<p>I've been a religious CC follower but never decided to actually create an account until now. I know a lot of prefrosh (and potential prefrosh) have question of Wesleyan culture, student life, etc. I'm a current Wesleyan undergrad, so feel free to ask away!</p>
<p>Hi wesleyinged, I am considering a few schools which have accepted me, but I have not come to a decision. Would you mind giving me some opinions on them? I am currently more inclined to Wesleyan or Bowdoin. I am a prelaw student and intend to take a minor or double on economics.</p>
<p>Wesleyan:
Pro:
CSS-especially strong and attractive program on comprehensive social science subjects
open curriculum and pass&fail-allow me to take interesting but hard classes
diversity and open
program house
relatively large while keeping students close
drawback:
less recognized in terms of reputation?(someone said this and shocked me but I am not inclined to believe, wes belongs with Amherst and Williams as one of little three anyway,guess the USNEWS ranking thing is silly…)
students are not close?(another strange thing I heard…just to confirm)</p>
<p>Vassar:
pro:
just like wes but dining and housing are not as good，and no special programs like CSS
drawback：
more artsy than politically active</p>
<p>Bowdoin:
pro:
great gov programs
housing and dining also great
drawback:
lack of diversity and less friendly to international students? cause they have only 4%.
the location in Maine-a little separated and highly focused on outdoor sports? I am not very sportive.
again, just to confirm, a student in Colby told me that Bowdoin is “all white preppy", I do not know if its true, but I certainly hope that it is not.</p>
<p>Haverford:
pro:
better location near philadephia
only 1200 people-make it more close and alums more willing to help with network?
honor code-a special trait
drawback:
remains to confirm-not social science enough? more pro-natural science?
less people apply to Law school-prelaw and gov atmosphere?</p>
<p>Thanks for asking :)</p>
<p>1) How’s the food?
2) How’re the dorms?
3) How friendly are students/faculty?
4) How hard are classes? How many are pass/fail?
5) How tough is the winter? For a person who’s used to CA weather?</p>
<p>I’m about 90% set on choosing Wes. My other choices are UVA and USC but I prefer a smaller school in a smaller city with a more intellectual setting :)</p>
<p>What is the community surrounding the school like? Is it violent? Is there much to do? How close is the school to major towns?</p>
<p>When I visited, I felt that there was a “bitterness” on campus of being NOT an ivy school - a lot of students mentioned that their first choice had been Brown.</p>
<p>Mentions of lots of traditions involving alcohol - I’m not into drinking.</p>
<p>The students seemed cold towards prefrosh → is there always the sense of elite-ness J Crew Apple/Mac - ness on campus? </p>
<p>Is the 5 year BA/MA program reputable?</p>
<p>I’m stuck between Wes and Carleton…</p>
<p>maddawgcello, approximately 40% of the class is made up of ED applicants, meaning that a good chunk of students had Wesleyan as their first choice. The claim that a top LAC is bitter about not being an ivy is a little far-fetched (a lot far-fetched).</p>
<p>I can’t speak to the drinking culture since I am not yet enrolled, but as for J Crew - ness, I have to wonder if we’re talking about the same school. If anything, Wesleyan is known for students wearing “hipster” clothes and promoting counterculture, certainly not for flaunting preppy attributes and harboring a “sense of elite-ness.” (This too is a generalization, as Wesleyan students span a broad range of clothing preferences and lifestyle choices.) No idea about the Macs, but would that really be such an issue?</p>
<p>As for the BA/MA, I am unsure of reputability but can say that Wesleyan is known to have strong science programs and great research opportunities. Tuition for the 5th year (Masters) is waived, so the program is a good opportunity to consider.</p>
<p>Hi! I am accepted this year and the question I have may be a little weird :</p>
<p>In the financial aid package, it is written that the cost of “books and supplies” is 2665$. Isn’t that a little high? Does it include the cost of a mid-range notebook? What does it consist of?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Middletown is not a violent place; i don’t even think of it as a particularly dangerous place. It’s a place of contrasts, which, I suppose, is a polite way of saying that there are poor people as well as a thriving professional class all within walking distance of each other. Let’s start with the thriving part. Middletown’s Main Street has undergone a real renaissance. Twenty years ago it was dotted with boarded up storefronts, today I would compare it favorably to such typical college towns as Middlebury and Northampton. Judging from the number of cars seen parked in metered spaces on a recent Friday night, however, I’d say, about ninety percent of the commerce comes from people living in Higganum, Berlin and nearby Portland and Meriden. The people in the immediate neighborhood seem strangely insular from the town’s nightlife.</p>
<p>And, therein lies the rub. Only about 14% of the two and three blocks that lie between campus and Main Street are made up of owner-occupied homes. About ten percent are people living in heavily subsidized settings like senior citizens homes or public housing; the rest are people living in some of the old Victorian homes that have been converted to apartments. They are not bad people, just not the sort of people who contribute foot traffic after dark.</p>
<p>I think a lot of this will be solved by way of increasing the size of the business district, but probably not without a lot of opposition:
[Planning</a> & Zoning Commission Approves Zoning Text Change | Wesleying](<a href=“http://wesleying.org/2013/03/13/planning-zoning-commission-approves-zoning-text-change/]Planning”>http://wesleying.org/2013/03/13/planning-zoning-commission-approves-zoning-text-change/)</p>
