Hi everyone! I need help making the decision. I don’t know what my intended major is. UR gives me 17000 for scholarship. I like Colgate but their campus is kind of in the middle of nowhere.
Things I want:
Thank you!!!
I have 2 daughters at UR and they love it. They have had paid summer internships on campus, and there are many opportunities off campus as well, one daughter’s roommate had a paid internship with the US State Department last summer. One daughter spent a semester abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and had a fantastic experience.They really love the small classes, awesome professors, excellent advising and career services. They both have many very nice friends on campus. The alum network is also very active.
UR’s campus and dorms are very nice. Freshmen live in traditional, single sex dorms which are older, but well maintained and very clean. UR does a decent job matching up roommates, my daughters both got along well with their freshman year roommates. After freshman year, there are more choices for dorms, newer suites, etc. Most seniors and some of the juniors live in the on campus apartments , which are really nice, with full kitchens, etc. There are many great clubs and activities to choose from, a nice fitness center with exercise and yoga classes, a swimming pool. The dining hall has very good food, and we often eat there on visits. The Richmond area is a great place to live. Downtown Richmond is only 10 minutes away, with lots to do, great food, parks, etc.
All 3 of your choices are excellent schools, but I have a soft spot for UR, it has been awesome so far!
Thank you so much!
I think of these schools as peer LACs.
Are you aware that BMC is part of the Quaker Consortium? As such, BMC students are welcome to take classes at UPenn (non-Wharton, I believe), Swarthmore, and Haverford. So in addition to the academic resources at Bryn Mawr, you would be privy to some of the resources of those three outstanding schools.
Colgate is also excellent academically. It is known for its social atmosphere, which I have heard described as “work hard, play hard.” It is also one of the few (maybe the only?) elite LACs that has D1-level sports.
I just wanted to provide a bit of info on the other two excellent schools you mentioned in the thread’s title.
All 3 are great schools with great academics and will provide you with the items you are looking for. I will have to say that the dorms at Bryn Mawr are gorgeous.
Have you had the chance to visit the 3 schools?
Some things to think about:
How do you feel about greek life? It definitely has a presence at Richmond and Colgate. Zero greek life at Bryn Mawr.
How do you feel about location? Richmond in a smaller city, the city of Richmond itself. Bryn Mawr in an upscale suburb with easy commuter train access to a major city, Philly. Colgate in a bucolic setting in a small town without much around in upstate NY.
The student body: Colgate and Richmond are a more preppy. Bryn Mawr is a little more eclectic and more liberal.
@doschicos I visited Richmond last weekend and liked it.
Three great LACs. Is money a factor at all? It seems like you got money from UR and not the other schools.
@happy1 no, money is not a factor.
Colgate and Richmond (excluding weather/location) have more in common than they have differences. Both excellent choices, strong alumni networks and internship opportunities and both have beautiful campuses.
You said you ‘liked’ Richmond. But that sounds lukewarm. Have you visited Colgate?
If money is not an issue, I’d go with your preference. They are all great choices. Some of the more obvious differences to me is that BM is an all female school (understanding it is tied in with Haverford), Colgate is in a more remote/colder location, and UR is in the south. If you are not sure I’d try to re-visit all of the options in the next couple of weeks and see if one stands out to you.
Colgate places with distinction when compared to all colleges nationally: “The 50 Smartest Colleges in America,” Business Insider.
Colgate’s village of Hamilton was judged one of the U.S.’ 15 friendliest by Forbes: “America’s Friendliest Towns.”
Colgate is also a Princeton Review “Top 10 Party School,” reflecting an aspect of its reputation.
They’re all good. It would make sense to choose the one with the lowest net cost.
If costs are similar (or if money is not a big issue) then it really depends on what matters most to YOU.
I’d recommend Bryn Mawr for the Philadelphia-area internship opportunities and for the consortium. BMC’s dorms apparently are especially nice. Although famous alumni include “cold, remote, and emotionally unavailable” Betty Draper, I’m sure you could find many nice, accepting people there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Draper
@tk21769 Thank you.
Bryn Mawr is really different culturally from Hamilton and crazy different than Richmond. You must visit before choosing Bryn Mawr. It’s that simple.