<p>Im an incoming senior, male, at a private school of about 500 students. I recently checked out colleges on the East coast and came away with these three schools as favorites, so I have some general questions about them.</p>
<p>Vassar: Probably my top choice so far, one thing I dont know much about is the social scene, for underclassmen in particular. For someone interested in business but wanting a liberal arts education, how is the economics program and are there solid internship opportunities at local businesses and/or in NYC? </p>
<p>Bates: The Bates campus had a very comfortable feel and outstanding facilities. My main two questions: 1) are the academics on par with these other two schools and 2) how would you describe the overall student body?</p>
<p>Colby: With the small student body, large number of students studying abroad and spread out campus, does the place sometimes feel empty? I visited a week ago and loved the campus but Waterville was even smaller than I expected. I live in the city but generally feel comfortable in rural environments, and Im wondering about the general social scene. Also, how is the economics program? </p>
<p>Sorry there are a lot of questions in here but any help would be appreciated, and any other comparative advice between the schools is welcome! Thanks!</p>
<p>Sounds like you’ve done a good job analyzing the different schools. I can’t really comment on the differences between the business/economics programs at each of the schools, but can share some observations after having one child choose Vassar and another look very seriously at Bates and Colby. The first observation I would have is that the culture at Vassar is a bit different from the other two schools. It is, on the whole, a bit more open, liberal, and diverse in my opinion. The school has a more mellow vibe than the other two schools. Bates and Colby strike me as a bit more classically preppy and athletic. I wouldn’t say the culture at one school is “better” than the other two, but they are different. I think Vassar would be generally viewed as a bit more prestigious academically, but not so much so that I would choose it if you felt the programs at the other schools were a better fit for you. Vassar is also a train ride away from NYC and the obvious internship and job opportunities there for students, whereas I think Bates and Colby orient more towards Boston and New England. We liked Bates a bit better than Colby. Colby has a beautiful campus and the students seemed happy there and well balanced, but the location is very isolated and not for everyone. As you noted, it almost feels a bit empty. Bates is in a small city and seemed to us a more vibrant and energetic place, although it’s endowment is much smaller than Colby’s, which might impact resources at the school. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on the quality of the academics at bates in relation to the others?</p>