Ok! I thought we have ended this journey and finalized but a couple of days back my son got an admit from Reed from the wait list. The need based aid is quite small and expense is 2X of Kalamazoo. However considering STEM, Biological Sciences and Grad studies as the goal, I am not able to find reason not to go to Reed other than cost.
Sorry to bother you all again but any further help/advice? 
Has he visited Reed?
No he has not. We are international from India.
Sorry- Iâm rusty on this thread!
Reed is best known on CC as a big producer of PhD students. It is a very particular school- a âfitâ school, in that if it suits you it really suits youâŠbut if it doesnât, it really doesnât. The focus is more intellectual than vocational. Is that your son? Have him spend some time looking at Reed videos to see if he can get a sense of it.
In terms of academic outcomes either place will do just fine. I think that the degree to which Kalamazoo has worked with you is worth bearing in mind (the saying is âlove the college that loves youâ).
But beyond that: how much does the financial difference matter to you? the extra $$ will not be the difference between getting into a top PhD program.
Graduate studies is definitely in the plans like for most international students. His major will be Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
When compared to other research schools (UIUC, UCSD, UWS) he got in we were able to make an argument that small STEM oriented LAC will be better irrespective of the cost considering undergraduate research opportunities etc.
When comparing Kalamazoo and Reed other than cost, I am not able to think of any major positive for Kalamazoo over Reed considering his plan which is research in STEM.
Cost of course âfeelsâ a lot but it wonât break the bank.
Reed is an excellent school, and thereâs a lot to like about Portland. But I would be wary of committing sight-unseen, for double the cost of Kalamazoo, based solely on academic reputation. As Collegemom notes, Reed is very much a âfitâ school, and even with an admissions process that endeavors to identify applicants who fit the school culture, they still have a lower retention rate (percentage who return for sophomore year) than many peer schools, including Kalamazoo. Hereâs a fairly recent article on the subject from their own student newspaper: A Deep Dive into Reedâs Freshman Retention Woes â Quest
When my daughter looked at Reed, her impression was that the schoolâs reputation for quirkiness seemed to attract a good number of students who were, shall we say, performatively eccentric. My daughter doesnât consider eccentricity a bad thing, but her impression at Reed was that there was a level of being proud of being eccentric that she would have found exhausting. (That said, she did have one high school friend, who did not fit that âperformatively eccentricâ profile, who attended Reed and appeared to be happy there.) Thereâs also a reputation for drug culture, although I donât know whether actual drug use there really exceeds other schools.
Also, the curriculum has relatively heavy distribution requirements, including a rigorous freshman humanities course. (Not sure if your son would enjoy this, or if heâd rather have more flexibility to concentrate on his life sciences interests.)
If your son had visited and really resonated with the school, there would still be a lot to discuss in terms of whether the added cost really works for your family and whether itâs really possible that Reed is offering double the value of Kalamazoo. Without the opportunity to visit, Iâd be reluctant to commit to a big financial stretch for a school that might or might not end up being a fit.
Reed definitely does have a reputation for turning out future PhDâs, and maybe your son would thrive there. But it would be a shame to over-extend financially and still have him end up unhappy. Theyâre clearly not making a financial âoffer you canât refuse.â I understand your sense that this is an opportunity that he should consider seriously, but itâs definitely not a no-brainer. How long does he have to decide?
I totally agree with your every point. We have a couple of weeks to decide.
I think he is enamored with reputation, academic excellence and the fact that he will be able to walk into a top graduate program if he performs well in Reed.
You have already deposited at Kalamazoo correct? Just making sure your S deposits somewhere by the typical May 1 deadline.
Beyond that, I echo everything aquapt and collegemom said about Reed. It is a fit school and I canât recommend committing there sight unseen, for 2x the cost. Your S will also be able to âwalkâ into a top graduate program if he does well at Kalamazoo.
Yes we have paid deposit to Kalamazoo.
Given that your DS chose Kalamazoo over other options because it seemed like a more joyful, fun place, you should know that Reed is most definitely not that!
Reed has a great reputation. Portland is a cool city. It is really too bad you canât visit because that would probably quickly answer whether this is a good fit.
The same is true from Kalamazoo. Correlation is not causation.
Iâve been to Reed twice, with both my kids for tours, neither ended up deciding to apply. Itâs highly, highly academically intense. Students are quirky and intellectual (not bad things, my kids are both smart and non-mainstream themselves) yet didnât seem particularly happy from what we could tell. We felt while the academic experience might be top notch, it just wouldnât be very much fun and would be a world apart from a typical college experience. These things, on top of gray skies and rain from October-June, made it a no go for us.
I know! I think he is enamored with Reed reputation and academic intensity and chances of graduate school. The brand recognition that Reed has in graduate schools (which is where he wants to go as of now) is not matched by Kalamazoo.
As a parent other than money I am not able to come up with arguments which can say K over R.
Niche reviews are quite high. Four star average which is more than most colleges. Kalamazoo is not such a great weather either though.
May be I can rethink of a college visit quickly in next couple of weeks.
A visit would be great and helpful.
Meanwhile, letâs try thisâŠcan you describe your S in 3 words (you can use more, but that info may help posters help you assess the potential fit at Reed).
A couple of the above posts referencing the lack of fun, joy, happiness there are accurate. (The S.O. of a friend is a prof thereâŠI havenât visited yet, but will in a couple of weeks).
Based on our discussions with a couple of professors albeit only one in Biochemistry, I feel he may have to do something special (external summer research etc. In addition a solid GPA) to be considered for graduate program in say MIT, Berkeley or Stanford out of Kalamazoo. From Reed if he is in good standing it may be easier to get in? Of course staying in good standing in Reed may not be a cakewalk either.
Right now based on LinkedIn profile searches etc. I feel absolute top notch places may be difficult to get from K. But good schools like Umich etc. would be accessible.
If you can swing it, it would be worth a visit, but I know you are far away in India. I live in the PNW and know firsthand how the gray skies and rain can weigh on a person. Add in academic intensity and perhaps not a good social fit, and itâs not a good recipe for mental health. Your son may be totally different though and thrive there! We liked Lewis and Clark and Whitman much better for life balance, and I think Kalamazoo has more in common with those schools than with Reed. The thing Reed has going for it for your son in particular is perhaps more students who want to go for PhDs at Reed, but this might be speculation as I donât know the actual numbers.
Smart, Goofy, caring/friendly, likes to be around people smarter than him.
Where does he fall on the liberal-conservative continuum? Would he like an academically intense environment?
I would have him also read the student newspaper to help assess fit: https://reedquest.org/
And alum mag (can glean much about the experience alum had): Latest News - Reed Magazine - Reed College
Thanks! He will certainly look at these.
I think he is probably a libertarian. Religious left and economic right. Might be right of center in the gender fluidity issues.