Hey!
I was accepted to Trinity College, Connecticut College and Dickinson College. All of which are pretty reputable but I’m having a hard time distinguishing and differentiating what their strengths and weaknesses are. They also have very similar stats. I want to major in Environmental Science with maybe another major in Political Science. After that, I hope go to Law school and be an environmental lawyer. I understand they are all relatively homogenous which I’m not sure how to feel about considering I am Mexican-American and I’m interested in minoring in Latino-American Studies (I did go to boarding school, however, so I’m pretty acclimated to that environment).
When I visited, I definitely liked Dickinson and ConnColl more and I didn’t really consider Trinity because I thought I wouldn’t get in. I understand that Trinity has a much better name (or does it?) and that that name could offer me better opportunities.
So now the question is, which school can offer me the best experiences and opportunities? Can anyone expand on what their classes, social lives, and overall vibes are like? Pros/cons? Which can give me the best overall experience in your opinion(s)?
Furthermore, I received no financial aid from the two other than unsubsidized loans so I guess that variable is out of the question.
I think you can truly choose by subjective impressions with these three colleges. Trinity is a nice school with a distinguished history, but does have the lowest SAT scores in the group. So as you already implied, it is far from definitive whether Trinity has a “much better name.” (But subtract 25-75 points from the two SAT-optional schools for a truer comparison.) After looking through the catalogs, considering the social structures (fraternities, gender balance), and urban vs. small town settings, as well as learning a little of the history of each school, you can confidently choose your favorite with the knowledge that it is at least equal to the other two.
One thing about Trinity though, the College’s Long Walk is pretty cool.
@Senior123b5r5v: Glad you are going back to all of them! I really think you will find a good fit for yourself from these three. They are similar enough to indicate you know pretty much what you want, but different enough so that you can match your unique preferences to one in particular. Make learning about these colleges your hobby for the next few weeks. If you post after your visits, I’ll try to look for it. Good luck until then!
The other thing I would add is that Dickinson has a highly-developed study abroad program, which may or may not interest you. That is one of their big strengths.
And I don’t really think that either of the 3 has a substantially bigger “reputation” than the others. All 3 are fine schools, so you have great options here.