<p>I'm applying to transfer from a small liberal arts school that's smack in the middle of rural Ohio. We're in a small town that has the basic necessities...a drug store, a five-and-dime, two cafes and a couple restaurants...pretty much that's it. </p>
<p>One of the reasons I'm leaving is that I hate feeling so isolated from the real world. Wellesley attracted me because of its proximity to Boston. When I visited, though, I realized that it's not really that convenient to travel between Boston/Cambridge to Wellesley. I'm very interested in opportunities that are only really possible in the more urban Boston area, particularly volunteering with low-income and high-risk teenage communities (I'm hoping to do Teach for America when I'm out of college and I want to be prepared). However, I'm also a Neuroscience major, a rugby player, and generally going to be overinvolved in things on campus, so a 1-hour each way commute to a bi-weekly internship or volunteer job seems like it might not be worth it. </p>
<p>The other school I'm most seriously considering right now is Barnard, which is definitely closer to the urban opportunities I'm looking for, but if I isolate the colleges from their environments, I like Wellesley better. </p>
<p>OK. I've talked a lot and not really asked a question, but I think I'm looking for someone to tell me if I'm correct in feeling that Wellesley is just a wee bit too suburban. Help? </p>
<p>PS: I have a car...would it be worth it for Boston/Wellesley commuting to bring it?</p>
<p>PPS: Any other spring transfers counting down the hours until Dec. 7th at 5pm?</p>
<p>Hey, I saw you on the Barnard board :]</p>
<p>I'm not sure what the parking regulations are for transfer students, but a car would certainly be worth the trouble if you're interested in working in Cambridge or Boston. It's generally faster than the bus, and you'll have the advantage of traveling to and from any destination at your convenience. Parking, however, is not so fun in the city, and the car would be more expensive than public or college transportation. These are issues to consider, but the car would make scheduling much simpler for you.</p>
<p>As for the feasibility of commuting that far and that often, it's probably manageable. Students taking classes at MIT commit similar amounts of time to activities in Cambridge, and you'll just have to be aware of your time limitations. Alternatively, you could consider joining a group like Wellesley</a> Words on Wheels, which has more structure and isn't quite so far away. I think it provides transportation, too.</p>
<p>If you want to participate in more urban opportunities, you can. You will have less time to participate in campus opportunities, but you'll be able to find a balance between the two.</p>
<p>Wellesley was a finalist in D1s college selection process.</p>
<p>In the end, she could not shake the same concerns you raised here. It did feel, to her, ultimately, more in the suburbs than not. </p>
<p>There were some related concerns, such as "***" truck", and general "we have to go to them" feeling, less campus vitality, just didn't "feel" as right, that in the end were even more influential in leading her to select.. Oberlin. So, different strokes, as they say.</p>
<p>Wellesley is clearly scads more accessible to its city via public transport (though with enough time involved to be somewhat of a disincentive), but if you're going to have a car, you can drive to the city in either case. Whether you know what to do once you drive there is another matter.</p>
<p>Based on her observations, I would say good thing it has better city access; on-campus life motivates more trips to city. Yet such trips require more time and effort than if it was actually in the city. And more time and effort than if such trips were less necessary due to rich on-campus life.</p>
<p>Standard disclaimer: She did an overnight plus another visit,and talked to students, nevertheless all her impressions from such a brief exposure may be wrong.</p>