I'm in love with too many of the little idiosyncrasies..

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi, I need help cutting down my list. I love each school on the list for a different reason...but my mom says I really need to cut it down to 6! ah!</p>

<p>Female from CA, ACT:33, GPA:4.3, looking to major in Poli Sci or Enviro Studies and minor in french/arabic (basically I am going to be in school for a long time!!!)</p>

<p>UC Davis: basically my safety, it's not the EASIEST UC to get into but I'm also in the UC ELC program which means I'm top 4% and guaranteed admission to a UC. granted, it's usually riverside or merced or something, but just being in the program is prestigious in CA. visited Davis, it's much too large for me but a quaint campus and cool college town. Good Poli Sci, plus club tennis. dorms were tiny but what is one to expect...don't like gen. ed requirements that take at least 2 years to complete! BOO. </p>

<p>Wesleyan: a bit of a reach but I am very attracted to the diversity and zeal this campus provides. I visited in june and there were only summer session kids there doing research progs and the like but even in the architecture I could tell that this is a place where it is only as amazing as you make it. Middletown isn't the most vibrant community known to man but it seems as though the students themselves are so active that Wesleyan runs the town. nice athletic facilities, distribution requirements for honors but not required for graduation, good size-not AS small as some LACs. strong gov. prog....enviro. studies a bit more science-oriented and less humanities-oriented than i'd like...nice dorms. sent me electrifying vibes...:)</p>

<p>Brown: clearly the dream school. open curric, semi-urban but kind of suburban town, close proximity to Boston or Hartford (airports!...but this doesn't matter THAT much)...focus on under-grads, when we visited we met some very inviting students who sat down with us for coffee (after we invited them) and basically let me ask them whatever they wanted. one was a religious studies concentrator (no majors here!) and the other a varsity BBall player studying econ. very down to earth, engaging conversationalists, not narcissistic like i'd imagine all ivy-leaguers would be. cute campus, adorable town w/RISD influence. </p>

<p>Tufts: another good choice! Focus on worldy ed./multiculturalism is very attractive. nice suburban location, felt safe. good access to public transp. if i needed to get into the city....compact campus, easy to navigate in heavy snow (again, from CA....haha). Combined prog. with Fletcher School for MA seems really intriguing....also could probably play tennis here, if I decide I want to play DIII in college...again, students very friendly, love the boston aura of intellectualism. lots of little conveniences (ex: they e-mail you when your laundry is done so that you don't have to go out in the snow to check; activist house for upperclassmen housing-cool! just up my alley!; you can use your meal points at restaurants in the town..some deven deliver 24/7 in the winter...and you can stilllll use your meal points...also a really cool-sounding peace and justice studies prog! 15% int'l students. COOOOOL</p>

<p>Bowdoin: haven't visited...mom wouldn't go "all the way" up to Maine on last trip back east. have heard that location is a bit remote but beautiful, by the sea. like the philosophy behind their admissions policy whereby no standardized testing is requ'd....obviously they focus more on the individual than the numbers. neat. also tennis opportunities here, good size and acclaimed govt/poli sci. progs. also supposedly one of the better LACs for science ..if I want to take some interesting courses w/enviro studies.</p>

<p>Whitman: haven't visited, but seems to be what I am looking for in terms of curric/size. i do prefer the philosophy of the open curric but i have varying interests so I would probably fulfill any light distribution requirements naturally. not a prob :) another opp. for tennis, also a bit closer to home- still a flight away, but a shorter flight at that. neat opportunities for outdoors programs...perhaps a bit easier to get into? any more info?</p>

<p>Skidmore-didn't visit while I was nearby, should have. Don't know much about it? Have heard it's a good backup for Vassar...close to albany</p>

<p>Vassar-LOVED the aesthetic appeal of campus. great athletic facilities, students seemed a bit more hipster but i can deal. concerned about too much alcohol/drug usage...have heard lots of rumors. love that there aren't grads, so focus is on undergrads. dorms were nice. grounds very well-maintained, lake was cute. Poughkeepsie a bit on the sketchy side but I don't need to go into town that often, right?!! tennis, perhaps. also a very appealing virtually-open curric (just need some writing which I would do tons of anyways...)</p>

<p>Middlebury-want to do those language minors, and I can't ignore Midd's superb rep. for its lang progs. have heard mixed things about the remoteness, must see for myself. distribution requirements are okay, not ridiculous. a bit smaller but i think i can deal. many cousins from mom's side of fam. went here. seems to fit. hard to get into! also a very nice commitment to conservation, ranked like #1 school for environmental efforts. they buy a much larger chunk of their energy in the form of wind power than any other college in the country. sweeeeeeeeeet! </p>

