Lewis and Clark or Reed? (University of Portland, Oregon State, Whitman)

College Search & Selection
1

Hello everyone!

WHAT SCHOOL SHOULD I PICK?

I’ve applied to 5 “local” schools (I live right by Portland, Or) and I’ve heard back from 3 of them. Here’s the breakdown of admission decisions:

Oregon State University: Accepted, full tuition scholarship
University of Portland: Accepted, 3/4 tuition scholarship
Lewis and Clark: Accepted, about 60% tuition scholarship
Reed: Waiting to hear back
Whitman: Waiting to hear back, but I got a letter in the mail saying that I can “expect good news soon.”

With this, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be accepted into Whitman and I have high hopes for Reed. And, I’m fairly certain that the cost will be pretty similar for all of them. My question is: WHICH ONE DO I CHOOSE?

I’m currently leaning toward L&C, Reed, and Whitman as they are the most prestigious and overall “better” schools - Reed being the most prestigious of the three. However, I am not in love with Reed’s culture. I’ve been on campus many times and stayed over-night, so I know a lot about it. The culture is cool and the people are nice, but it’s not entirely me. Don’t get me wrong - I can make friends anywhere, but Reed is truly unique, so I’m not sure if it’s the best fit.

On the other hand, UP and Oregon State are much larger campuses with huge student bodies that have all types of people and all types of events that take place every day. I honestly think that I’d have the most fun at one of these schools. But, academics is my #1 priority, and I understand that there are better academic institutions out there.

I’d like to major in chemistry or chemical engineering in my undergraduate studies, and I’d like to go to an Ivy League or other top law school afterwards. Going to L&C, Reed, or Whitman would probably provide me with the best set-up to stay on this path.

Thoughts? Advice? Personal anecdotes? I’ll enjoy reading any comments you may have for me.

2

Whitman. I’m local too and I understand what you are saying about Reed. Whitman offers a great liberal arts education in a familiar Pacific NW environment without the Portlandia moments.

3

Are you eligible for need-based aid or are you depending on merit scholarships? Because to the best of my knowledge, Reed no longer offers merit scholarships and the merit scholarships at Whitman top out at about 15K (if you don’t also have need) plus a tiny bit more if you are NMF.

You should check the LACs to see if they offer engineering. Many do not.

4

What about Whitman being in the “middle of nowhere?” I like the city, and though I wouldn’t have a hard time adapting, Walla Walla seems a bit too rural.

5

Are you sure you mean University of Portland? That is a small(ish) religious school, not the large campus with a huge student body you mention. If you mean Portland State I would probably eliminate that if you wanted more of a college campus experience.

6

I am eligible for need-based aid. I lumped it together with my merit-aid in my post (My UP Presidential Scholarship mixed with grant the school offered me, along with FAFSA, equates to a 3/4 ride). I also know that many LACs don’t offer engineering, but that isn’t a huge concern…

7

I do mean University of Portland. It is small, but it’s double the size of the other private schools I got into. And, from what people have told me, the religious factor isn’t a big deal. To me, it does have a pretty large student body (obviously not as large as OSU) with tons of stuff going on all the time.

8

Haha, Portlandia!

First, is cost an issue in your family? There’s a big difference between a full tuition scholarship at an in-state public where housing costs are probably low-ish and a 60% tuition scholarship at a private college. If cost is no issues then go forth and prosper, but consider that as well.

It seems like your best options are Lewis & Clark or Oregon State. Whitman is a great college, but so is L&C, and if you’d rather be in an urban environment than a rural one it’s a better choice for you.

But you also like the big-school vibe. Oregon State is a well-respected state university with a great school of engineering that has a chemical engineering major. I’ve heard Corvallis is a lovely college town, and is less than 2 hours away from Portland by car for weekend trips.

It sounds like you really want to be at a larger campus. You can go to a top law school from any college or university -it doesn’t have to be a highly ranked one. Yale Law publishes a list of undergrad schoosl represented and some of the schools on the list are Florida State, Gonzaga, University of Louisville, University of Oregon and UT-Dallas. Students from flagship state universities and smaller regional campuses can certainly go to top law or grad schools.

Basically, you can get a great education from Oregon State and go on to have a great career from there if that’s what you’d love! But Lewis & Clark is also a great option (and so is Whitman, if you feel like you can do the rural thing). Fortunately it seems like there are no real bad choices as long as your family can afford it.

9

@zerokrash imho one’s undergrad years are about exploring new ideas way beyond the familiar and comfortable. So to me there isn’t “too rural” only “too same”. You aren’t wrong to want to stay close but it is an entirely different experience. UP is very nice- I’ve taken my kids there for various activities- and from what I’ve seen it is more pre-professional so it may set you up career-wise locally.

10

@juillet Cost is an issue, but a 17k per year L&C vs a 13k per year OSU isn’t a big deal.

Also, I’m glad that top law schools openly take students from state schools. A large campus isn’t really what I want. It would be fun, but the party seen at OSU would probably get old - at least that’s what students have told me. I’d be perfectly fine choosing L&C, but isn’t Whitman just a better school overall? And isn’t Reed better than both of them?

I’m not trying to sound like I care about rankings, but what is your opinion on what is just the best academic institution overall?

