<p>I love boysx3’s advice!</p>
<p>bravo boysx3!</p>
<p>My older s took up breakdancing!!! Who would have thunk it, as they say. He got quite good. Was president of the club on campus. If he can do it, anyone can!! Time to think outside the box!</p>
<p>Early_college, you have looked carefully at so may variables! Another to consider is the socio-economic mix of the student population. </p>
<p>FWIW, my S2 fell in love with Wheaton, the first school he toured. It is beautiful. My impression is that not many students get merit aid; many are full pay. We visited a couple of times and I know some Wheaton grads. Definitely got a sense of New England reserve. I live in New England, grew up near NYC. The midwest may be more relaxed.</p>
<p>My Illinois nephew attends Knox. From what I hear, Knox is very nurturing and friendly. Nephew has invited friends from places distant to spend holidays with his family in Chicago, which is a 3 hour train ride from Galesburg. And Knox has a socio-economically diverse student body. </p>
<p>I’ll bet you could love Knox.</p>
<p>Ultimately, S2 did not apply to Wheaton. A college placement counselor advised us that Wheaton does not have a sizable enough endowment to offer much merit aid. So there are many full pay students.
(S2 attends Clark and loves it, but it is not in a warm fuzzy neighborhood!) </p>
<p>My opinion: Knox has more to offer than meets the eye.</p>
<p>EC, you know that I and my daughter love Knox and the only thing I have to say is that you are overrating the football at Knox. Honestly, it is not a big deal there. And I really don’t think my daughter found it cliquey (sp??). She had friends that were very diverse and I am not just talking ethnic background. I wish you the best.</p>
<p>One comment … EC, I’ve figured out now that you are prone to exaggeration in your writing. I actually find it charming and I think it makes your descriptions come across very vividly – certainly a great gift. (You should take a creative writing class somewhere along the way - I think you would be very good at that and it would be a fun class for you.)</p>
<p>However, that tendency makes it hard to sort out whether a “con” for a given college is a minor drawback or a deal-breaker. I’m concerned simply about the dusty library at Knox, where you couldn’t breathe. There’s a big difference between simply being mildly uncomfortable (as I get when I am around smokers) – and having severe allergies or asthma. So I guess the bottom line question is… will the Knox campus literally make you ill? (I’m guessing not, simply because I would expect that if it were all that bad, you would have dropped it from your list). </p>
<p>Other than that I’m thinking Knox is the right call, not so much for the coming year (where I think the finances are manageable), but because I think you are right that as your dad’s income fluctuates, Knox is the safer bet for all 4 years. And I can see why you find the 3.0 GPA requirement stressful, even though of course you hope to maintain a higher GPA.</p>
<p>I’d add that I also hate football, and I’m originally from Texas (think Friday Night Lights) — but you are going to find that “football” is very different at a D3 college than it was in high school. The “jocks” at Knox are nothing like the “jocks” at your high school. They are more focused on academics – there are students at Knox who want to play football, but no one chooses to go to Knox because of the football. (Kids who choose colleges because of athletics opt for the big state colleges with the powerhouse teams).</p>
<p>Thanks for the fantastic advice boysx3! I agree! I def will try and go out of my comfort level and try new things. I was actually on the swim team for three years. Knox actually tried to recruit me! Their coach even called me. Now then, I am not the fastest swimmer by any means, but even my times weren’t that bad compared to Knox’s swimmers. I really want to do intramural volleyball though and be involved with drama of course. I was actually on the literary magazine junior year, but it never got published. I def think Wheaton has more wealthier students, while Knox has more middle class students which I’m use to.</p>
<p>When it comes to football, I guess you guys have to see where I’m coming from. My high school won the state championships. It’s ALL about football. I’ve had swim meets and plays CANCELED because of football games. My principal is trying to take away the fine arts. Everything is about football. I’m just sick of it. </p>
<p>I agree with you calmom. I do exaggerate, but that’s just part of my nature (to be fair). I do have a really bad dust allergy. Even my dad who isn’t allergic to dust thought it was very dusty. I also have a deviated septum. I had surgery when I was fifteen and it didn’t work, so I can’t breathe from the nose. I probably could study in Knox’s library, but would have trouble breathing with the dust. There was one room in the library where it wasn’t as dusty, but the campus as a whole is just very old and dusty. I have no asthma, I just have trouble breathing because of my nose. </p>
<p>I will say that at Wheaton, I was surprised how intelligent a jock sounded. They’re smart jocks, but it just felt different from the ones I know. I agree with you though calmom and thanks Onward. Football at a D3 school will be different from my AAAAA school.</p>
<p>I understand what you mean about football, my high school was the same way. College is different, at least at the D3 liberal arts colleges. Nothing gets cancelled or planned around football. Knox lost every single football game in 2011, and 9 out of 10 games played in 2010 – the only team they managed to beat was Grinnell in October of 2010. People do not tend to get all that excited about a team that loses all the time. (I’d guess that Knox football fans must have a great sense of humor). </p>
<p>The swim team does much, much better – so if you do decide to swim again, you’ll be on a team you can be proud of.</p>