<p>Swarthmore-like proximity to Philly and also consortium system w/haverford & bryn mawr. also good enviro. efforts (read about on website). have heard it's a bit hardcore, no fun....i don't like to party, but I do like to veg/relax. also a good peace & conflict studies prog. if I wanted to do that on the side. seems solid all around...safe, suburbia...need to visit. convincing mom to let me go in Oct.!</p>

<p>Brandeis-very attracted to diversity. I am jewish and so I initially didn't even want to think of 'deis (fear of tooooo many jews) but I visited and interviewed and they just started their enviro. studies program...actually starting it this year, '07-'08 and it sounds really neat. would be cool to pioneer this sort of thing. interviewer emailed me the next day to thank ME before i even had the opp. to thank HIM. we talked for ~2 hrs straight. my first and only interview. waltham is boring but safe and easy access to Boston. not the most beautiful campus but seems chill. not too stringent distribution requirements, lots of opps for multiple majors/minors. bad food?? :( hah. my mom thought so. </p>

<p>Claremont McKenna-amazing gov. prog...very close by, pretty much only LAC in CA (maybe thinking Pitzer, too, but it's all relevant...) that I am considering. mom really likes this idea (coming home on wknds that is). good size when combined with other claremonts, cousin just graduated from MA prog here so fam is familiar with it. claremont is gross and smoggy though, and not as close to LA as it seems. would need car at school with me...safe area, but pretty much a concrete playground! good schools and lots of bright kids. visited once "officially" and many other times to see cuz. academics are great, and a possibility for tennis...lots of neat political speakers come here, too. </p>

<p>Macalester:haven't visited, but have lotssssssss of fam in Wisc. so the location isn't as adventurous as it may appear to be. not sure if it is urban b/c located by twin cities or more suburban? def. feel more comfortable in suburbia. hah. amazing focus on internationalism and seems like a good size, comfortable. kofi annan=coolest alumni :) a very good opp for tennis as well.</p>

<p>Georgetown: D.C. is indubitably the HUB for poli sci! internships galore. I love the vibrancy of this city and the g-town area is cute. could see myself striking a perf. balance between work and play. the smithsonian is FREE for crying out loud! how cool. lots of internationalism, obviously, and even if i didn't do SFS there are great progs. good size...not sure if I want to be studying poli sci at a place where grads get the most attention...is this true? visited last year, also got intensely positive vibes. </p>

<p>there are probably others i am forgetting...
the novel is over for now, though.
good job perservering and reading this far!
even though it may seem counter-productive, does anybody have any suggestions/additions? and of course, i need to make some cuts...:(
thanks, thanks, and thanks again. </p>

<p>-->peace :)</p>

2

<p>well definately include your safety UC Davis, since you always need one because you never know. From there it is up to you. IMO from these descriptions that you've written it seems like you personally are leaning towards, Georgetown, Vassar, Claremont McKenna, Brandeis, and Tufts. Granted you've visited all of these schools, so you've gotten an even better feel of them. But seriously, I know that the choice is extremely difficult, but make sure that you apply to a school that is right for you; not necessarily the one that "seems" to fit. Good luck, and I hope that helps!</p>

3

<p>i'm going to skidmore next year. i got in with VERY similar stats. the admissions rate keeps dropping (it was like 31% the admissions people said when i visited after getting accepted). usually safeties aren't in the 30%'s. other than that, i can't speak much more about the school. i've only visited it once, and for what i saw and to whom i talked, i liked it.</p>

4

<p>danceluvur26: what is the diff between "a school that is right for you" and the one that "seems" to fit? eek!</p>

5

<p>wuwei: congrats! i don't know much about skidmore...and I don't have any true safety safeties....if you don't mind my asking, what attracted you to the school and initially caused u to apply?</p>

6

<p>just some advice, alot of these small lac's expect essays that are specific to that school and really place a lot of emphasis on the essay, therefore I'd cut a few of these first...I'd keep the first 4, drop bowdoin, whitman, and skidmore</p>

<p>I think a visit to mac is very important in making your decision to apply or not, though I can tell you that it's in a trendy, suburban location</p>

<p>the rest are all pretty tough calls too though I'd suggest dropping swarthmore ...middlebury is remote and is a place for those who really love hiking and skiing (are you into this?)</p>

<p>you need a true safety, if you have family in wisconsin then Beloit would fit as a safety</p>

