No longer the 'dream school'?

<p><a href="http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/gargoyle/2007/05/unfinished_college_article.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/gargoyle/2007/05/unfinished_college_article.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Dumb. What about any of the other schools--none of those was right either? Personally, I think that if you REALLY do the research prior to applying, you will not find that come April you don't like any of your choices. Of the 5 schools I was admitted to, only one would not have been particularly do-able for me to go to, and that is because I didn't have the opportunity to visit beforehand. Sure, when I took a closer look, I found some more warts on the schools than back in August before I applied, but I still could have sent in a deposit to anyone of the other 4 schools that admitted me and been at least reasonably happy. For someone to decide that they "deeply regret" the decision to apply to a couple of women's colleges--not just that they would prefer a coed experience--indicates to me that they really didn't think about it so much before applying. </p>

<p>Not to mention that she read that one lame-ass epinions review and based a lot of her assessment of Wellesley on that. I wonder if she went to SOC? If so, she had a very different experience than I did.</p>

<p>Edit: Okay, I guess Wellesley was the only financially viable option for her (allegedly. collegeboard.com gives Earlham's total costs at approx. $40,000, and being that she got a $26,000 scholarship and her family can contribute $9000, it seems like that extra $6000 could easily be covered by moderate loans and work-study money). Still, I found this article annoying--she acknowledges it, but she really messed up the app process pretty bad in several ways.</p>

<p>Spare me please.</p>

<p>Most of the reasons Bethany cites for not wanting to go to Wellesley I've heard before. Even the students who like Wellesley would unanimously agree that Wellesley isn't for everyone.</p>

<p>There's one thing missing from this article: evidence that she ever actually set foot on Wellesley's campus. Or even had a conversation with someone at Wellesley. All her opinions are based on internet links! And that one bitter epinions poster!</p>

<p>Yes, I know collegeconfidential.com is on the internet, and people use it to make decisions. People you don't know may have a perspective you don't, and a collective knowledge source can present a diversity of opinions. But students would be making a huge mistake if they used CC at the most important factors in their decision. Instead, they should look at CC and decide what they are most likely to believe.</p>

<p>Yes, I'm biased toward Wellesley, and I care what people say about my school. The only contact with admissions I actually have is signing up to let someone sleep on my floor each year for Spring Open Campus. I write what I do because I visited CC as a high school senior, and I can answer a lot of questions people have about Wellesley itself. I read CC when I don't want to do my homework.</p>

<p>People turn down or ignore colleges without giving them serious due (or a visit) all the time. Yes, there are just too many colleges out there, and you won't be able to make a decision unless you have stupid reasons for not being fair to any school.</p>

<p>However, it just strikes me as incredibly spoiled that this person did not make an "in person" effort before writing off what is touted as her ONLY choice of a college. </p>

<p>She doesn't strike me as taking the road less travelled or the more difficult route. The "hard" path is doing something you are apprehensive about and not running away from it. </p>

<p>I don't think you should, go to a college you don't want to go to, and that fit is very important, but there's something seriously lacking here.</p>

<p>Wow. Set your education path back an entire year because a college might not be perfect. I've known women who have transfered out of Wellesley because they found out after they went there that it wasn't for them, but none of them were unhappy about the academics. One said Wellesley had the best teachers she has ever encountered, and this is coming from a PhD teaching at a famous university.
Her thinking puts so much weight on finding the perfect university rather than on the education one might receive. Many kids get buyers' remorse after they get in. I hope she isn't unhappy in the fall.
Wendy Mouse, I think she mentioned something about a tour guide, so I wouldn't be suprised if she has been to Wellesley.</p>

<p>Of course, Wellesley isn’t a nunnery, as one tour guide frustrated by all the questions of “Will there be men?” and “How do we find the boys?” allegedly told a tour.</p>

<p>Allegedly being the key word.</p>

<p>I think in trying to pick between schools, I realized that it would be impossible to choose and not feel like I was going to give up something (whether it be guy friends on hand or a small college experience).</p>

<p>But I'm trying to imagine if everyone decided that they didn't like their choices, or decided that they messed up the first time and it's time for a redo. As someone who basically flailed through the process as a first gen. applicant (subsequently begging my way through some missed deadlines) who didn't have the luxury of private counselors or knowledgeable parents with connections, the idea of do-overs doesn't sit well with me.</p>

<p>Mardad, I just rechecked the article based on your comment. I thought you were right at first, but now I see the words "allegedly told a tour". Back in the "Don't think she visited" camp for me.</p>

<p>I would be reluctant to come down <em>too</em> hard on her, since it seems like she really had no clue about the admissions process...except for the fact that she is online, writing articles about her experiences AND she goes to the UIUC lab school, which has got to be a very strong HS with first rate advising (or I would think it would be anyway...it's attached to a very strong university!). I guess since she was going to take a gap year anyway, it's not a huge deal to reapply, but...a mean, nasty part of me kind of hopes that she does worse next time around. Yes, I know it's cruel, but...come on! She's not an inner-city kid fumbling through the process alone...there's no good reason why she should have messed up this badly. </p>

<p>But, I would certainly rather not go to class with someone who is so desperately clueless, so in that respect I'm happy she won't end up at Wellesley!</p>

<p>
[quote]
There's one thing missing from this article: evidence that she ever actually set foot on Wellesley's campus. Or even had a conversation with someone at Wellesley. All her opinions are based on internet links! And that one bitter epinions poster!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The factual inaccuracy doesn't help her case much. The student she so abruptly refers to as "dead in her rented [MIT] room" was (quickly!) declared a suicide, as was the student who died in the spring of 2004. As far as I'm aware, the investigations surrounding the 2001 death ended long ago.</p>

<p>Also, if she had looked at the date of the earlier epinions post (linked to as "current Wellesley student"), she'd see that there's almost no way it was written by a current student.</p>

<p>All of this points to Wendy's comment: she doesn't appear to have gone beyond the Internet in her information-gathering. There's no indication that she sought non-anonymous information or visited the campus. Perhaps she did and chose not to include those details, but the absence of first-hand knowledge doesn't help her article.</p>

<p>It's fine to admit to making a mistake in the college-search process. It's not fine to dredge up inaccurate information in order to blame the colleges for your dissatisfaction with the results. It hurts to see Wellesley so readily dismissed by a student who is using it at a safety net. </p>

<p>ETA: I just noticed the unsubstantiated claim that prestige creates an environment filled with cutthroat competition.</p>

<p>What a dumb article. (And that aside from the fact that it's dumb to let other peoples opinions make important decisions for you. So you let them pick your college...what's next, your house? Your job? Your mate?) </p>

<p>Besides relying on a bunch of second-hand information and then regurgitating it instead of visiting and getting her own first-hand information, I can't believe anyone could get to this point without having first thoroughly explored the ramifications and reality of going to a womens college.</p>

<p>Look at it this way...Wellesley is better off without a twit like this.</p>

<p>I started to respond to this thread...then realized...I was yawning. What rubbish.</p>

<p>For all of the new 5 sisters prospective alumnae reading this - be proud of your destination and best wishes -- go class of 2011!</p>

<p>SG</p>