For those unfamiliar…the Johnson guarantees full tuition, room, and board for four years, while also providing $7,000 for summer/extracurricular opportunities.
Thoughts? Is it worth turning down W&L to attend Brown (I received no grant aid)? My parents are willing to contribute 35-40K/year, but no more…thus far, financial aid appeals have not been fruitful.
To add some context, the reasons I worry about W&L are as follows:
- Lack of a dedicated applied math/stats department; to a lesser extent, an accredited engineering curriculum. I’m very interested in applied math and stats. I eventually want to go into a job in the data science field…how easy is it to get into the field right after graduating from a liberal arts college such as W&L? Or, would I need to go to grad. school first?
- A possibly too relaxed/not ambitious enough of a student body…
- The bucolic setting (albeit exceptionally beautiful) isn’t ideal…but I would enjoy it nonetheless.
- Perhaps too small of a student body with too much of a boarding school feel.
To add, my parents would be able to continue supporting my equestrian pursuits (actually to a much greater degree) if I attend W&L. At other schools, this is unlikely, even impossible. This equestrian sport availability would definitely play a big role in keeping me “happy” at college, but it’s not a factor directly derived from the educational experience, so I don’t know if it’s worth considering in this dilemma.
Many thanks! I hope you don’t get lost in this musing of mine…
You will have to take out about $30k per year for Brown- that’s a debt of $120k (not including tuition increases). I love Brown, but it’s not worth that, especially since W & L is ranked highly as well.
Only you can decide this, but Washington and Lee is wonderful. It is a REALLY great school. My daughter had applied there but she got every so lucky and got into Brown early decision (and we got good financial aid at Brown). But she had read up on Washington and Lee. The professors are amazing. You will build astounding one on one relationships with the faculty that will last a lifetime. And the engineering is strong.
Keep in mind that you are likely to go to graduate school no matter what and imagine how AMAZING it will be to hit grad school with NO debt.
I think the equestrian thing matters, too. It could be an important part of your life in college and create another potential group of friends.
Brown is also known to be laid back! And from what we read about W&L, those kids are VERY smart and ambitious.
Oh, and for data science - don’t know for sure but I would have to guess that you HAVE to go to graduate school. Almost nothing requires just a four year degree.
When I visited Brown with my daughter, we saw the dad of another prospective Brown student wearing a Washington and Lee sweatshirt. Turns out that he has another child at W&L. It is a VERY good school with a marvelous reputation.
So, yeah, although only YOU can decide, I’m definitely a W&L vote for you! What an amazing honor to get that scholarship and you will LOVE it there.
OP, you’ve asked this question more than once and everyone is suggesting you take the scholarship at W&L. Not sure why you keep reposting this.
@suzy100 Sometimes it can be hard to decide. New post, new comments! And the deadline is Monday!
@profdad2021, the OP made 5 posts about this today, and the unanimous advice is to take the scholarship. It’s a no-brainer. Taking on $120K debt for another school in the face of this offer is untenable.
Know this is late, but thought I might as well. My friend got this scholarship and was in a similar situation as you. He was deciding between W & L and Tufts (not nearly as good as Brown). He chose W & L and is very happy w that decision. With that being said, I would choose W & L, UNLESS you want to go into consulting or banking. I know that is a tough thing to know this early, but it is simply the reality. I know you say that you like “data science” but also know that you are still in high school and things change/people realize what a career actually is so they choose mc or ib.
Another LOUD vote for W&L here. No debt upon graduation? Pfff. Forget about it. There is no decision here. Brown is good, no doubt a fine school, but I strongly believe that nowhere is worth 120k in debt for UNDERGRAD alone. Let that sink in. Your family would save the cost of MULTIPLE mortgage downpayments. You would go to college for FREE. You have achieved the dream here. And you’d be in a happier environment with a school that, from what you’ve described, is clearly a better fit for your gestalt of academic and extracurricular pursuits.
You’re clever enough to have been presented these opportunities. Know what that means? Means it doesn’t matter which you take, only what you do once you pick a path. So know that Brown doesn’t confer any HUGE advantage over W&L, other than maybe the 5 seconds of glory you might feel for the first few weeks when you brag to a new acquaintance that you go to an Ivy. What do you when you hit the ground running on the beautiful W&L campus, however, will matter far more than that, and if you’re as motivated there as you’ve clearly been in high school, I certainly wouldn’t sweat it. Congratulations.
Do not take drbt, you earn and pay someone else. Debt not worth it.
I will not take 12 k in debt, forget 120k, buy a house, invest your money, enjoy life, please do not take debt, even Harvard is not worth it this much debt, forget brown.