So now it’s time to be ruthless. Eliminate the two you are least interested in. Now that Wes seems to cost you personally an additional 14k, I think Mac seems the best choice. Did I get that right?
1 Like
Wesleyan appears to be the less expensive alternative when compared to Macalester (by $14,000 across four years). Although the OP has stated, correctly, that the comparison is not direct (i.e., the time value of money was ignored).
1 Like
One thing that needs to be considered is that UNC Chapel Hill could possibly be only two years. I know that there is the issue of major, but if money is a big issue, getting done for 50K total, without loans, or only having to come up with 35K total plus 15K in loans in order to get a BA might be attractive.
1 Like
@merc81 is correct; Mac is cheaper by $8k in the short term, Wes by $14k in the long term.
1 Like
Can you list this:
Wes : (tuition fees room board) - (scholarships, grants) = $…
Mac : (tuition fees room board) - (scholarships, grants) = $…
DO NOT FACTOR ANY LOAN.
1 Like
Regarding the potential transfer credit, would it actually help you graduate sooner (fewer semesters to pay for) in terms of being in the right courses, and would you be ready to choose a major earlier to enable graduating sooner?
1 Like
I calculated, and it makes me want to appeal Mac ^^
I took a pretty useful array of courses and am getting my associate’s, so yes. However, I know getting into courses at UNC can be a pain, and I have concerns about their administrative handling of things… So there’s that. I am a guaranteed admit into the Environmental Health Sciences program at Gillings which is pretty nice.
@isla701 appealing is definitely an option, especially if you really want MAC. What is your special draw to MAC? Urban? Students? Twin Cities? Internationalism? Are you planning on grad school? Congrats on Wesleyan by the way. Another fabulous option!
Thank you! Yeah, I really like the idea of the urban environment and internationalism. It also appears as if there is less cliquishness than at the other two schools, and students are more laid back. I do have to be careful not to let the fact that I applied there EA cloud my judgment. I’ve been with my fellow accepted students there online for much longer, and I really like them.
Update! Numbers have been run. I was rejected from Tufts, so it’s still down to these schools (just waiting on Yale).
Haverford is far more affordable than BMC, and based on my increased desire to attend a co-ed school, I think BMC is out. Still have the option to “go there!”
Wesleyan is the most affordable on the list; looking into appealing Haverford and Macalester. However, my parents are confident that we can afford all three as-is.
I’ve been talking to a bunch of current students. One notable development was talking to a current student at Wesleyan, and her sister who graduated from Macalester (now a PhD student at Harvard). The endorsement of Macalester was far more enthusiastic, particularly on the social side (less of a clique problem). I am talking to another student at Wes soon to get a different perspective.
Before applying, I chatted with someone from Haverford who transferred out. She said it was a little too stifling, the honor code prevented important discussions from taking place, and the academic focus was a little much. Now at Oberlin. I am now talking to her friend, who enjoys Haverford quite a bit more and really appreciates the student governance there.
The other two schools besides Mac have certainly grown on me. This is going to be a hard decision!
We visited Wes pre-pandemic, thankfully, but next weekend we are visiting Haverford, and the weekend after that, Macalester (with my second COVID shot in between)!
Here’s where I stand with some distance from the initial acceptances:
Haverford: It’s grown on me, and I look forward to visiting. It definitely has the most prestige/best grad school placement, if that’s worth anything. I do worry about the idea of being unable to avoid bad professors, but that seems fairly uncommon. Concerns include the continued division of the student body after the strike (FWIW, I am a supporter of the strike) and the stifling nature of campus discourse. Also the “high school” feel and the mediocre food (less minor when people live on campus all 4 years).
Wesleyan: Also grown on me. The sheer number of options here makes it so, so appealing, as does the greater number of students. The person I talked to was really eager to discuss how she did research. Concerns include the party/drug scene, the nihilism of the student body, the fraught relationship with the administration, and the fact that cities/opportunities are farther away.
Macalester: Still high on my list. Just love the fact that students don’t tend to attend because it’s “elite,” but because they love all it has to offer. Seems like the most down to earth place on the list, and definitely somewhere I’d fit in. Concerns at this juncture include the slightly lesser prestige compared to the other two, which I hope can be made up for through the number of internships available, and also the party/drug scene (although less so than at Wes).
That’s where I’m at! This is tough! The good kind of tough!
2 Likes
I do not agree that Haverford has “by far” the most prestige. Wesleyan is more widely known than Haverford. All three are well respected. You are not talking about substantial differences in name recognition, especially as regards Haverford and Wes. Plus Wes’s endowment is far bigger than the other two. There will be excellent resources and very good alumni connections.
I think Mac probably is the most down to earth. I think Wes is the most fun, and the best of all worlds.
4 Likes
^ agree on the assessment.
Thanks! This is very helpful!
I have a friend that goes to Wes, and she LOVES it. Everyone I have met there is so down-to-earth and cool. Not cliquey or academically competitive at all- if I were in your position, I would choose Wes in a heartbeat.
2 Likes
I’m talking to two current Wes students coming up so hopefully they feel the same way! Thanks for your input!
1 Like
Wes has its own farm. Pretty cool.
Main Street is a few blocks away, and it’s loaded with great restaurants.
@isla701 S‘21 and I visited MAC yesterday. Yes, incredibly friendly campus. It was a beautiful day so students were outside on Shaw and Old Main fields, hammocks strewn between trees, students studying under trees and at tables outside the campus center, and playing frisbee on the lawn in front of the dorms. It felt like a movie set! Admissions told us that there was a 40% increase in applications this year! The neighborhood is lovely with some very good local restaurants, cafes, on Snelling and Grand. Ford Parkway is about 2 miles away and has grocery stores, target, etc. We drove along Mississippi River Blvd which is 1.5 miles from campus which has access to both walking paths and biking paths that connect with biking paths throughout the Twin Cities. The public park system is endless and impressive.
5 Likes
Ahh! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We will be visiting soon and very much looking forward to it!
Tonight I hear back from Yale, so after that’s done, I’ll be in a good place to really start narrowing things down!
I got rejected from Yale, so moving ahead with these choices!
This weekend, I paid a visit to the Bi-Co. And now I’m a bit in love. Every single student I talked to was happy to talk to me, and wanted to give me detailed answers. Lots of outdoor activities going on, and many students told me there’s been a lot of healing and reconciliation since the strike. The train access sign seemed to be taunting me, asking me if I wanted to go to Middletown, which you can’t get out of without a car…
Macalester visit will be this week or next. As usual, we will see.
Hardest choice of my life so far, though in a good way. I’m very lucky after this wild admissions year.
6 Likes