<p>I think I want to apply to one of these schools E.D., but I am having trouble deciding which one to apply to. I was wondering, of these 3</p>
<p>1) Which has the most prestige?
2) Which has the best sciences? (if there is a clear favorite)
3) What is the campus life like, i.e. the "stereotypical" student, the surrounding town, what parties are like, e.t.c.
4) If you had to choose, which would you pick and why?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot and I'd appreciate any input.</p>
<p>1) I think this depends on where you are. If you’re on the West Coast, Pomona’s the clear winner. East Coast, the other two are probably about even. They’re all regarded, among those who know them well, as great, small colleges.
2) I don’t know this factually, but the stereotype is that Wesleyan is the best for sciences. Again, this is just based on what I’ve read on CC before, not on my own research.
3) I’ve heard, again mostly on CC, that Midd is more preppy and athletic than the other two. Wesleyan is often see as much more liberal, both politically and socially, and is also less isolated than Midd. I really don’t know much about Pomona other than that it’s a great LAC in CA, so I won’t talk about it.</p>
<p>I’ve recruited science majors at both Midd & Pomona-- both are very strong in sciences. If I had to give an edge based upon students I’ve met & curricula, it would be Pomona. But you can’t lose between the two. As a LAC science major hirer, Wes hasn’t hit my radar, but I am sure they are fine. I have never heard of the positive sterotype teenage_cliche has mentioned, relative to Midd & Pomona.</p>
<p>ps…as an eastern old guy, if I had to do it again, it would DEFINITELY be Pomona.</p>
<p>1) Prestige shouldn’t be your first concern if you are applying to liberal arts colleges. Pomona is the most well-regarded among the three, and Middlebury and Wesleyan are tied for most recognition. The advice I give to people with regards to prestige is the following: if you care that much, go to Harvard–no school can beat that. Otherwise, man up.
2) Pomona.
3) Pomona is a member of the Claremont Consortium. This provides a diversity of student types, experiences, and social events. Do research on each of the individual schools to figure out what I mean.
4) Pomona, though I’m very fond of Middlebury.</p>
<p>You should also think about climate and where you want to live - the climate of Midd and Pomona couldn’t be more different. I know many people love So Cal, but, personally, you couldn’t pay me to live there, and for that reason alone Pomona’s not on my list. You may feel just the opposite, though.</p>
<p>1) Pomona
2) Probably Pomona or Wes. Pomona is in a consortium with Harvey Mudd, which makes a difference.
3) Middlebury is very isolated, quite preppy, very Patagonia-wearing. Wesleyan has the reputation of being the edgiest and most activist of the three, politically and socially. Pomona is reportedly laid back but brainy.
4) Pomona. Smart kids, nice atmosphere, consortium, great financial resources and generous to its students. If not Pomona, Wes. I wouldn’t go to Middlebury, but I have a prejudice against the place for reasons I cannot reveal.</p>
<p>Climate should be a controlling factor; in terms of “LAC prestige,” Pomona is generally considered a notch above Midd and Wes, on the same level as Amherst/Williams/Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Actually, Middlebury is the most prestigious of the three based on the only “standardized” measure that we have–the US News peer assessment score (which I realize doesn’t exactly measure prestige). Pomona and Middlebury have been tied for several years, but this year Middlebury’s PA score increased while Pomona’s stayed the same. I’d say Middlebury is probably more prestigious on the East Coast and mid-Atlantic, while Pomona is more prestigious in the West and Southwest, although neither are well known to the general public. Wesleyan is probably the most recognized name of the three.</p>
<p>^I have no idea what peer assessment scores are like. I was going by general perception of those who “know” about LACs. Midd still has an “up-and-coming” reputation whereas Pomona has long been established as the West Coast equivalent of AWS. (Though if the PA score is going up, that’s a sign that Midd’s nouveau-riche rep is disappearing.)</p>
<p>A) Probably Pomona. But the fact is, the average person on the street probably won’t know any of them, and people who know colleges will know and respect all of them. Only people on CC will make a big distinction – if you’re applying to grad school or something like that, all will serve you very well. </p>
<p>B) I’m not sure about how good the sciences are at the other two (I would assume very), but Wes is the only one with a grad school program in the sciences (I think). This means we get grad school funding, but since there are only a handful of grad students, there are TONS of research opportunities for undergrads. You also have the possibility of staying on for a fifth year and getting an MA for free if you do well (I think you apply your junior year). </p>
<p>That said, all of them would probably serve you well, and at Pomona you could take some classes at Harvey Mudd.</p>
<p>C) I encourage you to check out the individual forums for each school; there are TONS of threads about student life in the Wes forum, and I assume the same is true at the other two.</p>
<p>For Wes, this is a good thread to start with: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/wesleyan-university/672411-ask-anything-about-student-life-wesleyan-about-wesleyan-general.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/wesleyan-university/672411-ask-anything-about-student-life-wesleyan-about-wesleyan-general.html</a></p>
