I’m definitely biased (from my parents - they both went to LAC’s) but I kind of agree with @Hapworth . I want a more personal setting. Although UW is an amazing institution, I do not think that I would be doing the honors program. I applied to Harvey Mudd with the intention of doing research- my top two interests are scientific research and psychology- but I definitely am leaning more towards a liberal arts education. My parents actually pushed both Mudd and UW with the intention that I would be doing a science major ( I was also interested in environmental engineering). but I decided that I would much rather pursue a degree in the humanities ( my own decision).
I also I toured and visited both colleges and although UW stood out to me more in terms of prestige gulp I ultimately like puget sound a little better.
To give another perspective, MANY of my friends and peers are attending UW, and I honestly would like a fresh start.The day I visited campus I saw about 11 people that I knew and although I do appreciate and desire a community setting I do not want to got to the school that so many of my peers are attending.
UW is still a great instituion and the ‘fresh start’ idea was only a small factor ( I only know 5 people attending puget sound),
*liked
I actually saw more than 11 but about 11 of them were current seniors like me
the issue that I am most worried about is- will puget sound challenge me enough? I am definitely very hard working ( I did have a fairly high SAT, ( not compared to others on here lol) but I studied so much and spent essentially my entire summer prepping- so I’m not someone who is just naturally gifted at test taking
FWIW (which is not much!), Puget Sound came off the list for my very bright, high performing kid because of weather, not academic concerns.
Wasn’t Univ. of Puget Sound initially headed by someone from Northwestern University ?
Puget Sound, as mentioned above, has an incredible Asian Studies program that is offered every other year–if I recall correctly.
Why would you not participate in UW–Honors ?
For those not familiar with present day Seattle, it may be easy to underestimate the tremendous wealth & brain power present everywhere including UW & UPS.
OP: You will do well at either school.
OP, you won’t exhaust the academic resources of UPS. If you desire rigor, and you fear that UPS might not supply enough, you can help yourself to it by doing three things:
- Take hard electives -- whether it's choosing between a 200-level and a 400-level (take the 400...) class in the same department or Organic Chem vs. Rocks for Jocks (Geo 101...), take the harder road.
- In every class, go above and beyond expectations: If the paper's minimum is ten pages, turn in 15 (and not by adding superfluous adjectives). strive for perfection in even the little things, like all those assignments that only constitute 2% of your overall grade; actually show up to every class; be the one to raise a hand to ask or answer hard questions; prepare for every class or discussion by reading ahead according to the syllabus. In short, make the classes a challenge by pushing yourself, even if you could coast to an A.
Now, some of the classes you’ll take will be difficult on their own, and you’ll have to work to earn an A. Regardless of whether your level of toil is self-prescribed or brought upon by necessity, hard work is its own reward – it will help you both in scgool and down the road.
- Target classes known for their intellectual nature, classes that make you think, argue, read, and write a lot.
If the only thing holding you back from committing to UPS – despite it being a better fit for you – is your fear that it will be too easy, i don’t think you need to worry. Simply take hard classes and work your tail off in all classes, and you’ll experience plenty of rigor.
The U of Washington is quite similar to my undergrad alma mater, UW-Madison. They’re great schools that impact the world through their research, but they aren’t for everyone. If you feel drawn to UPS, go for it. Just remember to bring the pain if you desire it.
UW honors is very clear that it’s not a “small college within a large university” (unlike, say, Barrett or Schreyer) and that students who choose it should WANT the large university experience because they will have large classes with TAs and will of course have the other aspects of the large university such as big spectator sports and a university’s name that’ll be widely recognized by everyone.
UPS will offer small, interactive classes throughout. The research won’t be as prestigious but you’ll have a shot at participating and getting publications out as a second author since there won’t be a grad student to take that coveted spot. (Also I’m guessing you got into the Honors program so you’ll have extra perks like financial support to present your research at conferences). If you indicate the name of your special program I can quickly check out what’s especially valuable about that.
OP: if you want something more than the generic LAC versus big university arguments, you may want to post your intended major and what kind of graduate school you are interested in.
That one of your other schools is Harvey Mudd (but too expensive) suggests that you intend a major in a science or engineering subject. You may want to check offerings at each school to see if each school has enough offerings in your intended major to keep you interested. But also check whether your major at Washington is a highly competitive one to enter, if you do not have direct admission.
