<p>Posting my first time and long I apologize, but I am distraught.</p>
<p>I am trying to gather information to help S1 decide because what do I know, I'm a parent. </p>
<p>He was admitted to big state school as well as W and M. For big state he was awarded a special scholars program admission, top 5% of admits. No money but prestigious award . The school is ranked top 50% nationally, business school top 25%. He did not apply to the honors program but could as a rising sophomore.</p>
<p>He is interested in getting an MBA or perhaps PhD at top-ranked business program in the future. W&M am has a better track record of students attending graduate school but that may be due to less at big state that intend to go on.</p>
<p>I believe William and Mary would be a better fit for his studious and inquisitive nature. I also feel he would benefit from the smaller conversational learning environment. I was actually surprised when he did not apply to an elite LA program based on his personality. W and M made a big impression on him when we visited his sophomore year. I feel that W and M provides the perfect balance of elite LA and research U for his academic endeavors.</p>
<p>So here we are, apples and oranges.</p>
<p>Since we are OOS, the state school tuition level at William and Mary does not benefit us, but we have saved so we're okay.</p>
<p>When we attend the admitted students Day will there be a way he could speak to someone to help him determine what the program at William and Mary would provide to reach his goals?</p>
<p>My advice, which is by no means professional:</p>
<p>Go with the better fit. Sure, William and Mary is not the best school in the world for business school or whatever PhD program he might be pursuing. But here’s the thing: no one knows if he’ll still be interested in that six, four, or even one year down the road. If he went to a school that would cultivate his curiosity/studies as a whole, he might find that he doesn’t want to do something with business but with, say, physics or English instead. Like you said, William and Mary is a good mix of elite liberal arts program and research; amid all his courses, he could find an interest (the liberal arts side) and then vigorously pursue it (the research side) at William and Mary. If he went to the other place and had such a realization, well, he’d be stuck at a school that might not be the best fit. In any case, I’m sure that William and Mary cultivates some pretty great business students. I mean…it’s W&M. In its 2010 ranking of the top undergraduate business programs, BusinessWeek rated William and Mary the eighth-best public university and the 25th-best overall. </p>
<p>And while I can’t speak to the prestige of whatever scholars program you’re talking about, I’d say getting into William and Mary as an OOS student is pretty prestigious in and of itself. Seriously, just look at the admit thread. There were some incredible OOS applicants who didn’t get into the school. Imagine the ones who did.</p>
<p>So yeah, those are just my thoughts. I don’t go to William and Mary (but will next fall!), and I’m no professional on this stuff, but I figured I’d at least respond while nobody else did. Good luck in the future; I hope he finds the place that’s right for him!</p>
<p>I’m confused as to why you are having a difficult time choosing? From your post, it sounds like W&M is all positive.</p>
<p>The fact is that W&M offers one of the best undergraduate educations in the country. Some of the “top ranked” schools get by on their graduate program prestige while relegating their mediocre professors and TAs to instruct undergrads. W&M does not. W&M “walks the talk” with commitment to undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research opportunities.</p>
<p>alpha, congrats on your son’s admission to W&M. Clearly he’s a stand-out student and person and we hope he joins the Class of 2015.</p>
<p>Should you attend Day for Admitted Students there will be an opportunity to meet with almost every academic department on campus as well as attend a pre-professional program session at which the Director of our undergraduate business program will be present. </p>
<p>Not sure what the nature of the special scholars program is that your son was admitted to but most programs at larger schools give students benefits open to all W&M students: small classes, faculty attention, research and honors level classes. All of these are hallmarks of a W&M education for all students.</p>
<p>Everyone’s right however, go with the right fit. Visit both campuses this month and likely your son’s gut will tell him which is the better fit.</p>