So since I just got denied from ALL of my reaches (except Vassar this Tuesday where I’ll get denied again), and my odds of getting off the Hamilton waitlist are slim, it looks like I’m gonna be going to one of my targets.
Both Macalester and Brandeis cost about the same (no merit aid 
) and I’d be studying history/polisci, though possibly also psych or education.I’ve visited Mac and I liked it ok, but I haven’t seen Brandeis yet. Which school has a better program? Which one is better overall?
Macalaster and Brandeis are excellent schools on par with Hamilton & Vassar, so I’m not sure why you are considering these as somehow inferior choices. The bigger concern is cost. You lamented that you did not get any merit aid. Were you counting on merit aid for these schools to be affordable? What about your safeties?
In order for us to give you proper advice, please list ALL the schools to which you’ve gained admittance AND the net cost after grant and merit aid.
I suspect that Vassar will accept you.
@harvardandberkeley I don’t think Hamilton and Vassar are inferior- not considering them because Hamilton waitlisted me and I am 99% sure Vassar will deny me. I wasn’t counting on merit aid, but more money for grad school would have been nice. I also got into UMW (about 18k/yr with aid) UVM honors (36k/yr with aid). I’ve been saving for years, and my twin brother just committed to vtech with a good scholarship, so I have more wiggle room in terms of picking a college, and I get to focus more on environment and academics than cost. Comparing Mac and Brandeis, is one superior academically?
Your original post made it seem like you thought Brandeis and Macalaster were somehow inferior to Hamilton and Vassar. They are not inferior. All of these schools are peer institutions, and I think the differences in academic quality and reputation are negligible. You should make this decision based on personal preferences and cultural fit. Research them. Check out their websites and look through the departments that interest you.
@illiteratemoron : I think that you may have misread the @Harvardandberkeley post above.
@harvardandberkeley Thanks for the advice! sorry I didn’t understand you at first. I’m visiting both next month and I’m excited.
Be positive! That’s always a plus. You have some great choices and financial means. Those are great things!
Go visit Brandeis. Academics are as good as anywhere. It’s in a nice suburban town outside Boston. I haven’t made the trip from there to Boston, but it doesn’t look like it would be too long. I believe I remember the train station is close to campus, can’t promise that. Go check it out.
Macalester is one of the top urban LACs. It has a very international focus.
Don’t think about it as a which is better situation. Think about it as a which is better for ME situation. Michigan might be better for one student and Hamilton for another. You’re the one who will live and learn there for four years. Think about which is best for you. Good luck with Vassar and with college!
Brandeis is a fairly ugly campus, but everyone I know who goes there or has graduated from there loves it and has only great things to say. I only mention the campus because if you expect that ahead of time, you may be better able to look past it and see what is great about the school.