7

<p>From the little I learned about you in your post, you sound strikingly similar to me 0_o...</p>

<p>that being the case, I applied to a good amount of the schools you are considering (and considered a fair amount of those I didn't actually apply to), and I eventually decided on Wesleyan. I don't know what your essays, EC's, or the like are, but assuming they are decent, you have a good shot at most of those schools. I got in to all that I applied to from your list, with the exception of Brown. I cut out Brandeis pretty early in the game, as well as some of the smaller LAC's (I wanted a medium size student body, but familiar enough that I wouldn't be confronted by total strangers constantly), and Davis was a safety for me (I was also ELC-guaranteed SB). I also did not apply to McKenna because I wanted to discover life outside of California, but if you don't mind staying, by all means keep it on your list. As to the rest, I'd say try and absorb as many little facts about the different colleges as you can, and visit, if possible. It completely changes your perspective. Good luck!</p>

8

<p>I don't know if I can be a lot of help, but I have a few thoughts:</p>

<p>On Wesleyan: </p>

<p>
[quote]
enviro. studies a bit more science-oriented and less humanities-oriented than i'd like

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Do you know about our science in society major? It's a cross-disciplinary mix of science and ethics, basically. Read more about it here: <a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/sisp/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wesleyan.edu/sisp/&lt;/a>. And I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about Wes (though I'm not a science or politics person, so I won't be very helpful on the academic stuff for you). </p>

<p>On Swarthmore: Do try to visit if you can. Swarthmore is the one college I visited and was like "Whoa, this is WAY to intense for me." It's not that they don't have fun, it's just a school filled, as far as I can tell, with REALLY intense students (rather like UChicago). Great for the people who like that, but it's not for everyone. (Also, while you're in the area, you might want to visit Haverford, although it is awfully small). </p>

<p>Also, if you're thinking about Macalester, definitely check out Carleton (and if you visit Mac, visit Carleton too!). It's more suburban (the town is SO cute!), a fantastic school, and a really nice, open environment (I have a friend who goes there and loves it, and it was one of my top choices after Wes).</p>

9

<p>Agreeing with Weskid-- if you like Swat, definitely check out UChicago. It's the right school for the students who want it.</p>

<p>I was interested in a lot of the schools that you mentioned, which makes me think that you might like it, but for me, Chicago had more of what I wanted than the schools you listed.</p>

10

<p>So... here's my impression from what you said. Don't know if it helps. It sounds as though you like the schools that are nearer to cities. See if that's right... if it is it can help you narrow. So do you want to spend weekend on campus with your friends, or do you want to head out to do something in town? Do you want intership opportunities?</p>

<p>You have a lot of overlaps with schools my daughter, who is interested in International Relations, is looking at: Georgetown, Tufts, Brown, Claremont McKenna. You've given us a couple to look at.</p>

<p>Let me muddy this further by adding one for you to consider: George Washington University in DC. Very strong in Pol Sci, tons of internship opportunities. Not quite as difficult to get into as Georgetown, and a different style of student population, but a good school.</p>

11

<p>Macalester is definitely urban. It's right in the middle of the Twin Cities. If you want a more suburban feel, MC might not be right for you. </p>

<p>You might also want to cut out the Claremont schools. If you don't like the surrounding area, you probably won't be as happy there. </p>

<p>I've heard that Swarthmore is really hardcore too. If that's something you want to avoid, then maybe this could be another school to cut out..</p>

12

<p>thanks. honestly, i ended up applying by chance. my neighbor, who went to uchicago, recommended a ton of schools to look into. he got really into MY college admissions process and just keep telling me about a lot of schools he visited, which ones he thought were academically strong, which ones had this program or that program, etc. he also told me about how beautiful the country is in upstate new york, and my god it is GORGEOUS. (well, at least to a midwesterner).</p>

<p>i looked at the philosophy statements at all the schools i was applying to, their available clubs, courses, etc. i actually took skidmore off a few times because i just got so fed up with the college admissions process...trust me, you'll reach a point where you won't care anymore. there wasn't any reason i took it off...fyi.</p>

<p>and when i got accepted, i was slightly shocked (i thought maybe i'd get in because my stats were within range), but i was really shocked at how much money they gave me. if you need financial assistance at all, skidmore really provides. it ended up being less than a state school for me.</p>

