Hi all - my daughter was accepted to Smith (having trouble getting into financial portal so don’t know if she’s offered merit ), Oberlin with 18k/year, Macalester with 10k/year, and Simmons with $25k/year plus Honors with a stipend of $4k/year. She’s interested in either a psych major/linguistics minor with a cognition track or a straight up cog sci major. Looks like they all offer great psych programs and most have a cog sci track/concentration. We’ve been to visit Simmons and D liked it a lot however we have to wonder how a degree from there stacks up with one from the other, more well-known schools. She’s definitely looking at grad school so the best undergrad education for the best price is vital. Any insight on the programs and research opportunities would be greatly appreciated! We will be visiting both Macalester and Oberlin in April and will fit in Smith if it looks like a viable option.
I personally like Simmons. It’s an often overlooked school but it offers a lot – solid academics, a consortium, in Boston, empowerment of women. That isn’t saying that you should accept it without a careful look but be aware that if offers a lot. I can’t speak for all of her majors, but if she is interested in psych, then Simmons or any of them would be okay. What’s important is if she gets clinical experience and solid research underpinnings. Solid research underpinnings is important. Clinical is important. That plus GRE scores that are high 90pth percentile and she should be good to go for a competitive grad program.
It’s what she does while completing her degree rather than the name of the school. That plus GRE scores. She will want solid work experience after she graduates before heading to grad school.
@Dustyfeathers - I think that is what we needed to hear about Simmons. She loved the whole vibe there during our visit and how she was made to feel so valued. We’ll visit the others but certainly support her 100% if she chooses Simmons.