D23 is struggling to decide between U of O Honors College vs UW vs UCSC vs Whitman. Wants to study environmental science. UCSC is the most pricey of those options. U of O is in-state tuition for us and UW is in the middle price-wise. Other kid is graduating from Whitman and loved it. Daughter got in too with a decent scholarship but is feeling a bit apprehensive to be under big brother’s shadow. Curious to see what other parents advice may be…thanks!
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How big is the price difference, and how much does it matter?
Which UW?
And which U of O?
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Personal disclosure: my S23 is headed to Whitman in the fall.
Has your daughter looked at the biennial Semester in the West field-study program? It’s a singular experience that would be perfect for her intended field:
https://myocs.whitman.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=29213
and photos/travelogue here:
(Also, if her sibling is graduating from Whitman and not going to be on campus - there’s no shadow to worry about!) We know a few families at this point where siblings or cousins are at/attended Whitman because they all enjoyed the community experience so much that it just felt right for them to attend too.
(I’m also a Portland Mom, and we know a few classmates who are attending UO Honors.)
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U Dub Seattle.
Approx 25K price differential.
Clarks Honors College at U of O
Fellow Oregonian here.
In my mind it comes down to U of O vs. Whitman. They’re different experiences. I’m not sure it’s worth any more money for UDub or UCSC, especially with Clark.
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Congratulations on your son going to Whitman! My son has loved it.
I get your point about my son not being there in the Fall so no shadow- I said that to her many times- I do remember the semester out west program which looks like a great adventure and learning experience in many facets of life.
UO honors college is intriguing from the perspective of being a small liberal arts college with the amenities and resources of a big school. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts here.
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I am exactly in that same mindset-- really appreciate your input!
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UCSC is a wonderful school and beautiful location but not worth the high out of state costs when you compare the other options. UCSC also has some housing issues so I would drop it from consideration.
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U of O or Whitman I’d say. And I’d ask your daughter if her brother had not gone to Whitman, would she prefer it? He’ll be gone, so like others say, she would not be in his shadow. Maybe she has visited so many times it is too familiar? Wants something new and different?
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Oh! My daughter just said this morning she had read some issues regarding housing shortages there so this confirms that! Thank you!
You hit the nail on the head!!! I think that is exactly what is going on in that quiet little head of hers!
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I’d go UO assuming it’s cheapest. With Honors, it’s the best of both worlds and I hate to say it and I know Whitman is very solid, but no one has heard of it outside the pacific NW.
However, you might look at career outcomes in the major from both as another data point. The schools should be able to provide or sometimes they are online although I see neither there.
Good luck.
Thank you for the very honest feedback! I must say I had not heard of Whitman till my son started looking at colleges, and when I think to 4 yrs back, I remember being disappointed that he did not pick some top notch schools that he got into. However, in retrospect, I am so grateful that during the pandemic he was driving distance away and that he has enjoyed his time and thrived at Whitman. His Professors have been such strong supporters of his growth. So, I can’t say enough about the solidity of Whitman. However, I agree with your assessment. Thank you so much!
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If a kid is planning on staying in the PNW post college (many do) Whitman is well known here and imo offers great academics, close knit community, and strong alumni network.
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I agree.
Unrelated to Whitman, I think Clark is the first public university honors college in the west and has been around for a while. I’ve heard good things.
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And I noted outside of the pnw. And frankly once one has a job the name of a school matters little for future roles.
One never knows where they will first work. And I’m not saying Whitman excludes someone…I was just pointing out the lack of national name recognition as a factor. Many fine schools have this issue.
Ultimately I would be checking career outcomes on both. Who is getting jobs, where, and how much are they paying. I think for this major cost matters because salaries are likely to be on the lower side for most assuming work with non profits or governmental agencies although I’d assume some private sector work as well.
Just my opinion …
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I agree with others it’s U of O Honors v. Whitman.
Careful: college counselors are sometimes warned that the Honors college at the large publics are NOT small colleges on a big campus, but rather offer some classes that are similar to those are LACs (interactive, etc) amongst typical large lectures, so that the student must WANT the specifc environment of a large university: lots of subject choices, classes that can be at unusual hours, big lectures, large campus with lots of resources but prioritization of grad students, red tape, high energy, excellent spectator sports, lots of different profiles, backgrounds, and interests. In a typical schedule, only one (perhaps 2 classes, max) per quarter will be Honors and the others will be “regular” university classes.
Whitman will have fewer choices of environmental majors (UO offers minors in Climate Studies and Environmental Humanities, in addition to majors in Earth Science, Environmental Science, Food studies, Geography- whereas Whitman has Environmental Studies or Geology plus an Oceanography minor) , sports will be much more participatory (students are either on the team or have friends on the team but nothing is super high-stakes because no one is going to try and make it big into the professional leagues after Whitman), all classes will be small&interactive, there’ll be close contact with professors, a closer-knit community, etc. as I’m sure you know from your son’s experience.
Both are extremely different in vibe and environment, so if she visits each, shadowing a student, she should be able to make up her mind.
If both are affordable, there’s no wrong choice, just a right fit!
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My daughter also considered acceptances to UW (in-state for us), U of O, and Whitman. Ultimately, she ended up at the Honors College with a scholarship at Oregon State, so she didn’t end up at any of those on your list, but these are some factors that influenced her:
Whitman: We loved the town and campus. It felt like a Carleton of the Far West to me, but ultimately my child wanted a school that felt much larger than her high school. I personally went the small liberal arts school route and was very happy, but she is more pragmatic and less cerebral than I in her approach to school and wanted a school with business classes and what she viewed as a more robust jobs pipeline.
University of Oregon: UO was very much up her alley, but significantly more expensive for us than OSU and she ended up loving the “vibe” at OSU more after visiting (for reasons I could not exactly pinpoint).
UW: She wasn’t crazy about the urban environment. She wanted to be able to take her car and get from place to place and park it safely and affordably. She REALLY didn’t want to have to apply later down the road to get admitted to her major of choice (and a huge number of UW majors are competitive and capacity constrained). She heard about people struggling to get admitted to desired clubs and waiting in line just to be let into the gym due to overcrowding. During her visits, guides gave her the impression of it being kinda a “hustle” culture there, everyone ambitiously racing each other to the top. She wanted a place that felt more collaborative and chill to her — more people helping each other to the top. So UW was a no for us.
Have you visited all your choices? What was the take away from each, if so?
Best wishes on your decision!
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