<p>@maddawgcello,</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Honestly, I’ve seen none of that since I’ve been here. We’re actually part of the “Little Ivies”, so I don’t think anyone cares about the actual title. Frankly, a lot of students who end up at Wesleyan are happy they didn’t end up at Brown. I can’t speak for everyone, but I do know at least a dozen people who got accepted, deferred, waitlisted, or rejected from Brown, and I’ve never sensed a twinge of bitterness from them. If anything, Wes students joke about the number of Brown rejects.</p></li>
<li><p>As for alcohol, I believe you’re thinking of Tour de Franzia (which is a one-night event). Yes, it’s alcohol-centric. However, I will say that we do have other events that are not based around alcohol (Wesleyan’s student government, the Wesleyan Student Assembly, has been making a huge effort to create events that are not alcohol-driven this year). In addition, no one on campus will ever judge you for drinking or not drinking, and I think that’s something so important about Wesleyan. I don’t go out that much, and I’ve never been judged for that.</p></li>
<li><p>On the topic of JCrew/Mac-ness, yes we all have Macs. So does every kid on every other college campus. If the Macbook thing is deterring you from attending Wesleyan, it’ll probably keep you from going to Carleton as well.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>On the topic of clothing, I know a couple of kids who wear brands like JCrew, but the campus as a whole is the opposite of “JCrew elitist”. Sure, those people do exist, but they exist everywhere. I think the thing that separates Wesleyan from a lot of other schools is that Wes students question people if they make a elitist or politically incorrect comment. They’ll ask them what they mean, and resolve any conflict. For example, I’m in a writing course this semester, and some kid made an extremely pretentious (and somewhat offensive) comment in class. At least four kids called him out on it. They weren’t mean; they just wanted to better understand his statement. He reflected on it and realized that he meant something different. If you need any more clarification on the elitist point, let me know! </p>
<ol>
<li>I think you’re talking about a bunch of the dual programs, and I just don’t know much about them!</li>
</ol>
<p>Hey Wesleyinged! I’m currently deciding between Wesleyan and NYU (and George Washington, but I doubt I’ll choose it).
I’m interested in studying Economics, International Relations and a bunch of other things (which is why Wesleyan’s curriculum seems really attractive). I’m sure I’ll be really happy with the academics at Wesleyan, but I’m a bit worried about social life and location. </p>
<p>I visited the Wesleyan campus, and even though I’ve heard the the students are very active, the campus seemed pretty quiet, so many question is: Does it get boring at Wesleyan, especially during the winter when its freezing?<br>
How is the social life there? Does the campus overall have a happy and engaged vibe?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help</p>
<p>Is it okay for waitlisted student to attend wesfest 2013? Or is this going to be super embarrassing to do. My D never visited or toured Weslyean, she is waitlisted and Weslean is her first choice school. She also never had an interview, but, she also did not know that she had to ask for one. Very few students from hr school get admitted to Wesleayan.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There’s a definite nerd-ish, geek-ish side to Wesleyan symbolized by the enormous bandwith given over to discussing senior theses this time of the year:
<a href=“http://wesleying.org/2013/04/10/thesiscrazy-the-almost-final-hour/[/url]”>http://wesleying.org/2013/04/10/thesiscrazy-the-almost-final-hour/</a>
you can frequently stand at ten o’clock at night on the corner of High Street and Williams, the intersection of the two busiest streets on campus, and hear a pin drop. But, there’s also a very real, freak side that is perhaps not noticeable because the busiest part of campus shifts westward toward the senior ghetto after nightfall. </p>
<p>Also, the walls holding up some of those old stone buildings are about two feet thick.</p>
<p>From what our daughter, a freshman at Wes, tells us … if there’s one adjective that can’t be used to describe life at Wesleyan … it’s “boring.”</p>
<p>I think if you read the student-run “life at Wes” blog “Wesleying” you’ll agree with her characterization of Wesleyan as an incredibly interesting place with all manner of intellectual, social, and community activities, involvement, and heartfelt, fully-committed engagement:</p>
<p>[Wesleying</a> | Real Student Life at Wesleyan University](<a href=“http://wesleying.org/]Wesleying”>http://wesleying.org/)</p>
<p>Hey jordano1995!</p>
<p>Well, I can honestly, whole-heartedly say that Wesleyan is NEVER boring. I’m being serious. We. Are. Not. Boring. There’s gobs of stuff to do here ALL THE TIME (Example: tonight I’m watching seniors celebrate turning in their theses on the steps of Olin, going to a culture show, and going to see Silver Linings Playbook on campus via our awesome Film Series), people are fascinating, and the faculty and staff are just insanely incredible. </p>
<p>Like most colleges though, the experience is what you make of it; if you sit in your dorm room and play Bubble Spinner until your computer mouse breaks, it’ll be boring. But if you seize the infinite number of opportunities that Wesleyan has to offer (and believe me when I say infinite), you will never be bored. You just can’t be bored. It’s pretty much an impossibility here.</p>
<p>And yeah, Wesleying is a great resource if you’re trying to see the culture of Wesleyan! I recommend checking it out.</p>
<p>@jordano1995 My brother is graduating from wes this year and he REALLY loved it. And I know you’re interested in economics and my brother majored in mathematical economics. He hasn’t even graduated yet and already is working part-time at an excellent investment firm (he didn’t have to take any classes this semester because he had so many college credits from high school). So, from what I can tell and what he says, the economics department is excellent if that’s what you’re into.</p>
<p>Question: How strong ar the BA/MS programs at Wesleyan (like to grads have good opportunities afterwards?)