<p>and when i visited, i just feel in love with it. it was what i was looking for - the atmosphere, the size, the setting. the dorms are pretty huge (and with window seats in each one!), the d hall just got an 8 mil renovation, and saratoga springs is a cute town. a little touristy (it reminded me of a town i go to sometimes in the summer), upscale, but nice. skidmore's in the foothills of the adirondacks, and there are tons of race tracks around (great places to take photos if you're into that kind of stuff). everything just seemed to fit. it seemed like me. plus it was far away from home (i just HAVE to get away), but the airport you fly into is only like 30 min from campus (which is great considering some other places, and it's a hassle if the airport is far away when it's snowing, etc.). plus, i have some friends and family on the east coast i don't get to see so often so i'll be able to see them over thanksgiving or spring break (whenever i don't want to come home), or just on weekends. so yeah, it just seemed right. i'll know for sure this fall.</p>

13

<p>Well... I'll just go down the list and give my comments on each. Hopefully it might help somewhat.... I've titled the colleges as either "keep it," "keep it unless," "find out more," "cross it off unless," and "cross it off" based on what I'd recommend you do. </p>

<p>UC Davis: cross it off, unless.... You don't seem too thrilled about going there, really. In fact, from what you said (particularly the "it's way too big" part) it sounds like the only reason you'd go there is if you got rejected from everywhere else you applied to. I'd say that's a bit unlikely. So, unless you really feel like you want to have a UC college on your list because of the boost you have on getting in, I'd get rid of it. You should be able to find a "likely" school you'd rather go to, after all (Skidmore fits the bill, in my opinion). </p>

<p>Wesleyan: keep it. You visited it and loved it when you visited which is an excellent sign. Although you cited a couple of negatives (Middletown & the science-oriented atmosphere), it sounds as if the good HIGHLY outweighs the bad.</p>

<p>Brown: keep it. Let the dream live; you never know what might happen with admissions and the Ivy League :D. Also, you don't mention a single negative for why it might not be a good fit, so I'd say it's one to apply to.</p>

<p>Tufts: keep it. Once again, like Brown, you mention nothing negative about the school that would warrant its disappearance from your list.</p>

<p>Bowdoin: cross it off. From your descriptions of what you've liked about other colleges, the campus surroundings sound like they're pretty important to you. And Bowdoin's surroundings, although pretty, don't fit the suburban sort of thing that you seem to be keying on as desirable (the Tufts description, for example). Also, in the Wesleyan description one of your complaints was the the environmental science major was a bit more science-oriented than you were thinking. Seeing that, you might not want a school, like Bowdoin, which has more of a focus on the sciences in general... the environmental science major at Bowdoin may be more science-y than you want. </p>

<p>Whitman: find out more. You don't seem to have very much knowledge about the school (which is fine, I don't either :D). Right now, it sounds as if you're keeping it on your list because you don't know enough about it to justify crossing it off. So yes, do some more research about it, visit if possible, and see if what you find appeals.</p>

<p>Skidmore: keep it. If you like Wesleyan and Vassar, it's a great back-up to have. Based on the couple of numerical stats you've posted, I'd say it would be likely that you'd get in to the school, so it could probably serve as the "likely" that UC Davis was to be.</p>

<p>Vassar: KEEP IT! If you like the feel of the school when you visited, you'd probably be a great fit for it (that's what I found when I visited, at least, and I'm going :D). From what I've heard, the drug/alcohol comments are overrated... of course, I haven't gotten to live on the campus yet, but I've talked to several students there and it is by no means "a party school where everyone smokes and does drugs and hard liquor." Also, the surrounding area isn't nearly as bad as you might think... I explored it a bit before I made my final decision and it's not nearly as sketchy as I originally thought it was. I agree it's not Boston or Philadelphia, but it's not terrible and there's a lot going on on-campus so leaving it to go out into Poughkeepsie frequently is by no means necessary.</p>

<p>Middlebury: cross it off. There sounds as if there's a lot of things that "you'll have to live with" if you go to Middlebury: the small size, the remoteness, and the distribution requirements. It's also rather "preppy" in feel, from my understanding at least (I know several people who've gone there who call it "Club Midd"), which doesn't sound like it would fit you as well from what I've read about your take on other colleges you've visited.</p>

<p>Swarthmore: keep it, unless. I personally loved Swarthmore when I visited it; however, I am admittedly a bit of a workaholic. The academics are quite rigorous; however, all of the students I've met seem relatively low-key in a driven manner (if that makes any sense at all). It might fit, or you might find it too academicaly rigorous, but it's really too hard to say unless you can visit it.</p>