<p>D) Well, Wes was my ED choice, so there you go (I also liked Pomona, and didn’t consider Midd), and would still be my pick of the three. That’s because it has the social atmosphere I liked best (laid back, very quirky/liberal), the perfect size for me (larger than the normal LAC), and by far the best program in my major (Film). </p>
<p>But since they are all great schools, probably the biggest differences are going to be things that are entirely subjective in terms of what is “best”: location, weather, size, social life, etc. If you haven’t/can’t visit them before the ED date (while students are around), I would encourage you not to jump into ED, since, for LACs especially, fit is really important, IMO, and these three schools all seem to have a slightly different feel.</p>
<p>Definitely think about weather, too, if you haven’t. You go from the really cold (Midd) to the balmy (Pomona). Do you love the cold? Hate it? Want distinct, east coast seasons? Etc.</p>
<p>For good science LACs, you (not necessarily the OP) might also consider:</p>
<p>Williams (if you like sporty, rural New England schools like Middlebury),
Swarthmore (if you want a less isolated east coast school like Wesleyan),
Reed (if you want a west coast LAC like Pomona),
Carleton (if you’d consider the midwest). </p>
<p>The percentage of math/science majors or the number of alumni Ph.D.s is higher, as I recall, at these schools than at the other three.</p>
<p>^And keep in mind that Reed/Wesleyan/Carleton are a closer match, in atmosphere, as are Pomona/Williams.</p>
<p>What “science” are you interested in? What kind of campus culture are you looking for?</p>
<p>If you really view all three equally, then the answer is Pomona. It has the highest per student endowment of any liberal arts college in the United States and top 10 of all colleges and universities. It’s per student endowment is nearly double Middlebury’s. </p>
<p>What does this mean in plain English? Pomona has a lot more money to spend. The financial resources ultimately drive every decision about every program on campus – from the number of faculty, to the health center, to the writing pogram (Pomona has invested heavily in theirs, etc.).</p>
<p>If you can pay the same price and get more for your money, then it’s pretty much a no-brainer, right? Assuming that you like all three schools so well that you can’t decide.</p>
<p>Here’s the one fly in the ointment. A lot of other students like Pomona, too. It has the lowest acceptance rate of any liberal arts college.</p>
<p>I think that in some ways interesteddad is basically right. However, I have a hard time believing that someone could like all three equally in terms of atmosphere. OP: what kind of social life/location/etc. most appeals to you?</p>
<p>Pomona or Wesleyan, would be the answer for me. But, it should be about what school YOU are in love with…</p>
<p>While per student endowment numbers are important, I don’t think you should base your decision primarily on that factor. Middlebury’s per student endowment number is low compared to Pomona, but Middlebury’s student population has grown considerably over the past 20 years (from 1,900 to 2,500), thereby diluting the per student endowment. That growth has enabled Middlebury to greatly increase its academic offerings, expand its physical plant (probably more so than any other top LAC), and increase the number of living alumni, which pays dividends later in life (both in terms of networking and alumni donations). As Middlebury’s growing pains subside, it’s per student endowment with play catch up. Will it ever match that of Pomona? Probably not. As we all know, the rich get richer–wealth breeds wealth. I challenge you to visit Middlebury and Pomona and provide any tangible evidence that Pomona will offer you twice the academic experience that Middlebury will because its per student endowment is twice that of Middlebury’s.</p>
<p>So there is no “right” answer to this question, of course. I think the conventional wisdom would be to rank Middlebury lowest of the 3 for science education. Its traditional strengths are in foreign languages and English/writing. It has a relatively low number of math/science majors (10-15% IIRC, compared to maybe 24-30% for Swat or Carleton?)</p>
<p>That said, in recent years Midd has invested heavily to broaden its reputation beyond its traditional base. It is one of the best schools in the country, apparently, for Environmental Science. I would expect its programs and facilities for physical and life sciences to be quite strong these days (though it is hard to get objective data to assess specific LAC departments). It has a gorgeous campus, facilities and setting, and has become very selective in recent years. So I think a prospective science major who considers it the right “fit” for personal reasons could choose it with confidence.</p>
<p>Certain coach go there, Consolation?</p>
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<p>Double is not the right ratio because endowment spending is not the entire budget. Plus, the big endowment schools tend to be a bit more conservative, spending under 5% of their endowment each year where Middlebury and Wesleyan have struggled in recent years to bring their endowment spending down from unsustainable leves above 6%.</p>
<p>The actual per student spending (last year) was:</p>
<p>$76,000 at Pomona
$61,000 at Middlebury
$55,000 at Wesleyan</p>
<hr>
<p>One thing I believe every prospective customer should be doing this year is digging into the impact of budget cutting on the quality of the product and student experience over the next five years. Every college in America is making real cuts. Some more than others. Cutting real professors. Increasing the number of students. Cutting writing programs. Cutting student work study jobs. Once I had narrowed down to a short list, I would be looking to see which schools are budgeting to preserve more of the existing programs. We are a few weeks away from getting a complete picture, but there is quite a bit if you dig school by school.</p>