Please help me. William and Mary, Macalester, Brandeis, and Bard

[MrPotetoHead]

<p>To all posted here,
Thank you very much!</p>

<p>austinareadad</p>

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<p>OP, you asked why I thought Brandeis was more mainstream than the others.
Yes, exactly. Thanks. I don’t know why I wrote traditional instead of mainstream.
I thought mainstream means certain characteristics are seen as pervasive in the majority.
If so, then Brandeis is not mainstream college as you noted unconventional since the majority of colleges in the U.S. have no Jewish affiliation. 40% of Jewish population in a college is unique.
By the way, most of the statistics I cited above are from a US government website called “College Navigator”. You can check it out for yourself if you have not already.
Yes, I am using it. Thanks. They have very comprehensive reports on colleges; I guess tremendous work efforts and money consumed to create all those reports.</p>

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<p>sally305</p>

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<p>This is a really bizarre thread. It sounds as though the OP wants to quantify various aspects of each option, while showing a clear preference for Brandeis no matter what.
I originally preferred William and Mary the most after my D2 were accepted by seven colleges. Then I changed my preference to Macalester in slight margin over William and Mary some point of time in early April due to lower student-faculty ratio that leads to more attention from professors to students and effective discussion in a small class environment. Then after meeting alumni of William and Mary, Macalester, and Brandeis in person and carefully reading through CC comments, I decided to recommend Brandeis to my D2. All comments after my decision on the college didn’t make my mind changed yet even though the comments were very informative. The one critical point was opportunity to take classes for both undergrads and grads. The Brandeis’s alumnus I met had great and stimulating class experience studying along with grads, and in this post, BrownParent said the close thing “I did find that my daughter enjoyed having interaction with grad students at her college when she was a jr/sr. And she did take some grad classes as an undergraduate. I think that made going for the PhD seem like something she knew she could do and, doing research alongside them, to know that going into a PhD program was right for her.” Also Brandeis and William and Mary impressed me their destination data after graduating the colleges. Of course there are some negative side of Brandeis worries me and Macalester is still one of our favorite with lots of positive data points. I believe no matter which of four colleges my D goes, she will obtain excellent education. </p>

<p>austinareadad’s suggestion to look at collegenavigator.gov is a good one. Another thing we did when looking at schools we didn’t know if we could visit was to look at YouTube videos of activities at various colleges.
Yes, I already use college navigator and see YouTube videos on colleges. </p>

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<p>LucieTheLakie</p>

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<p>OP, we just got back from visiting Macalester, and I don’t think your daughter can go wrong with it. The Twin Cities are really impressive, and I’ve never seen a more multicultural campus. Plus, the stereotype is really true: Midwesterners are just SUPER nice!
Yes. LucieTheLakie. I totally agree. My D and I planned to attend Spring Sampler on April 17-18 at Macalester because we were invited. I wish we would go there. If you can tell me more about Spring Sampler you participate on April 11-12, I really appreciate. </p>

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<p>Thanks</p>

[sally305]

<p>OP, why do YOU have to “recommend” your top choice among these schools to your daughter? She has several great options, all of which you support for various reasons. Why do you feel compelled to steer her toward one or another?</p>

[LucieTheLakie]

<p>OP, they had a very nice program planned, the hospitality was topnotch and the surrounding neighborhood felt really safe. We got to hear from several administrators, faculty members and current students, and there were opportunities to take classes, etc. There is a HEAVY emphasis on internationalism and social justice at the college. And these kids work very hard, but they’re collaborative and seem really happy. </p>

<p>In the end, however, it was not the right fit for my kid, which is why I think it’s so important to visit these schools. He really liked everybody he met, but it felt too limiting to him (and this is a kid who’d always thought he preferred a LAC to a larger university), and while he’s pretty liberal, he’s not looking for a very political campus. </p>

<p>My son got to visit with a high school classmate who’s a student there now and he’s very happy at the school. This guy just loves the neighborhood Mac is located in, especially all the fabulous ethnic restaurants. But he’s more of a humanities/social sciences person, and my son is considering engineering, so their needs and wants are very different.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, I’ve never visited Brandeis or W&M (although I did apply to and visit to Bard “back in the day” and I ended up passing on it because it felt too “out there” for me–both politically and geographically), but Macalester does seem like it has everything you’ve said your daughter is looking for in a school. </p>

<p>I still think it’s likely she’d be happier at either Macalester or Brandeis than the other two, but if she’s a sweet sensitive type, she might be more comfortable in the Midwest than in the Northeast where things are “edgier.”</p>

[MrPotetoHead]

<p>sally305
I just want to help her. I am trying not to be manipulative but guide her to choose a college by her preference because I like all four colleges with right reasons as you rightly pointed out.</p>

<p>LucieTheLakie
Thank you!<br>
Hummm, my D2’s interests are broad; neuroscience, philosophy, economics, phycology, and maybe law. However, her aptitude during her high school years was toward science, not humanities. 　She expects a college to provide good education leading to a graduate school or a global company. I knew Mac has very good neuroscience courses. So it was tough decision for my D2.</p>

