<p>Hi, I have been admitted to </p>
<p>Grinnell, DePauw, Clark, Kalamazoo, Knox, and Boston U!</p>
<p>IF school and class sizes aren't factors involved in my decision, which university do you guys think is best overall? </p>
<p>(international student, possibly psych major or undeclared).</p>
<p>Thank you in advance people :)</p>
<p>Grinnell is the best overall.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply! Any other opinions?</p>
<p>as an international student, how’s your financial aid looking? but yes, Grinnell is the most prestigious and selective school; what kind of school are you looking for?</p>
<p>I had generous financial aid offers from DePauw, Kalamazoo, and Knox. I received only a small amount from Grinnell though, and none from the rest. Your input is much appreciated :)</p>
<p>BU seems respectable and fun…I’ve never heard of the others, but then again I’m in LA and those are probably small schools in the east.</p>
<p>Yes, all of these are liberal arts colleges with the exception of BU and Clark.</p>
<p>Grinnell is the most academically prestigious of the bunch, BUT there is location to be considered. BU is in Boston, which is a great place to go to school. Grinnell is in a comparatively isolated location in Iowa. I think that location is really the only thing that holds Grinnell back from being much more in the forefront of LACs. You need to consider the location issue carefully. Have you visited?</p>
<p>To me, Kalamazoo is the next most interesting place on your list because of their unusual program. Clark is also a very solid school but has the misfortune to be in Worcester, and not really as close to Boston as some would have you believe. :)</p>
<p>The other two are trailing in this particular pack, I think.</p>
<p>Location of Grinnell (rural Iowa) is definitely a factor holding back my decision, I would prefer a more urban surrounding like BU. But again, it is only a small consideration and not a big deal for me, given the quality of Grinnell’s education. Unfortunately, I haven’t visited any of these colleges yet. </p>
<p>Thanks for your opinions and telling me about Clark’s location (I didn’t know it was not that close to Boston!)</p>
<p>It’s not suprising that Grinnell didn’t offer you as much FA, but that’s the top in terms of this list. Next in line, for me, would be Kalamazoo if going the smaller route. Clark is great for Psych, but the facilities are a bit run down. If you are ok with city feel school, then BU is the best pick (Imo) and their Psych/cognitive science is a strong dept. Good luck! Decisions can be stressful, but so glad that you have so many to choose from.</p>
<p>Do you plan on staying in the US or returning abroad after you graduate? BU is very well-known all over the world, and would probably hold more weight than the other schools. However, it’s very expensive, so if money is an issue at all I would choose another school.</p>
<p>I vote for Grinnell (minus the location) or BU .</p>
<p>Thanks for your kind and useful post! I think ultimately it will come down to Grinnell vs. Boston U. I know they are very different schools in many aspects, but I really don’t have a preference in terms of class and school size.</p>
<p>Thanks ellopoppet. Yes BU is very well-known internationally, especially when compared to Grinnell. However, i find it might be a little expensive to attend BU. Currently, I have no plans to stay in the US after graduation. I will probably return home (Thailand).</p>
<p>I would choose between Grinnell and BU. Grinnell is a better school than BU but is in an isolated location. You will, however, have breaks where you can travel to other parts of the country if being isolated in rural Iowa is a concern. Grinnell student body comes from all over.</p>
<p>If you plan on returning to Thailand after graduation, BU might be the better choice. Grinnell, as everyone above said, has fabulous academics. Location might be a factor but if you plan on staying and working in the US, Grinnell might be a better choice. However, since you will be returning to Thailand, I think going to a school known among international employers will be the better choice.</p>
<p>Kalamazoo is also a very fine school located in a medium sized city that also has a large public university and is an easy train ride to Chicago. If you got a lot of money to attend Kzoo and nothing for Grinnell and BU, then this might be your best choice. Kalamazoo is also known internationally for it’s extremely strong “K-Plan” program.</p>
<p><a href=“Faculty and Staff Directory | Kalamazoo College”>Faculty and Staff Directory | Kalamazoo College;
<p>Grinnell has a high percentage of internationals, so I would suggest you contact either the Career Development office or the International Student Affairs office (not sure if these are the specific names) to ask them about post-grad options and usual paths for internationals, rather than assume anything from what people here are telling you.</p>
<p>While Grinnell is in a rural location, there is a strong sense of community among the students, and there is alot to do with speakers, performers brought in and student-run events. As an international student, you would be matched up with a host family, so you would get a unique chance to view “American life.” </p>
<p>I believe that BU does not have a campus per se (I think it’s a collection of buildings in Boston), so you need to think about this as well. (no judgement either way on my part)</p>
<p>agree^^ you will not have the same kind of community feel at BU as you would at Grinnell, or Kalamazoo. You need to have a fairly independent personality to really enjoy BU.</p>
<p>“I had generous financial aid offers from DePauw, Kalamazoo, and Knox.”</p>
<p>Just exactly how generous are those aid offers, and will it make a difference for your family if you accept one of them instead of studying someplace where you have to pay the full cost? Talk with them about this issue before you make your final decision.</p>
<p>I have a younger cousin at Knox, and she is very happy there. It is on a rail line to Chicago, so even though it is somewhat isolated (like Grinnell), you can get to a bigger city fairly easily.</p>
<p>confidential2015 - The OP can’t “plan on staying and working in the US” unless he/she already is a citizen or legal permanent resident. It is very difficult for international students to find employers who will sponsor them for a working visa. For someone with only a bachelor’s degree in a non-STEM field, it would be almost impossible.</p>
<p>In thinking about this more, I would vote for Grinnell over BU, not just because my S attends there so I have a certain amount of bias, but because going to a small liberal arts college is an experience you can never replicate again in your life. You can always live in a city, and you can even spend a summer or a semester studying at another American university in a city, so you can get your urban fix that way.</p>
<p>But, you should do this after you have addressed the post-grad concerns that others have raised in terms of name recognition / job opportunities in your country. Make an informed decision.</p>