<p>Hi, i was so sure about Bates until i visited Wellesley. the woman's college thing bothers me a little, but i think i could maybe get over it. both schools are in range for me. i just cant decide, and i want to apply ED. a bit about me...I'm pretty nice, kinda alternative, play the cello, and like to be outside a lot. please please help!</p>
<p>oh i would also plan to major in something to do with music or psychology. not sure yet.. </p>
<p>things i liked about both schools</p>
<p>Bates
beautiful campus
interesting students
progressive history
co-ed
small size</p>
<p>Wellesley
beautiful campus
interesting students
small size
great location
prestige</p>
<p>I'd really think about the women's college thing, if I were you... Guys definitely add a different perspective to the classroom that I (personally) wouldn't want to do without. I'm pretty sure Wellesley does cross-registration with MIT, Babson and maybe even a couple other places though, so maybe that wouldn't be an issue. I'd definitely look into the cross-registration thing-- not just where and how it's available, but also how commonly it occurs. I also wouldn't let prestige tip the scale in Wellesley's favor. Bates is a great school. Really.</p>
<p>What it seems to come down to (not that I need to tell you this) is:</p>
<p>location vs. co-ed
prestige vs. progressive history</p>
<p>Personally, I'd apply ED to Bates out of those two, but I'm not you and I haven't visited either, so that probably doesn't help. It's just that for ME, progressive history IS more important than prestige, and co-ed IS more important than location. But like I said, that's me.</p>
<p>if you're not totally positive which, maybe you shouldn't do ED at all.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input! I'm feeling a lot of pressure from everyone to do ED. I think 95% of my classmates are doing it, and my guidance counselor and my parents haven't even mentioned just doing regular decision. Wellesley is also a lot closer than Bates is to me, that aspect isn't that important, but my parents would prefer i stay a little closer. My parents are also really pushing Wellesley because they don't really know how great Bates is. In the end, the education is the most important part of it, but i still want to have fun in college....</p>
<p>I think Wellesley also has cross-registration with Harvard? Or, at least MIT has cross-registration with both.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would drop the ED and apply to both RD. That way you'd get more time to think and you could also see where you were accepted and what they offered you (if you need FA).</p>
<p>I read a very negative CC College Visit report on Bates that made me think that the area around the school is highly undesirable.</p>
<p>Wellesley has cross registration with MIT Babson Olin and Brandeis. Yeah, the area around Bates is undesirable, but the social life there is centered around campus which is the complete opposite at Wellesley. I really think I should apply ED to either so I have a better chance of getting in.</p>
<p>One thing I like about Wellesley is that drinking is less prevalent there than at a lot of colleges. If you care about this issue, it might tip the balance.</p>
<p>drinking specifically isn't that important to me but having an active social life is</p>
<p>If you can get in Wellesley, you could probably get into some other colleges which have many of Bates' advantages without being in a dangerous location, etc. How about Bowdoin, Tufts, Middlebury, Colby, Connecticut College?</p>
<p>TourGuide446: thank you for your suggestions! It's not that Bates' location is dangerous..at least i don't think it is? It's that it is in the middle of nowhere Maine. Bowdoin, Middlebury and Colby all have that problem i think. I've seen Colby and I thought the students were too preppy. Tufts was a beautiful school but I think it is too much of a reach, and Conn College is beautiful too, but I think between Bates and Connecticut i liked Bates more. </p>
<p>My stats are</p>
<p>I go to a VERY competitive high school in Massachusettes.
My GPA is 3.69 (uw) my school doesn't weight or rank.
SAT--2110 CR-700, Math-700, W-710</p>
<p>ECs:
Varsity Soccer for 4 years
Music Honor Society
Gardening Club
Editor on School Newspaper
Community service (help teach underprivileged kids music) twice a week
Art Classes</p>
<p>I very much appreciate everyone's incites!!!</p>
<p>did you mean insights?</p>
<p>Tufts isn't a worthless endeavor. They love students like you who are not using them as a safety for the Ivies.</p>
<p>Not to confuse things, but have you considered Smith College? Smith is a wonderful place and is known for small classes, academic excellence, terrific advising and mentoring, and available, committed professors. It has a real sense of community, and an open curriculum which gives you lots of room to explore your interests.</p>
<p>Smith is part of a 5-college consortium (with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Univ of Mass). You can take classes at any. There is a free shuttle bus to get to classes and activities at the other campuses. So you get the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>Just exactly how are you and your parents planning to pay for your education? Do you know precisely where the money is going to come from and whether or not it has been/will be affected by the current economic crisis?</p>
<p>Sit your parents down. Show them just exactly what the Cost of Attendance at these two schools is for four years. Talk about the money - as in don't let them leave the room until they have explained the details. Then if you don't need financial aid, and won't have to compare offers from all of the colleges that you apply to in order to choose the best combination quality/location/affordability you can worry about which ED school you really want to apply to.</p>
<p>Please, don't let pressure force you to apply ED... unless finances are completely and totally under control, and unless you are 100% focused on ONE school in particular, it's a risky option. You might find you change your mind after post-admission visits, or perhaps time will sway you towards one school. And what if it's not the one you expected? You said you were a little unsure of the women's college scene; thus, I'd strongly recommend against applying ED to Wellesley.
The posters above have summarized their differences very well - good luck with your decision!</p>