally am on one such team, my perception is that playing a varsity sport is rare. This is important for the social scene, because almost all Wes athletes have tons of other interests in the arts or music or whatever else.</p>
<p>(I'd also say that Psi U is known for being the least sports-affiliated frat. DKE is mostly hockey and football players; Beta mostly lacrosse. Psi U has a pretty good population of crew guys, but other than that a lot of members don't play any sports at all.)</p>
<p>addendum duly noted. :)
Yea, I can never keep track of whether Beta still exists. I guess it does. And you're correct, Psi U is more the "old money" house than a jock house strictly speaking. As for the sports participation figure -- it seems to vary depending on whether you include club sports -- and is almost always significantly lower than Williams. driver (post #20) quotes one figure "from the websites" in a thread back in 2005 regarding a NYTimes piece on athletic recruiting:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1617568%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1617568</a></p>
<p>The lack of a strong athletic culture at Wesleyan was a point which impressed me when I visited/researched Wesleyan.</p>
<p>My concern with Wesleyan is its (perhaps excessively) liberal atmosphere. Would anyone even remotely conservative (I'm ideologically a libertarian) fit in at Wesleyan?</p>