How do they compare?
I cannot comment on Lawrence physically until I visit in a week, but I did apply to both schools and was accepted by both. Puget Sound was my favorite school I have visited. Beautiful campus in the middle of a neighborhood of what my father called “craftsman” style houses. Mt. Rainier is perched over the top of the school and is very visible on a clear day. The students at PSU seemed very laid back and outdoor oriented. Academically, Lawrence appears to be the stronger of the two schools. I had to eliminate PSU because, like Willamette, it is $5000 to $6000 a year more than Beloit and Lawrence - and they are not better academically (again, at least on paper). I really loved the landscape and outdoor opportunities of the Pacific Northwest, but I can not justify the cost, particularly of PSU who is famously tight with their scholarship money. Willamette actually gives good scholarship money but no better than what Lawrence gave me which means they are still much more expensive to attend.
If you have the money and are looking for a campus full of bright, hip, athletic students then PSU is well worth checking out.
Thanks very much. What have you heard about financial aid at UPS? Also I’m curious to know what you thought about Willamette since, unlike Lawrence and Puget Sound, it seems not to have any videos showing the campus or students.
Pull up scholarship information on College Data website. It is fairly accurate. In fact, the admission folks openly admitted to me that they devote more money to campus maintenance and less to scholarships. All other schools discussed how they would work with you. PSU told our tour group that your family would “have to squeeze”. They were right.
Willamette was my second favorite, my father’s favorite. Probably the most beautiful campus we saw. The landscaping was amazing. The creek that runs through the middle of campus is unique. Their “Hearth” academic creation was the single best idea I saw on any campus. I got a little better vibe from the PSU students. That is a personal thing so you may not feel the same. Keep working on finding pictures and video or better yet visit Willamette.
I live about 10 minutes from Lawrence, and I seriously considered going there, but I ended up choosing Puget Sound. Lawrence’s financial aid was better, but only a little. Lawrence gave me about $25,000/year in scholarships, while UPS gave me $22,000. I did want to get away from my hometown, so that was a factor - not that the Fox Valley isn’t great, but I have spent 16 years there, so I’m looking for a change. UPS did have a prettier campus in my opinion, and the students seemed moderately more friendly, though there wasn’t a huge difference. For me, I felt that the opportunities in Tacoma for jobs after college far outweighed those in Appleton (I want to be a book editor), so that was why I felt the extra cost was justified. Academically, Lawrence is slightly better, though in the Fox Valley it is only known for the Conservatory. Hope this helped