WL, at number 11, is considered conservative among LACs, with a fairly preppy feel. Oberlin, number 39, is among the most liberal, with an anti-preppy feel.
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it would likely depend on which side of politics they were to pursue a career in. for my extremely liberal daughter, even with the prospect of significant scholarships
and grants and a spot on a strong soccer team, Washington and Lee was a no go for her. I respected that and we moved on in our search. I would hope for the poster that if they applied and went through the Johnson scholarship process they are well aware of the history and the reputation of W&L and are not concerned with any potential conflicts regarding personal beliefs or future career aspirations
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I would hope you haven researched all the schools at least a bit prior to applying and have been on campus at W&L for your scholarship interviews and tours. It would seem that with the GI bill money it comes down to Bowdoin and Washington and Lee. Both are similar in many ways and drastically different in many ways. Do virtual tours, listen to student tours and online videos, join accepted student and family social media accounts and see which feels the most at home. Both present fantastic opportunities but it is likely your son will better identify with the student body at one over the other.
Additionally, UNC is a great option if you are looking for a much larger school.
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It has had absolutely zero impact on my friends with politics degrees from W&L, one of whom is at a fairly high level in government, another at a political marketing company that works exclusively for the DNC. This is scaremongering and not reflective of actual alumni experience with significantly reputable companies/ federal government, at least where I live (DC/NOVA/Baltimore area).
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I think this is an important consideration and we should respect the OP by presuming each of these schools was applied to for reasons that made sense to their family.
@jmcg626, enjoy your visits, have your son talk to current students and faculty, read the school papers, see where he feels most at home. The good thing is that he has no bad options. He really canât go wrong with any of these fine schools so it is just finding the fit. Let us know how it goes!
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Perhaps that is your anecdotal experience, but times are changing. Itâs up to everyone whether to attend a college with specific ideals and issues. I do think they are trying to change and their new initiatives and scholarship efforts show thisâŠbut, the alumni resistance to changing the name does mean something.
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I donât believe I said that this should be a concern for people who graduated 20 or 30 years ago.
The cohort entering college today is not only far more diverse, itâs also much less likely to have been taught Lost Cause history. The CDS shows this is not some made-up concern.
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Such speculation is unfounded. Perhaps future employers will be far more impressed by an elite scholarship recipient from WL than yet another overprivileged Williams kid. I would be.
As neither of us are part of Gen Z, I donât think our opinions are worth much in this regard.
I do think OP should be able to narrow down the list. If he isnt excited about WL, notify them so another kid who is excited can get that scholarship. For some, a full ride to a top LAC would be life changing.
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I donât believe Williams was among the OPs choices.
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Or Oberlin.or wherever. LACs are disproportionately full of rich kids. Gen Z is understandably worried about student debt as many of them have it. A free-ride anywhere is likely to be acknowledged as a very good thing.
From NCES College Navigator:
| College | % full pay | % Pell grant |
|---|---|---|
| WLU | 44 | 10 |
| Williams | 48 | 20 |
| Oberlin | 7 | 8 |
| Bowdoin | 46 | 16 |
| GWU | 26 | 17 |
| UPenn | 48 | 19 |
| UNC-CH | 58 | 21 |
It is not obvious that Williams students, or those at the other schools in the OPâs list, are significantly more overprivileged than those at WLU, so if an employer were trying to use school graduated from as a marker for the graduate being overprivileged, it is not too obvious among these schools. It may be more obvious if comparing with a regional state university, or some state flagships like UNM (42% Pell grant).
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If the decision is about only scores, Penn would be the choice, right?
The point I was trying to make is that OP has an easy elite way to show he wasnt full-pay, and is presumably far more qualified, than the rest of his peers at the number 11 LAC, as he got full merit-based ride there. How does he compare to the rest of the class at Bowdoin ( number 6)? Who knows? Or his potential classmates at Oberlin, number 39? Just one of hundreds
THIS! Where my D23 started from her first tours to apps and then to decisions was a full journeyâand not in a straight line. Do the research to discover what you need to about each option and interact with the school on many levels. Iâm often surprised by the general takes on CC vs what we experience in our personal interactions or interactions of people close to us with the schools. If I had another kid still to go through the process, I would only use CC to drill down into the details of specific programs that may be more difficult to uncover.
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I donât think employers care about scholarships or, to some extent, even the university name. In most fields, they will care most about internships and other experientials. Where will that be easiest to get the support to find? Where will you have faculty recommendations at hand to get into a position? Alumni network and placement would also be something to consider.
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The Robertson at UNC/ Duke, the Commodore at Vanderbilt and the Johnson at WL are well known and very highly regarded and will indeed open doors at some places.
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W&L is far from the exception. According to the Chetty study, among the 65 âeliteâ institutions, W&L had the third richest median parental income. For families from the lowest quintile, it was second to last. Chettyâs âOverall Mobility Indexâ had W&L dead last.
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Wow, thatâs so surprising that you could sell what you did in HS years earlier. But good to know. Glad I am not hiring in those fields.
Please get back to discussing the schools being considered for the OP.
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