Hello everyone. So far these are all the schools I’ve gotten into (except Smith… I’m still waiting on that school, which is coming out this Friday. I think I got in) and I’m honestly torn between choosing which school to attend. I am offered a $60,000 scholarship to Mt. Holyoke and a $64,000 scholarship to Baylor as well. These scholarships are very tempting… I wasn’t offered anything from Bryn Mawr or UDub. If anyone can offer insight, pros/cons, advice on how to pick a school that would be great! Money is not a huge factor for me (my parents make good money), but I would hate to spend so much money on a school.
I also got waitlisted for UCSB, and my parents want me to choose that school if I get off the waitlist (I’m from California so my dad is a taxpayer). Any advice would be appreciated!
I think, were I part of the equation, there would have to be a really, really compelling reason to choose a school that hasn’t offered any financial incentive at all.
Smith and UCSB are non-entities until you’re accepted. The question then for me would be Mt Holyoke vs Baylor. They’re pretty different-- location, type of school, type of students attracted to them overall. Honestly, that would come down to the question “which suits me better for four years of my life?” which no one else can really answer for you. If accepted to Smith, the differences between Smith/Holyoke are a bit subtler.
I’d also have a frank discussion with the parents about why they want you at UCSB if possible. Is it money? The distance? Something else? And asking their input on the others, assuming for the sake of discussion you don’t get off the waitlist, wouldn’t go amiss either.
Good luck! You have great choices, wherever you go.
Baylor if you’re a serious Baptist, want to grow in your faith, and love football. Mount Holyoke if you’re looking forward to interactive classes and a personal relationship with professors, plus the 5-college consortium.
Colleges that didn’t offer scholarships shouldn’t be considered when you’re basically offered a free ride at two excellent universities.
Like everyone else, I’m really curious about how MHC and Baylor got on the same list. Very, very different schools!
Can you tell us a little more about what you are looking for in your college experience?
@bopper $64,000 in total. And yes, it is still very expensive, but my parents have $300,000 saved for my college fund. The thing is, I really do not want to put out all that money.
@staceyneil honestly, I’m expecting a fulfilling college experience. I can see myself at all of these schools I applied to. I’m a strong Christian (Baptist), I also was going to train for the Olympics in a male dominated sport (very accomplished, state qualifier, only female on the team, spent literally 8000 hours), I worked as a volunteer counselor all 4 years and helped several suicidal people-- all three are my “passions.” I also love public speaking and was involved in debate team.
If you have the opportunity to spend four years at Mount Holyoke, you are one lucky woman. Baylor is something in another realm. I think you need to decide if you wish to be in an ivy-league academic type environment or whether you want to be in the Texas football type of environment in a school that has a good reputation in Texas. You should go with what is most comfortable for you.
Your parents have the money but if you don’t want to spend that much, you shouldn’t. Spend it only if it is for a school you absolutely want to attend. Can you visit the places where you were accepted? MHC and Smith will be very different geographically from Baylor. The campus culture at MHC and Smith will be very different from Baylor as well.
Baylor has a solid Honors program with a Columbia/Chicago-style “Great Books” option. Did you apply to Honors? If so, you would probably enjoy an enhanced academic experience vis-a-vis the standard curriculum at Baylor. Note, too, that MHC, BMC, and–especially–Smith share a campus culture that will aggressively challenge the presuppositions of your Christian worldview. Such challenges can, of course, provide a valuable impetus to growth and maturation . . . but they can also lead to unhappiness and a sense of alienation. You’ll need to weight such factors carefully.
Baylor offers a great college experience. It is a very inclusive community and academics are solid for students who work hard. Only flaw is their location, however you live in Baylor Bubble, not in Waco.