<p>Brandeis: keep it, unless... It sounds like you had a great interview which (along with your stats) would lead me to say that you're chances of getting in are very good. Just realize that if it's just starting out its environmental program, it might not be as extensive and well-respected as the environmental studies programs at other colleges. I'm personally a little hesitant about pioneering something like a new major; however, it sounds like that concept really appeals to you, which is a strong enough reason to keep the school on your list. If you're at all worried about the newness of the program, however, you might want to consider removing the school from your list. </p>

<p>Claremont McKenna: keep it. I'd personally recommend having a school on your list that you'd be more than happy going to which you live near to. Although the idea of going to the eastcoast for college might appeal now; you never know how you'll feel at decision time, so it would be good to have a closer-to-home option (my former boyfriend found himself in that situation). Also, it seems to have everything you want with the positives outweighing the negatives.</p>

<p>Macalester: find out more. Like Whitman, you don't seem to have much of a sense of what the college is like (although as a model un-er I agree that Kofi Annan is a cool alumni to have :D). Also, make sure that you're comfortable with snow, because Macalester is one of those places that gets A LOT. </p>

<p>Georgetown: keep it. It seems like it would be a great fit for you, end of story.</p>

<p>So in summation, I'd say your list could end up something like this, unless you find out more about Whitman and Macalester to justify keeping them...</p>

<ol>
<li>Brandeis University</li>
<li>Brown University</li>
<li>Claremont McKenna College</li>
<li>Georgetown University</li>
<li>Skidmore College</li>
<li>Swarthmore College</li>
<li>Tufts University</li>
<li>Vassar College</li>
<li>Wesleyan University</li>
</ol>

<p>Nine is better than fourteen, at least....</p>

14

<p>Wow, you've gotten some great advice and I agree word for word with Littleatheist. Keep those 9. Must you really cut down to 6? Is there a particular reason your mom's decided that's the magic number??</p>

15

<p>6 seems like a dangerously low number of schools to apply to in this day and age. Anecdotally some of the brightest students in my class ended up at schools they didn't like because they applied to too few places and thus had very limited options. Personally one of the biggest regrets in regards to my college application process was eliminating some schools I should not have based on criteria I didn't understand at the time. Having options to negotiate financial aid and actually getting to explore schools at "admit weekends," is worth every penny in app fees. Given your stats you could even add a couple more reaches that seem to fit well into your archeatype of schools, perhaps Dartmouth and Amherst.</p>

16

<p>yes, i love to hike...but i would rather have the wilderness be a weekend trip type of thing and have the conveniences of transportation, diversity, internships (!!!) closer by...</p>

<p>looked at the SISP link for Wes, looks intriguing...lots of requ'd science courses, but I really do like chem...it's hard, but like most things, once I devote myself to it I learn to love it. :) yay discipline!!! perhaps i could minor in poli sci if i did this...would like more of a political program, but I have always pondered ethics (well, who hasn't!!?) and I have always considered myself a humanities person but this would really push me...in a positive way, i think. hm. could definitely expand on this and write a good essay about why I am interested in this prog...thanks, Weskid, for the FYI. Also at Wesleyan, approx. how many students participate in athletics of some degree? Is there a noticeable contingency of wellness on campus..i.e. ppl eating healthy, exercising, etc? That kind of enviro. is really imp. to me. thx!</p>

<p>Swat...well, I visited Amherst and my mom, of course, loved it...but I really felt like it was a bit too hardcore for me. our tour guide told us a story about how his best friend and roommate wouldn't tell him about his physics thesis until after grad. because the kid was nervous his friend would steal his ideas (the tour guide was a physics minor). kind of not the collaborative enviro i'm hoping for? too competitive? Granted, I dont go to the most competitive hs in the nation, but I'm sick of being in a cut-throat race for an A. lots of HSers don't seem to realize that the teachers give out more than one A per class....everybody can get an A....if they work hard enough...catty selfishness and snottiness doesn't get you anywhere! anyways, i'd like to avoid that. so maybe swat (and UChic. for that matter) aren't exactly the academic atmosphere i'm looking for...obviously I study way too much and it's all delayed gratification but I'm also done with it for now and would like something more intellectual chill rather than hardcore academia. ya dig? (hah, so not my lingo in "real" life). </p>

<p>Dartmouth...well, originally I had Duke on my list, too, but decided that I didn't want such a big Frat scene...just received Dartmouth app in mail, almost reconsidered applying after perusing the viewbook but i think it's just too remote. do any of the other schools have large frat scenes as well? this is def. a factor for me. I'd like to avoid abundant compulsive drinkers. </p>

