Hi! I got into Kenyon College, UMass Amherst, and Conn College.
I can’t decide on which one to go to, but I will be visiting them all soon.
I want to major in mathematics, physics, and philosophy (not all 3 as majors but some combination of 2 as majors and 1 as a minor). I love the small class sizes at Kenyon and Conn but that also means I cannot take Analysis I and Analysis II my first year there because they only offer it every other year (my high school did multivar, linear algebra, and diff eqs). UMass Amherst isn’t ideal for me but its a lot less expensive. If I go to UMass or Conn I might transfer out to UChicago (I think I could be a good transfer candidate as ive done lots of research and am publishing papers with a university, etc). Kenyon has been super super friendly and helpful with everything ive asked for, so Im looking to see if they can give me more finaid (I send a request for reconsideration).
Any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas? Pros and cons? Anyone have any person experience? All things are welcomed, thanks!
P.S.: I also got into EPFL in Switzerland, and ik its really good, its just that going to Switzerland worries me a bit because of the stress of moving overseas.
Kenyon and ConnColl definitely do offer higher maths, but it’s not offered consistently due to the small size of the math departments. EPFL is one of the worlds highest ranked maths schools, but it’s only 1 subject and you’re not able to study multiple things (like philosophy for example).
Yeahhh… that was one of my issues. I really want to be able to take grad level classes for math. That’s why I’m considering transferring out after a year but ideally I’d like to stay in one place.
It does not make too much sense to go to an expensive four year college for the purpose of transferring out. Better to go to UMass, which has the academics you want.
Dad of recent UMass grad here. Also know current students, work with several grads as well.
Academically it’s incredibly strong in most areas and is the top public research university in New England. It’s a very traditional college setting, pretty much everyone there loves Amherst and the pioneer valley.
Were you accepted to CHC? When you mention UMass is not ideal, I’m assuming that is because it’s quite a large school. The honors college helps it feel smaller due to its own mini campus and many of the classes are smaller.
The food is the best of any college in the US, not an insignificant factor.
Housing has been overcrowded the past few years and there is a lottery system after freshman year. Too much demand and not enough rooms. If you’re planning to transfer after a year that wouldn’t matter. My D was originally on a transfer plan to BU but ended up loving it there and stayed, thrived, now attending a top law school.
Assuming you are in state, hard to beat all UMass can offer for the $.
CHC, very nice, congratulations. Perfect location Right in the he middle of campus, beautiful new buildings.
My D wasn’t in CHC but enjoyed visiting friends there because the dorm rooms have AC .
Whatever you decide please don’t make decisions based on transferring later. That’s usually a recipe for disappointment. You go in assuming you’re going elsewhere so you don’t invest in activities and relationships and then if transferring doesn’t work out, you’ve already hindered enjoying where you are. Everyone on here says loves the school that loves you back. They’re right. You have 3 solid choices that you can go very far from wherever you land.
As a default, I have to say that Commonwealth Honors at UMass sounds like the best of all worlds. It’s the least expensive; it offers the more intimate community and perks of the Honors College; and you’ll be able to forge ahead in math without limitations, both when you arrive (the scheduling issue with Analysis) and later on (when you may want grad-level offerings that are more readily available at a large research university). Not only will you have plenty of opportunities at UMass to explore physics and philosophy in addition to math, but you can also cross-register at the LAC’s of the consortium, allowing you to sample the SLAC vibe as well. It seems to cover all the bases for the most affordable price. I’m not sure why you’d need to go in with an eye toward transferring; you would certainly not run out of opportunities, and you’d be well-positioned to aim for elite grad programs rather than disrupting the continuity of you undergrad experience.
OTOH, if you do your visits and find that Kenyon or Conn College resonates with you, they could be excellent choices too; you’re just going to have to be a bit more flexible about what classes you take and when. With interests across multiple disciplines, I’d expect you could fill your schedule with classes you do want to take, while waiting for others to be offered. It really depends whether you feel you could go with the proverbial flow in this respect, or if you’d prefer to be somewhere bigger with more abundant offerings every term.
I don’t know a lot about Kenyon’s math department, but I can tell you about the others.
Physics:
My roommate was a physics major. The program is small, but she loved it. The professors were fantastic, and she got to participate in some amazing research activities. It was a lot of hard work, though. She often spent very late nights in the labs.
Philosophy:
I studied philosophy. The professors are a dream, and the courses are extremely compelling. I actively looked forward to going to my classes and learned a lot. I would 100% recommend.
Edit:
There is also a lot of flexibility regarding taking classes outside of your major. Even with a double major, I got to study computer science, film, history, environmental studies, English, and more.
The campus is Elysian, but isolated. Basically everything you could need is offered on campus. Mount Vernon is not much to call home about; there are some good restaurants and thrift shops, though.
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