UCLA vs Bowdoin vs Williams
I got waitlisted at my top choice (CMC) and I have the three above to choose from at the moment.
I really wanted to do PPE at Claremont, but I’d likely be a political science major.
I’m considering law school or at least graduate school.
I’m a Los Angeles native and I’d prefer to stay in California, but I’d be open to a change. I know I could be really happy at UCLA, but I’m not sure if I can justify passing up the opportunity to go to a great LAC.
I’d be paying about the same at any of these schools so not even that can decide for me.
I like Bowdoin and Williams, but I don’t love them like UCLA.
What a dilemma! Share your wisdom/advice below.
First of all, congrats on all your acceptances!
All of these schools would provide you similar strength in post-graduate opportunities and graduate school prospects. Since quality of education/opportunities isn’t significantly different between schools, I would just choose the one that you feel fits you best (which seems to be UCLA!) The best way to do this is to visit all these colleges and get a feel for them for yourself.
Not enough information.
Have you visited Williams College & Bowdoin College ?
Do you like fresh from the ocean grilled lobster with melted butter ?
Thoughts about cold weather ?
I am a UCLA alum (undergrad and grad) and have a kid at Bowdoin. I loved UCLA but am very impressed with Bowdoin. Since I had such a good experience at UCLA (long ago) it’s hard to imagine personally being anywhere else. That said, I am envious of all the resources available to my son at such a small, undergraduate-focused school. Career planning resources are night-and-day from UCLA. Small class sizes. Tenured professors as 1-on-1 advisors. The ability to do research with professors typically only available to grad students at UCLA or other major universities. Etc. But you can’t go wrong.
Good luck.
Well, that depends. Is your desire to stay in California and enjoy the CA culture and weather greater than your desire to be at in a small, undergrad-focused environment? The experience at Bowdoin or Williams will be very different from the one at UCLA.
For example, if you like the Oxford-tutorial style instruction of the PPE major at CMC, you’re far more likely to get something similar at Williams or Bowdoin than at UCLA. Williams [offers 60-70 Oxford-style tutorials](Tutorials – Academics) per year. There are several in economics, philosophy and political science.
Why do you love UCLA? What do you love about it?
CMC alum. here from the East Coast. Definitely academically, I would go with Williams or Bowdoin over UCLA. Both are outstanding. Williams with the tutorials gives you absolutely incredible opportunities to dig deeply into something that interests you (like with PPE). But how important is it to you to be able to go home for holidays or have your parents visit? I loved my time at CMC, but it was hard not being able to go home for Thanksgiving. Bowdoin and Williams are not so easy to get to. My family never visited until graduation. We just couldn’t afford it. What are your other interests besides academics?
And of course the price difference might be pretty important to you too.