Hey y’all!
I’ve been accepted to Swarthmore College and Wesleyan University.
Considering different aspects (reputation and ranking, academic rigor, location), I’d prefer Swarthmore; however, Wesleyan having dual degrees in engineering with Dartmouth and Columbia (which isn’t guaranteed since the coming year) attracts me. (my interested majors are engineering and CS; CS more!) Do you think dual degrees are a big factor to be considered in deciding between colleges? Do you know how many students from Wesleyan do these dual degrees usually?
Thanks!
It remains to be seen. The old 3-2 dual degree program was not so popular since it meant leaving friends behind a year early (the Wesleyan bubble is kind of strong.) The 2-1-1-1 dual degree with Dartmouth is fairly new and has the advantage of graduating with one’s class before finishing up with one more year at Dartmouth.
I would say maybe a dozen or so students from each class do a dual degree from what I’ve heard.
I would consider it as part of your decision but not too emphatically and only if you’re absolutely sure you want to do a dual degree. Most students end up changing their mind about their major several times–it’s unlikely you’ll still have the same mindset regarding doing a dual degree in three years.