<p>mac: great progs, really need to visit to see how urban or suburban it really is.... definitely adding carleton. visits will really just help everywhere! AGH. hate living in CA for this reason...so far away from these places...hah</p>

<p>bowdoin: i want to cut it out but it's just so difficult! i know someone who's going, class of '11 and can't stop raving about it. will cut it out if i need to in the end, but progs. seem just right. if i get in, i'll probably just wait and go to the admitted students wknd...</p>

<p>keeping Skid as a low-match? need something like that. proximity to Albany is good. need to look into academics more. </p>

<p>if i neeeeed to cut out schools absolutely ($ is not a prob for apps, more like TIME...quality over quantity, right? tennis is a fall sport, oops and I'm the captain! plus pres. of youth group and imp. time for new member recruitment, Peace Week in mid-Sept. at my school and I founded the Peace Club so yet another thing to organize, etc.)...I would cut out Whitman, Bowdoin, Mac, & Midd. I hope i have time to do these. unless i can justify cutting them out, I would hate to do so. </p>

<p>My mom said 6 because of time restraints. But it's inevitably going to be more. It's just too much of a crapshoot at many of these schools...I have stellar ECs and I am taking the most rigorous sched at my school, have many Bs but most of my classes are weighted (Bs in math since Fresh. year except for one semester, one B in like 9th gr. eng? or bio or something? insignif.)...which is why it's a 4.3. best grades so far last semester :) very solid interviewer. do those count much at these types of schools? I sure hope so :0...looking for a cute brown pantsuit just for all of these occasions...</p>

<p>keeping CMC. just in case i do, in fact, decide to stay close to home. doubt it, but it's probably worth it just for the stress-relief factor. ditto to Davis, just so that I sleep well at night. Although, the UC app isn't the most beautiful process! and I need to retake some SAT IIs but I dont think they matter much, espec. since i'll be sending my ACT to all of the privates.</p>

<p>def. cutting out midd, too rural and love the enviro. commitment but if it's really preppy both in apparel AND in attitude i won't be able to deal. yes, i do wear slacks and polos on occasion and of course, tennis, but preppy also can mean lack of diversity. i want my college experience to challenge me beyond my (miserly, miniscule) comfort zone and I want to meet as many kinds of people as I possibly can!:) and again, i'd like good access to internships...</p>

<p>THANKS for all of the responses! i'm the oldest of my parents' children (well, i just have a younger sis, but still) and my parents aren't of any use at all, really. im really trying to do all of the research that I can...and yes, I am trying to trim down my list, but I don't want to miss an opportunity that could completely revitalize my visions! :)</p>

17

<p>Have you considered Barnard?</p>

18

<p>you're doing a great job. definitely old school. I like that. :)</p>

19

<p>On Wes:

[quote]
perhaps i could minor in poli sci if i did this

[/quote]

Actually, Wes doesn't offer minors, which is something for you to keep in mind (lots of people double major, though). </p>

<p>
[quote]
how many students participate in athletics of some degree? Is there a noticeable contingency of wellness on campus..i.e. ppl eating healthy, exercising, etc? That kind of enviro. is really imp. to me. thx!

[/quote]

You know, I'm not sure of the percentage who participate in athletics, but it's pretty good. I also think there are a fair number of people who work to be healthy…it's not necessarily a pervasive atmosphere, but it does exist (and we have plenty of options for people who want to eat healthy, partially because of the large number of vegetarians and vegans on campus who have to be catered to). Also, if that atmosphere is really important to you and you don't find it enough on the campus as a whole, one of our program houses (which you can apply to as a sophomore) is the "Well Being house," where the entire mission is about treating your body well!</p>

<p>On Swat: I don't think Swat or UChicago are competitive, really. It's a different kind of intense. I don't really know how to describe it, other than to say that the way I've put it to people is "Swarthmore's library is open 24/7. Even YALE's library isn’t open 24/7!"</p>

20

<p>Haha I have to agree. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter with your friend to help HIM write HIS essay? I have. UChicago kids are the type of kids who will discuss questions on a physics problem set three days after they handed it in and they will study together for a test even if it's graded on a curve and it's in your best interest that your peers don't do well.</p>

<p>Though it's not competitive, academics are going on a lot of the time, and students want to talk about them and want to take them further. It's intense in a different way from snobbishness and competition, but if that intensity makes you uncomfortable, that's totally fair.</p>

<p>Mac and Bowdoin are similar on the scale of awesomeness IMO, and I like Mac a little bit more because of its St.Paul-ness.</p>