29: you are correct that the UW Honors Program is not a separate small college within a large university:
“The University Honors Program provides a rigorous environment for highly motivated students looking for an interdisciplinary educational experience. Bringing selected faculty into close contact with dedicated students in an atmosphere of small, challenging classes allows the Honors Program to combine the intimacy of a small, interdisciplinary liberal arts college with the strengths of an excellent public research university. …
“Honors does not attempt to replace the University experience; rather it aims to enhance it. Through seminar-style classes and close interaction with faculty, Honors students acquire excellent analytical reading and writing skills. These will be invaluable assets as they continue in their academic and professional pursuits. Immediate and continuing contact with Honors faculty, support staff and students, and the growth of an Honors learning community are among the more obvious benefits of such a structure.
“The Honors core curriculum is interdisciplinary in design and incorporates an international perspective. Students pursuing Interdisciplinary Honors normally enroll in one Honors course each quarter (roughly one-third of their academic experience) and complete their degrees at the same pace as other undergraduates. Indeed, many find that the flexibility of Honors allows them to gain experience in interests outside their majors, including study abroad, community activities, and internships.
“As part of this learning experience, Honors students begin to establish connections with Honors faculty from their first term on campus, enjoy the community of dedicated peers, and accept the challenge to read critically, to confront and discuss new ideas, and to write effectively. Honors offers a distinctive general education core curriculum where students learn together in classes of about 30 students and where the emphasis is on demanding reading, energetic discussion, and serious writing.”
30, in post #20, she said she is “leaning more towards a liberal arts education” and wants to “pursue a degree in the humanities.”
No such majors at the UW would be difficult for this student to enter (regardless of whether classified as “capacity-constrained”).
At the UW, students like the OP should be aiming for quarterly and annual Dean’s Lists (3.50 GPA), Phi Beta Kappa (3.83 GPA/120-149 credits; 3.77 GPA/150+ credits) and cum laude (3.76 GPA: top 10%), magna cum laude (3.87 GPA: top 3.5%) or summa cum laude (3.97 GPA: top 0.5%)).
@Hapworth “Rankings are meaningless.”
I disagree, they should be one of many data points when choosing the best fit college to attend. Rankings can affect the quality of student peers, quality of faculty, alumni giving, possible internships, etc. and therefore should not be 100% dismissed.
To the OP, it seems that many of his HS classmates are going to UW so he is looking for something different. I would evaluate best fit on whether you want a big school or small private school college experience?
Lastly, would you rather spend 4 years in Tacoma or Seattle?
Also- not that this should be part of my decision- but UW is about 27k a year for me, and UPS is about 33k a year. Either way I have to take out debt- but I feel like both schools are reasonable and my debt is well below six figures.
Kind of unrelated to my decision but at UW i would be taking about 40,000 in debt ( before I am working) and at puget sound about 70k in debt 
those arent the exact numbers- I think UW is a little less
and actually ups was a little less so I would only be taking about 60- 65k a year there
Part of what I am trying to decide is - am I someone who needs the support and care of a smaller university or am I someone who could succeed on the larger campus and be diligent in seeking out my own opportunities? I am usually fairly motivated to do this but sometimes I worry that I would be insignificant on a large campus like UW. Spots for internships and opportunities are competitive and I would be worry that I might not stand out enough.
Even $40,000 in debt is higher than the federal direct loans that you can get without a cosigner.
College financial aid offices tend to assume that college students can save around $3,000 to $5,000 per year from part time and summer work (summer work can earn much more, but some would go to living and commuting expenses).
So if you do have $5,000 per year from work earnings to contribute to pay for college, you may be able to reduce the debt by about $20,000 over four years. So that would be $20,000 at Washington and $50,000 at Puget Sound. This brings Washington into the debt range coverable by federal direct loans, while Puget Sound would still require cosigned loans or parent loans.
Humanities majors usually do not find that highly paid jobs at graduation (at either the BA/BS or PhD level), so taking on high levels of debt is a worse idea than it normally is (and it is not a good idea in general for students of any major).
It looks like Puget Sound is too expensive and basically forces your choice to be Washington.
My parents said they would pay for the first two years ( they do have it figured out financially) and I was thinking that I have about 15k of my own already saved ( from summer and school year jobs) and I would theoretically like to be an RA my junior year or live off campus (being an RA takes 13k off your tuition) and I would be working all four years.
This summer I have a paid internship at Kaiser, so hopefully that will reduce my total debt after junior and senior year as well.