That’s why this is so difficult - and I don’t want to trivialize these issues as she recognizes how extremely fortunate she is to have these choices. That said, if asked to prioritize school characteristics fornher decision, would likely be 1) campus/community “feel”, 2) athletics (team/coach/teammates), and 3) academic rigor. So the above point about looking for a school without class participation or focus on tests as opposed to graded papers is off base in our circumstance. She actually loved the non-academic aspects of her tier 1 option, and is leaning that way - I just want to make sure she’s not in over her head with incredibly intelligent classmates, as opposed to just “really” intelligent classmates at tier 2 or 3. Reading this forum gives me some pause as the Williams/Amherst academic vibe borders on adulation - and don’t want her to struggle tonhave tonkeep her head above water there…
The professors at Amherst and Williams didn’t go there for the most part. And they are teaching the darn class. If you look at their cv some may have actually went to a state school. Gasp.
Yes, the student you meet at Amherst and Williams will be brilliant, for the most part. Like all of the schools mentioned. And your child is equally as smart. Period.
However, life long connections made by associating in such rarified air, somehow magically opening a lifetime of doors for anyone is not based reality. It’s a myth.
But connections are made and can lead to great friendships. And perhaps once in a lifetime an opportunity is presented based on a school connection but it could be as easily obtained for a kid at northwestern as northwestern Illinois.
Actually, that sort of anxiety is not limited to Amherst and Williams prospects:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/wesleyan-university/2134259-wesleyan-for-pre-med.html#latest
In general, it’s difficult to give advice in any of these situations other than to say, “If College X accepted you, they must believe you can do the work.” TBH, I don’t think the problem is with the child.
Well, Williams here she comes! Still a bit concerned given her laissez-faire attitude towards academics, she pretty much roles her eyes when I bring up the academic rigor and intellectual curiosity her peers will likely seek out next year. She is still an 18 year old kid, I’m just hoping she fits in with academics probably ranking third on her priority list - behind athletic and social priorities! Thx for all the advice and guidance through the years!
Lol rolls her eyes!
It’s not always as simple as “if you are accepted, than you can do it”. There are programs out there ( I say programs rather than schools because most any school has majors and paths that are very much doable by most any student accepted by then), that are very rigorous and difficult.
A lot of times, IMO, the difficulty of those programs is determined by the mindset of the majority of the students in the program. CS, for example, tends to get students who live and breathe the material in addition to being eminently qualified and prepared for the work. You get in without that fire in your belly, and may find out that you have to spend a lot more time than you want in doing school work.
Williams can be intense, but the admissions office won’t accept a student that they think can’t handle the workload. Your kid’s made a great choice for ED, although there’s still time to do more research and refine their priorities.
Best of luck to your daughter at Williams, @chicobeans!
This is true at the most selective colleges (like Williams) which have a surplus of applicants who have very little risk of academically being unable to handle college work.
Less selective colleges need to fill their classes, and often need to admit students who have a significantly greater risk of academically being unable to do college work. Open admission community colleges give everyone a chance to go to college, even though they know that many of them will have academic difficulty.
Just getting back to this for follow up - D made her choice. Got into all of the schools applied to, and final decision came down to Wes vs W&L. Very disparate schools to most, but the common theme to D was the authenticity of the student body - a trait she get was not uniform among the list. Although she loved the team at The top tier school, the more interaction she had with students led her to feel it just wasn’t the right fit, and the authenticity factor really was critical to make the final cut. The kids at Wes and W&L seemed incredibly genuine and not focused on rankings or appearing intellectual- very self-possessed and what she called “comfortable in their own skin”. Thanks for all the comments and good luck to all
I thought she committed to Williams @chicobeans ?
So did I lol. Apparently she was having major concerns regarding fit and authenticity, and sat dad and I down for a heart to heart. Happy that kiddo felt she could talk to us, and especially before checks were due! Choice was the right one imo, key is self awareness, especially when you will be in a class with < 1,000 kids.
Well, which of Wesleyan and W&L did she choose?
Very different schools, those 3 Ws
Regarding academic rigor in college, note that the “2nd tier” Wesleyan is tied in the USNWR rankings with Harvey Mudd, whose minimum academic rigor (due to heavy and rigorous core and general education requirements) is probably greater than all three of the W colleges mentioned here. So it is not to be assumed that higher ranking necessarily means greater academic rigor in college.
On May 16, post #23, you said, “Williams here she comes!”
That suggests she had committed to Williams. Did she change her mind? If so, how does that work after the typical May first deadline?
And, where is she going? You indicate it’s Wes or W&L, but none of your posts state her final choice.
I am also curious about how the timeline works here, since college decision day is May 1. Did a lot of waitlist offers roll in?
Also, what are all colleges did your kid get accepted to, and what was the reasoning behind eliminating all of them except one? Posting this may be useful for future students trying to decide where to apply and commit.
@writingpumpkin03 if kid is recruited athlete likely can still get in later. UNC’s women’s soccer team hasn’t announced their fall 19 full class yet…
@anon145 I always thought that for Williams, at least, recruited athletes generally applied early. I’d assume that Wesleyan is similar, being a NESCAC school. I haven’t heard of athletes getting in later than usual at all to Williams or other D3 LACs. In fact, Williams’ waitlist closed days ago, so their class must be finalized. UNC is D1, so maybe their process is different.
Of course, I could definitely be wrong, so if someone else knows more about this then I’d appreciate their insight.
@writingpumpkin03 sure the coaches prefer the athletes apply ED, but it’s not an absolute requirement; the OP said she applied RD .