You’re welcome! If you go on Gettysburg website, they make it very clear if you will receive merit aid or not in the descriptions of the scholarships.
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One thing that I am wondering about is whether any of these studies implies that graduate school, such as a master’s degree, is a possibility. Another question would be: Do these majors result in a job that pays well enough to make paying off a college loan comfortable?
If a master’s degree is likely, then leaving some college money in the bank (or in a 529) might be a good idea.
Recent graduates frequently make barely enough to live on. Having no debt after graduation can in some cases make things easier after you graduate. One daughter for example found a dream job after graduation, but it only barely paid well enough to live (and it was way too far away for her to live with us). She could only take the job because she had not college debt at all. This led to a second job, which in turn was a great help for her applications to DVM programs, where she is studying right now.
As others have said you would need to get a parent or other “adult with a job and/or resources” to co-sign for part of this.
All of this is a rather slow way to say that avoiding debt might be a good idea if you can do so. This in turn makes me wonder whether you would be better off avoiding ED2, and instead waiting to get offers from multiple schools and comparing the offers before making a decision.
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Good to know.
The unique thing with Trinity is that their Urban Studies/Planning major, combined with their graduate certificate in planning, could mean almost immediate employment after graduation (in a decent-paying field).
This would allow me to take some time before pursuing grad school.
Or, considering that all these schools have connections, I could add a second major in Poli Sci or Econ and network my way into a financial-related position.
IMO Dickinson may be a better overall fit than Gettysburg or Bucknell for you. Also, consider Kalamazoo in Michigan, which is distance, but you would probably get some Merit and could be a good fit. Also, Goucher in Maryland, looking at some significant Merit and a good fit but not as academically competitive as other schools you are considering.
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I agree that you should definitely consider Dickinson, which is a good mix of what you like about Gettysburg and Bates.
Also agree that Dickinson is worth looking into.
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With ED2, you will still have to do all your RD apps. So unlike ED1, you don’t avoid that work nor will you get to ride on your junior year laurels alone. Put differently, this is the same as doing all RD apps in terms of work.
If you are successful at your ED school, you’ll pull your RD apps without getting any RD results. Obvious, I know, but it points to the real reason for doing this – to get the best shot possible at your top choice school. Yet here we are, in December, and none has found its way into your heart as “the one”.
So I am not quite sure why you want to do ED2. If you are sure you’d pick Bates and be okay paying your EFC and you feel like ED gives you the best chance, go for it! But if you are not sure if it’s the one, it’s unclear why you would do that.
Fwiw, my kid considered all 4 of these. Of this group, he strongly favored Bates. Trinity was his second choice in that group, then Gettysburg and Bucknell came in last. But there were other schools in the mix too. (And Dickinson was one of them.) But that’s one kid - not you! If you really don’t have a favorite, I would suggest applying to all RD and doing accepted student events when you have decisions. Might you be ever so disadvantaged at 1 of these? Perhaps. But you might also have much better insight in April into your best fit.
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How about Connecticut College?
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Maybe College of Wooster in Ohio, which apparently has a great marching band?
Definitely look at the course catalogs at the various colleges this weekend and the classes you can take across the majors you are interested in.
A few of your safeties are possibly better matches for your interests.
I do not think you need to EDII anywhere - take the time to see who offers you the most opportunities.
UVM and UNH both have tremendous programs in the areas you are interested in studying. They have federal and state grants to do work on your areas of interest.
Both are LGBTQ welcoming and supportive.
Gettysburg College has the largest Environmental Studies dept in the country of any LAC (in terms of full time faculty). It is excellent.
Dickinson College has a greater emphasis on campus sustainability. Both have strong LBGTQ communities. Apply regular decision so that you can get the best possible merit scholarship.
Not sure if this thread is too old for me to update, but…
In the end, I applied RD to all of them.
- Rejected Bates
- Accepted Dickinson
- Accepted Trinity
- Accepted Gettysburg
- Accepted Bucknell
I’ll likely start to visit these schools and compare my options. Dickinson gave me a solid scholarship and a Gettysburg gave me their highest level scholarship—it’s about the same cost as my state flagship! I’m still waiting to hear from Trinity’s office of financial aid, and Bucknell gave me very little.