<p>Btw, my D2 is sweet sensitive type…</p>

[MrPotetoHead]

<p>To all who commented to this post. </p>

<p>Thank you very much. Finally my daughter decided to go for Brandeis.
Though my wife still think W&M might be better choice for her.</p>

<p>Best Regards,
MrPotetoHead</p>

[MYOS1634]

<p>Thank you for letting us know.
Can you let us know how she made her decision, what swayed her or what criteria were considered drawbacks or upsides in her final decision?</p>

[MrPotetoHead]

<p>MYOS1634</p>

<p>Thanks for reading my latest post. </p>

<p>My D decision was made on the following major criteria

1. Undergrads can take grads classes if a major is offered in both undergrads and grads
2. Location: Interaction to other college kids, internship opportunities
3. Academic excellence/rigor
4. International/out-of-state student body
5. Private or public</p>

<p>Brandeis:
<positive points="">

1. Undergrads can take grads classes if a major is offered in both undergrads and grads
2. Suburb of Boston with lots of interaction with college kids and cultural activities
3. Academic excellence
4. Destination data
5. Professors are top-notch in their fields
6. Research opportunities with professors and grads students
7. Internship during school year can be arranged
8. International student body and lots of OOS</positive></p>

<p><negative points="">

1. Financially straggled a couple of years ago and size of endowment is not big comparing to other schools in Boston
2. Dorm and food are rated low by its students
3. Many classes in Economics for example have 30 to 40 students in one class which I thought they should be around 20.
4. Much emphasis on one religion. Jewish are extremely diverse, being non-religious as well as religious, of varied cultures and interests.
5. Expensive with mediocre financial aid</negative></p>

<p>Macalester:
<positive points="">

1. One of rising top LAC in the US
2. International student body and lots of Out-Of-State students
3. Suburb of twin cities with lots of interaction with college kids and cultural activities
4. Academic excellence
5. Destination data
6. Internship during school year can be arranged
7. Best financial aid package</positive></p>

<p><negative points="">

1. No grad school
2. Weather is severe in winter
3. Career Center doesn’t have extensive relationship with local corporations.</negative></p>

<p>William and Mary:
<positive points="">

1. Research opportunities with professors and grads students
2. Undergrads can take grads classes if a major is offered in both undergrads and grads
3. One of the nation’s oldest and most competitive liberal arts schools
4. Academic excellence
5. Destination data
6. Professors are very smart</positive></p>

<p><negative points="">

1. State school that may place priority on In-State Students
2. Small international student body and relatively small Out-Of-State students
3. Rural and no much activities outside of the college
4. No interaction with other colleges
5. Expensive for OOS with limited financial aid </negative></p>

<p>Bard:
<positive points="">

1. Elite LAC
2. Academic excellence
3. Destination data
4. International student body and lots of OOS
5. Highly regarded in New York Area</positive></p>

<p><negative points="">

1. Not for everyone. It may not suit to my D, I don’t know.
2. grad school is small
3. Rural and no much activities outside of the college
4. No interaction with other colleges</negative></p>

<p>Regards,
MrPotetoHead</p>

[MYOS1634]

<p>Thank you for this very comprehensive review, probably one of the most comprehensive i’ve read on this website. It’ll be very useful to many students. Congratulations to you and your daughter!</p>

[cptofthehouse]

<p>Congratulations on her choice. She had a diverse group of schools from which to choose, and as different as they all are, they are all excellent ones. </p>

<p>Ironically, this past weekend, my son brought home his friend. A close high school friend who graduated from Macalester, an ex girlfriend who went to Bard, her friend who went to Brandeis, and my nephew at Wm &M were all here. A great group of young people, all happy and doing well from all different schools, and all loved their choices. Not a one would have picked the other’s school, but frankly I think any one of them would have done well at any of the schools. </p>

<p>THough my one son would have needed allergy shots at W&M. His tour there was aborted by a huge allergy attack–face ballooned, one of his worst. He has pollen allergies and that school is like a botanical garden. At certain times of the year, it’s tough for those with such allergies., as we saw first hand. </p>

[MrPotetoHead]

<p>MYOS1634</p>

<p>Thank you!
I guess it not as comprehensive as I should have if I meant for other students. For just one example,</p>

<p>Macalester has very good arrangement with Washington University In St. Louis for Architecture and Engineering students. But my D was not interested in Architecture so I didn’t post them as a positive point. </p>

<p>Students who are interested in architecture have the opportunity to complete three years at Macalester and then transfer to Washington University in St. Louis for a senior year of accelerated architectural study, leading to a BA degree in art from Macalester.</p>

<p>Or students to receive a B.A. degree from Macalester and a B.S. degree in engineering from Washington or Minnesota in only five years, </p>

<p>cptofthehouse</p>

<p>Thank you!
Yes, I agree with you on “but frankly I think any one of them would have done well at any of the schools.”
My D is sensitive to pollen, too. She takes medication during pollen season. </p>

<p>Regards,</p>