And could I get my BA in 3 years and get my MS in the 4th? Im looking at Psycology, by the way.</p>
<p>Actually, Wesleyan only allows students to transfer two classes from other institutions (other colleges and/or AP credits) … so Hotchkisshopes’s brother must have taken extra classes at Wes during his first three years. </p>
<p>Our freshman daughter is taking five credits this semester instead of the usual four (plus a TA job, which could have counted as a sixth credit), she took five last semester (made the Dean’s list: GPA = 94+), and will take two this summer. It’s a pile of work, but she still manages to sleep and have a good social life. It’s easy to work hard when you’re happy and enthusiastic about your studies and the people you’re with.</p>
<p>There are lots of ways to accumulate extra credits toward graduation. She’s thinking about graduating in three years, with majors in math and psych, if possible), to save some $$. She may then do an extra post-grad year in math or psych, which Wes pays for (!!), and graduate in four years with an MA. So yes, maddawgcello, this is possible at Wes. </p>
<p>And by the way, Psych is very strong at Wesleyan; lots of research opportunities for undergrads, since Wes has PhD students and professors who need research assistants all the time. My understanding is that Wes is ranked #1 (by a factor of two) among LACs for research funding.</p>
<p>I know Econ at Wes is very strong, also. Hotchkisshopes: Do you happen to know the investment bank your brother is working with? I’m especially interested in finding out how students like your brother manage to land plum jobs/internships while at Wes, so I can pass along tips to my own daughter. Any info along those lines, if you know any details, would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>recently read about science museum party sponsored by the wesleyan graduating class, during which wesleyan students were asked to leave after two hours due to projectile vomiting, climbing exhibits. and sex and drugs in the bathroom. do the majority of wesleyan students behave this way? and if only a small minority do, why are they allowed to ruin a good party (and a school’s potential reputation) for the rest of the student body? (also read a blog post stating that during a drunken, once again school sponsored, scavenger hunt wesleyan students trashed charity bins–including puking on donated goods–on campus!)</p>
<p>^^Wesleyan has one of the strongest and oldest student cultures in the country. It has literary societies and secret societies that pre-date the Civil War; they run one of the best film series in the country; they have an internationally known indie music scene. Their student government even runs its own endowment portfolio:
[Wesleyan</a> Students Set Up Endowment - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas](<a href=“http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/wesleyan-students-set-up-endowment/18937]Wesleyan”>http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/wesleyan-students-set-up-endowment/18937)</p>
<p>Apparently, what they do not do very well is hold their liquor. In fact, many alum and present members of the student body were surprised to learn that this former perennial winner of one guide book’s annual “Reefer Madness” ranking has seen alcohol replace pot as the contraband of choice amont a sizable cross-section of the student body. According to alum, there are a number of reasons for this phenomenon:</p>
<p>1) When the legal age laws for drinking in Connecticut (and other parts of the country, as well) were raised in the early 1980s, university sponsored events where so much as wine and cheese could be served suddenly became problemmatic. Suddenly, college students up and down the eastern seaboard no longer had adult role-models available to show them how to sit on a drink for more than moment or two while engaging in conversation.</p>
<p>2) The other thing that happened which may be put in the category of “be careful what you wish for” was that sometime during the last ten years or so there has been a strong effort to clamp down on smoking weed in the student dorms, perhaps in an effort to change Wesleyan’s image as a pot haven. Public safety officers were instructed to report any instances of marijuana paraphernalia directly to the Middletown Police Department - or, MPD, as they are affectionately known on campus.</p>
<p>It has taken students no time at all to arrive at the calculus that if they have to get busted for something it probably makes more sense for it to be under-age drinking tha for possession of a controlled substance, with predictable consequences. People now pre-game to the same extent that they do at other NESCAC colleges - with one difference: because it is located close to the business district of a large town, it all plays out in the full glare of the central Connecticut media.</p>
<p>Hey @wesleyinged! I’m an accepted student and will be attending this fall (woo class of 2017!!), i’m just curious as to when we will be receiving our rooming applications as well as the rest of our things…? when will we be able to register for classes?</p>