<p>I attended a D3 school that was a football powerhouse, one of the best teams in the nation year after year. Most of the kids went to the games on Saturday afternoon because they were fun. The football players did not get special treatment in the classroom, they were mostly very good students and were expected to pass their classes just like the rest of the students. I couldn’t even pick most of the football players out in a crowd, and I worked in the athletic department. It’s a very different atmosphere at D3 vs D1. Our high school team is consistently one of the top teams in our state yet NONE of what you say goes on in your high school happens here, ever. I think you can just discount any perceptions you have of “football” because your experience in high school is not what you will find in college.</p>
<p>The nice thing about D3 is you can swim if you want, and play intermural volleyball and be in the plays, and take up the tuba if you are so moved. At a D3 school you are a student first, then an athlete–or actor–or musician.</p>
<p>early_college,</p>
<p>You make me chuckle because you remind me a bit of myself. I, too, am a researcher. I need to know everything about my options, and leave no stone unturned. This can be a very good trait, as I make a fabulous family trip planner, for example. But, there is a problem I sometimes encounter: I have difficulty making a final decision. I always feel I just need to learn a little more before I make a decision about something. </p>
<p>This need to look at every last aspect can actually make me feel almost paralyzed at times. I am so worried about making a wrong choice, I can’t make any decision. What I usually find, though, is that there is not always going to be a Perfect choice. More often, there are a few equally good choices, and I just need to stop obsessing about it. </p>
<p>Since you admit that you’ve been looking at potential colleges since 8th grade, it must feel very difficult to make what seems to be a very final decision. Heck, it’s going to be hard to turn down schools that have so much to offer. Many kids (mine included) are going through the very same thing right now. </p>
<p>Like you said, you intend to put 110% into your education. You selected and were admitted by a number of terrific schools that you selected for many reasons. That’s a good feeling, right? We all can wonder about the “road not taken” - but, that will get you nowhere. Pick a school where you feel you can be the “very best you” and don’t look back…</p>
<p>I really wanted to make a decision today, but my dad got off the phone with Knox and really there doesn’t seem to be a problem with my FASFA. All the numbers are right. They are saying they would just take 2k off my Knox Grants if I got the Federal grants, so it wouldn’t make a decision. They just don’t want to give me it.</p>
<p>So, I don’t think I’ll have a problem money wise at Wheaton. My dad really wants me to go there. But I cannot think of one con at Wheaton and at Knox I can. My mom told me to base this decision where I’ll be happier and not about money. I’m even more confused now. All I day I’ve thought Knox, but I think my only reason for going there is because it’s cheaper. I really did hate the campus and Galesburg, but liked the school. I really can’t get a good feel of Wheaton.</p>
<p>BTW, I asked Knox and there is no GPA requirement. But I think I can handle the 3.0 at Wheaton.</p>
<p>Ugh, now I’m thinking Knox again. Maybe I was just annoyed at Knox’s financial aid office. IDK any more. Thanks for the great advice familyof3boys. Should I just get this over with and pick Knox?</p>
<p>Yes :):):)
But, you are the one that needs to make the final decision.</p>
<p>Since you seem to go back and forth between the two (and your parents liking one or the other just cancels each other out, IMHO) I’d choose the school that is both financially and academically less stressful (due to gpa requirement.) Yes, I’d choose Knox.</p>
<p>For the last 3 years (or however long it’s been for you on CC) you’ve complained about where you currently live and the kids there, so much so that you wanted to go to Simon’s Rock for a while. I’m a little concerned about you attending a school where you seem predisposed to disliking the environment - kids, campus, surrounding area. I can’t help you but you need to differentiate and score all the pluses and minuses between the two schools - both academically and socially, emotionally and physically. </p>
<p>If you’re still having problems why not call admissions and ask to speak to a student or two from each school?</p>
<p>From what I’ve read of early_college’s posts, it seems like a question of choosing the ideal intellectual environment for you (Knox) versus physical environment (Wheaton).</p>
<p>I think the intellectual environment is more important.</p>
<p>I guess what’s holding me back from Knox is the area and the campus. Knox is more isolated, so it’s much harder to get off campus. Wheaton is only a train ride away from Boston and Providence. So, at least if I hate Wheaton, I can go some where. At Knox, there is no where to go or hide. But Knox did seem more intellectual based on that one class I took, but it’s not really fair to compare when Knox’s class was discussion based and Wheaton’s was lectured based. I was actually very close to putting a deposit to Knox, but my dad wouldn’t give me the credit card lol. Then again one of my dad’s reasons for Wheaton is because they have hotter girls, which yes is true, but a terrible reason to pick a college. And I guess, I really didn’t get to speak to too many students. I really had a hard time to get a “feel” of the student bodies, but looking back at Wheaton, my whole complaint was the non class interaction, but it was a lecture class.</p>
<p>Does your father understand the possibility that your Pell eligibility could change? Is he prepared to absorb the extra costs that this would cause?</p>
<p>Did you get that financial problem handled with Wheaton?</p>
<p>The financial problem was with Knox and there was no error. All the numbers were right. My dad had a three way with Knox and our accountant, but they said it won’t matter if they change it because they’ll just take 2k away from my Knox Grant.</p>
<p>My dad is really pushing Wheaton and just said he is going to have “another big placement.” It’s just so hard. My dad told me he is willing to pay the extra price for me to go there. I also think he wants me to go there because his best friend lives in NYC and he’ll be able to see him more often when he visits. He even said his friend will take me to broadway twice a year, haha. Like I have been stressing out so much that my family and friends won’t even talk about it with me anymore.</p>