I received admission into all the other schools (except for SU, they haven’t released most decisions yet). April will be a very interesting month…
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Congratulations on the great acceptances! Let us know where you end up.
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Both Dickinson and Gettysburg are terrific schools. Unless Bucknell is easy to afford without loans or dipping into retirement, etc, (for your parents), then I’d scratch them without a visit. No reason to be tempted by something unaffordable when you have other great options.
Trinity may be fine too, of course, but I, personally, know nothing about them except their name.
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Once again, hopefully I can still use this thread.
After visiting, I’m now quite torn between Dickinson, Gettysburg, Trinity, Clark, and UCONN.
Honestly, all come with great opportunities. However, different opportunities. UCONN has tons of majors to choose from! Gettysburg has given me admission to an honors-type program. Dickinson has the best social life (for me). Trinity has a solid name. Clark is full of convention-challenging people.
(In short: It’s tough). Reputation-wise, they’re all somewhat similar. Trinity has an edge in the financial realms, Gettysburg has an edge in the government/policy realms, Dickinson has the edge in the policy/legal realms, UCONN has an edge in the STEM realms, and Clark has an edge in a few specific majors.
But the quality of education is similar for all of them. UCONN is the “odd one out” due to size, but I’m still very much so considering it. Clark is also a little odd because I’m really only attracted to it for one major…but if I switch, then…that’s a bit of a downside. But it’s a cute school.
Trinity is a little preppy, but they’re trying to diversify their student body in admissions (and I think it’s working, to a certain degree).
Dickinson felt intellectual. It felt a lot like Oberlin or Connecticut College.
Gettysburg felt a little less “intellectual” than Dickinson (and more preppy), but I like the extracurricular options better, and I did get into an “honors program” of sorts.
Like I said, I’ve visited everything. At this point, I think it might be time for some “soul-searching,” but I wanted to ask for any last advice for “hunkering down” and choosing what I hope will be the “right school.”
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I think you’re overthinking.
You need the best fit - and fit includes finances, especially if money will strain your family. All are great schools and as you noted, some might be better in one area than another. But guess what - do you think there’s only lawyer from Harvard or Wall Street people from Penn.
Maybe Gettsyburg has an edge in government - but I promise you people from all the other schools will be found in government related jobs as well.
Here’s the other secret - many kids could be happy at many schools. So it’s not like you’d only have a great experience at one of those schools - so pick one and then don’t worry - it will be great.
Which is best cost? Or easiest for your family to get you? Or has food that’s tolerable, etc.
To me, this is a telling statement - Dickinson has the best social life (for me).
It will be fine. I promise.
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Congratulations on some terrific options! D20 visited and applied to several you have mentioned (she was accepted ED somewhere you don’t list, so she never had to make a choice). Her counselor kept saying she would have plenty of options and I think ED gave her an easy out. Each school is very strong and you couldn’t go wrong with any of them.
The one thing I will say is she eliminated Bucknell from her application list because it didn’t feel right to her - too Greek and too much partying. I looked through your thread and you mention you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. That, IMO, makes me think Bucknell might not be the best fit.
I’m not seeing a downside to Dickinson. You liked the social vibe and you said it felt intellectual. So it seems you’ll get both the peers and the academic feel you like.
You can justify anything, but it’s getting down to the wire and you can only go to one school. Today, just say no to three of them. To me, the ones that seem least of interest are Gettysburg and U Conn. At Storrs, there is no town. There is nothing but the college. And at Clark, you only like one major and the edginess of the students, but are you one of those kids too? And you mentioned Trinity again, which seems so forgettable to you that I also forgot about it.
Dickinson and one other. Get down to two. You can only go to one.
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Flip coins between pairs, but instead of keeping the winner, keep the one you hope wins. Eventually you’ll get down to the one you really want to go to. Assuming it’s easily affordable, go there. (Anything not really affordable shouldn’t be in the running.)
Any one of your choices can work for you, though from your writing I’d eliminate both Clark and Trinity because they seem to be less fondly written about.
Still, any of your choices are fine - none stand out as bad.
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Agree that Dickinson seems like the best fit, and I don’t see how one could like both the social life and politics there and at Gettysburg which does seem like number 2 from above; they seem very different on paper and CC. What do you like about social life at Dickinson vs Gettysburg? Are you fervently liberal and socially mindful or preppy/sporty and moderate?