11

Reed is the most academically intense environment of the schools you’ve mentioned, that’s great if you really love intellectual exploration for its own sake and the library is your favorite place to hang out. Whitman is quite rigorous but it isn’t as academically all-consuming as Reed, Whitties like to enjoy themselves as well as study, Walla Walla is small but charming and friendly, with plenty of good places to eat and shop off campus. If you like to ski, bike ride backpack, rock climb, kayak, etc. then it’s a fabulous place to be. Plenty of people aren’t really outdoorsy, but still like the atmosphere, there is a lot going on all the time on campus.

12

I would wait to see what Reed and Whitman offer. There is very little overlap btwn Reed and University of Portland, or with OSU for that matter since they attract very different kinds of students. While you can find bright and intellectually engaged students anywhere, you would most likely find the highest concentration of these students at Reed . Whitman is also a great school but you would want to visit first and be sure you are comfortable with the very rural location.

13

By the standardized scoring of its students, Reed is a top-50* college, and this probably fairly reflects the overall academic quality of the school, and does as well distinguish it within your group. Their curriculum, however, is fairly narrow, without majors or minors such as geosciences, astronomy, or creative writing. Computer science is offered only as a mathematics concentration. So if breadth in your choice of majors or electives is important to you, consider that Reed is fairly limited in this regard. In terms of social factors, though, I think you could easily adjust to them if you are leaning toward Reed as an academic match. That said, I think you should strongly consider Reed if you are accepted.

*“The 610 Smartest Colleges in America,” Business Insider.

14

Truly, it’s always baffled me that Whitman is characterized as rural. It is in the middle of a small city, a really nice small city. As well as the vibrant campus, there is a community theater, a symphony, art studios and galleries, boutiques, and excellent restaurants. It is a major wine producing region and Walla Walla is the hub. True it is several hours away from Portland or Seattle but not from civilization.

15

I am not sure what value “prestige” has. You have mentioned several fine colleges and I think finding the right academic and social “fit” might be the better way of thinking. My daughter visited Reed and L&C. L&C was the clear winner for her. So much so that she did not apply to Reed. Yes, it is a great school but you have to find the right place for you. Not the right place based on a vague notion of prestige.

16

You mention your potential major as being Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. Reed has an excellent reputation for their Chem and Math departments, as well as an on-site nuclear reactor that any student (no matter what their major) can be certified to work on, but it’s definitely not for everyone.

My D and I have visited Reed twice and it’s her dream school - quirky, yet intellectual with a small sized student body who are all very tuned into what is politically and socially correct. They don’t give traditional grades, Greek life or sports teams. To me the campus was beautiful, the conversations engaging, but it wouldn’t be a place that would suit every kind of student.

I like that even freshman can get a single room, and the college has free rentals of camping equipment if you’re into it. They also have a ski lodge on Mt.Hood that is available to all students and alumni to use.

Something too to be aware of, over 50% of Reed students are full pay. Two of my daughter’s classmates from previous years have gotten into Reed and both required FA. One was given 100% (64K per year) and the other had her need met 100% (10K EFC). If they want you, they will work with you on this too. If you get a better offer from another school but know Reed is your first choice, contact the FA office and explain the situation. (“Reed is my first choice and I really, really want to come there, but school ‘b’ has offered …, can you match it?”)

My suggestion: If you get in, be sure to attend the 4/18 admitted student day and do an overnight if you can. Talk to people and get a sense if you ‘fit’ before you dive in.

Personally, it would never have been my first choice as it really is an intense, intellectual version of “Portlandia”. If you’re into it, you’ll love it. If not, it could be a heck of a shock to your system.

17

You mentioned not feeling like you fit in at Reed. Have you visited the other colleges and met the students there, sat in on a chem class, etc.? That’s the best way to get a good idea of which one might be the best one for you. Whitman has great academics and a very different vibe from Reed. I suggest a visit, especially since you seem concerned about its location.

18

Yes, the institutions are so different. Why did you apply to such a diverse group of schools? When I talk to students I ask what they want. Small or big. High pressure or low. Conservative or not. Urban, rural or suburban. Your roster is all over the map. What was your approach to choosing schools? I am curious.

19

Are you eligible for a lot of need-based aid? Otherwise some of your other picks may be a better option simply due to cost.

20

@cutepug I just applied to what I thought were good schools that would fit me well. I don’t believe I’m like the average student that wants one thing over the other. Small is good for me, but big could be fun too. Conservative would be a cool experience, but liberal fits me better. Urban would be amazing, but maybe I’d like rural or suburban as well. I really feel that I can fit in anywhere and have a good time anywhere. I also feel that I can be successful at any of these schools too. So, it really just boils down to either who has the best name or what school really is the best fit.

Again, I’m not trying to sound like I care about rankings that much, but prestige is, whether I like it or not, something to consider. L&C and Whitman are simply easier to get into than Reed. Students at Reed had, mostly, higher GPAs and SAT scores in high school than those at L&C or Whitman. I almost want to go to the most prestigious school I can get in to, but it’s pretty superficial of me to think that way…

Also, I applied to a lot of these schools because they were local. The reason I applied to Whitman was because of its “combined plan” for law school in which students can transfer to Columbia Law straight from Whitman.