<p>S2, a senior, isn't sure if he wants to attend a large state university or a small private. At the small private schools he would compete in varsity athletics, which sounds like fun to him at this point. Does anyone have some firsthand knowledge about Rollins in FL, or Babson and Wheaton in MA? The climate difference is obvious, but we're wondering about the quality of the academic programs, social climates, overall reputations of the schools. We're planning visits in the next month. It seems that Rollins and Wheaton are academic matches for S2, but Babson is a little stretch. Thanks!</p>
<p>I believe that Northstarmom is knowledgable about Rollins. Maybe she'll stumble upon this thread. If not, I would start another thread with Rollins in the title.</p>
<p>Babson is a business school. Wheaton is a small liberal arts school. Both are in the suburbs of Boston. What's your son interested in?</p>
<p>Oh, he has many, many interests...most of them social ; ) One day he wants to major in economics or business, and the next he wants math. I can see him in marketing or sales someday, but I'd like him to keep his options open. He thinks Babson sounds interesting because the freshmen start their own businesses. He thinks Wheaton sounds great because the athletics program sounds nice. He likes Rollins because it "looks like a country club" (his words). We think a large state school will give him lots of career/major options, but a small private school might provide more structure and support.</p>
<p>We had a look at Babson. I did get the sense that there are lot of students from very wealthy families at this school. Frankly, when we toured we were in an info session with one other family. The counselor completely ignored our son, and took the other student under her wing. I thought it was rude, and a clear message too. She knew nothing about my son's talents, or stats. The other student was an international student from Mexico. They seemed to be extremely wealthy, though I obviously have not seen their bank account, LOL. I won't go into specifics, but enough time was spent for us to come to this conclusion. I got the impression that this is why the counselor was so interested in this student. Also, getting into Boston without a car was a bit inconvenient. Perhaps this has since changed. You might want to look at Bentley if you are looking at Babson, and Bryant College in RI (less competitive in admissions). Bentley seems to have easier access into Boston, as they were running a shuttle bus the last time I checked. All 3 are magnificent campuses.</p>
<p>dreamer,
I will agree with northeastmom regarding Babson. Beautiful campus, but it is way off beaten path and getting into city is not as easy. My son like Bentley and Bryant much more than Babson (he must have had a B thing with schools!!). What he really noticed during our Babson tour was that we passed the same students over and over and over again and the school size really sunk in. He realized that he would probably has the same kids in all his classes for all 4 years. Bryant is also a small school, but it seemed a bit more "diverse". Bentley also seemed a bit larger. He did apply to both Bentley and Bryant, but decided to go elsewhere in the end.</p>
<p>My neighbor came from humble beginnings, attended Babson, and he has done quite well for himself. He is the head of a large division at a New England bank. Babson is a heavy duty and highly respected business school. Boston is close by for internships. If your son is committed to a business curriculum and ready to work hard Babson is a good choice. Not sure about merit aid. I've always thought of Wheaton as more of an artsy LAC... I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Agree with Northeastmom... Bentley is a viable alternative and has a rep. for generous merit for A students.</p>
<p>Wheaton is still widely regarded as a "women's college," with about a 2:1 female-male ratio. One might view this as a positive or negative, but it is a factor. It is also increasingly selective, more so than the other options you mentioned.</p>
<p>Thanks all! We'll check out Bentley. It sounds like Babson and Wheaton are quite different. I'm wondering if Babson is too intense for my playful boy and Wheaton might be a better fit. How difficult is it to get from Boston to Wheaton without a car?</p>
<p>I have read in the older college guide books that Babson is definitely inconvenient when it comes to going into Boston. I do believe that there is a train station a mile away, but you should confirm if interested. I have heard that Babson is very intense BTW.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, a million years ago, I coached the intercollegiate riding program at Wheaton College and ran the stable across the street from the college. Think of Wheaton as being <em>between</em> Boston and Providence, not terribly convenient to either, although I bet the trains are better now. Patriots fans will enjoy the convenience to the stadium in Foxboro. </p>
<p>Wheaton is a very pretty school and Norton is a very pretty small New England town. Good academics, but very liberal arts.</p>
<p>Thanks cnp55. Norton and Wheaton sounds very charming. It might be an interesting environment for a kid from FL ; )</p>
<p>DS applied EA to Babson. If he gets in and attends he would bring his car. My concern about Babson is the intense atmosphere as northestmom describes, as well as the grade deflation we've read about on several websites.</p>
<p>Dreamer -- while the climate in that part of New England tends to be relatively mild, compared to much of New England, I was living in Norton when we had 48 inches of snow in one massive storm. The Blizzard of '78 ... and the locals still talk about it. Now <em>that</em> would be an interesting environment for a Florida kid!</p>
<p>Definitely visit to get a feel of that part of the world.</p>
<p>I am a former "Wheatie" from back when it was a women's college. It is in Norton, MA which is technically between Boston and Providence but realistically in the middle of nowhere. Back then, it was a pretty campus and a good school academically but definitely there isn't much out there. I don't know what the public transport is like now but then you could not get into Boston without a car and I did not have a car on campus. I definitely felt isolated out there. </p>
<p>My son has a good friend from our small town at Babson. He is very happy there. He is able to take public transit to come into Boston proper to visit my son. It is definitely geared toward the business major. I would NOT recommend a student who is not set on a business future attending there. It is intense and there is grade deflation. The student I know there is a sophomore and I hear he is working much harder than many of the other students he went to high school with.</p>
<p>Another thing about Wheaton that we noticed on a visit is that, even by small liberal arts college standards, it's SMALL, 1500 students, minus the significant number that study off campus in a given semester. Some students would love the close, family feel; others might find it claustrophobic. </p>
<p>It also means a small faculty (only around 120 full-timers), which again has trade-offs: students can forge close bonds with faculty, but the breadth of course offerings is not great, even compared to a slightly large school. For comparison, Bates has 165 full-time faculty for 1750 students; Conn has about the same number for 1900 students, but they use a lot of part-time people. If "intimate" describes the kind of college experience that your S is seeking, I think Wheaton could be a great place.</p>
<p>MarathonMan, good point. Yes, it was definitely intimate back in my day and still is from what I gather. Profs knew you by first name, would stop and say hi on campus, etc. One of the best classes I ever took was a Greek/Roman History class at Wheaton. It was not my major and I took it pass fail. The teacher was so good and so interested in her subject I ended up with an A and regretted the pass/fail decision.<br>
It is very much like high school in that small sense (if you went to a small high school). After the first six months, you know or recognize much of the student body.</p>
<p>We got six feet in Cambridge in that '78 snowstorm. I don't think there's been a storm like that since though.</p>