<p>I have recently been admitted to these three schools and am trying to decide which to matriculate at. I love each school respectively, but for varying reasons. Any advice? </p>
<p>Vassar: I love Vassar's amazingly gorgeous campus (reminiscent of Swarthmore's, my top choice prior to being rejected). I have heard bad opinions of Poughkeepsie but I feel Vassar's campus outweighs Poughkeepsie's bad reputation. I like Vassar's openness pertaining to academics and to social interactions as well as its artsy-ness (even if it is hype) I am unable to visit Vassar sadly, so I would be making a decision without visiting. </p>
<p>Wesleyan: I am okay with Wesleyan's campus and like its proximity to Middletown (really liked Main Street!). I know Wesleyan is stronger in the sciences and I plan on majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biolgoy. I am interested in Weselyan's PhD program and 5 year program if it is available for biology majors. I also like Wesleyan's openness and quirky feel to the student body. </p>
<p>University of Chicago: I was not expecting to be admitted, and I am incredibly proud that I was admitted. UChicago seems to have incredible facilities (that Vassar and Wesleyan can't compete with) and an incredible student body (that I feel I would fit in with as well). I am afraid of UChicago's size though, and I do not want to feel overwhelmed by living around thousands of people. I know UChicago is probably the most prestigious, mainly cause it is larger than the LAC's and that UChicago offers much more to do (on campus and off because of Chicago) than Wesleyan or Vassar, but I feel I will miss the small atmosphere of a LAC. </p>
<p>Financial aid packages were similar, so any advice? Vassar's beauty worth giving up for Wesleyan's stronger sciences or does UChicago trump them both because of name and resources? HELP!</p>
<p>I know about Vassar, so I’m just gonna talk about what you said about Vassar here.</p>
<p>It has an amazingly gorgeous campus. Breathtaking really. What you said about Poughkeepsie is right, but the thing is when you come to Vassar, you will almost never be concerned about Poughkeepsie. You will probably go there a maximum of once a week, and sometimes not once in months. Campus life at Vassar will take up all your time and your concern. “Vassar Bubble” is real.</p>
<p>I’d probably choose UChicago because I identify more with the student body there than at Vassar.</p>
Chicago is not a LAC, but it isn’t terribly large by university standards, either. Did you know it has a higher percentage of small classes (< 20 students) than either Vassar or Wesleyan? And its percentage of large classes (> 50) is barely larger than Wesleyan’s.</p>
Chicago offers a beautiful campus and first-rate science programs … in addition to rich resources. “Name” has little to do with it. Vassar and Wesleyan both have fine reputations; they are both interesting schools that anyone should be proud to attend. So if you’re sure you want a LAC you should pick one of them.</p>
<p>What I think really sets Chicago apart is the combination of:
a thoughtfully designed curriculum
small classes
superb faculty (both excellent teachers and leading scholars)
a time-tested approach to classroom instruction (emphasizing primary source materials, Socratic questioning, lots of discussion & writing assignments, and significant instructor feedback)
excellent students chosen primarily for their readiness to contribute to the intellectual environment
top-notch facilities (including one of the finest research library systems in the country)</p>
<p>These factors add up to one of the best academic programs available. However … it’s not for everyone. Winters are harsh. The surrounding urban environment is gritty. It’s not exactly a laid-back kinda place.</p>
<p>@theunforgiven Thanks for your input, I’m really glad Vassar is as beautiful as I think it is. I wish I could visit. I actually like the bubble feel of small LAC’s so I am glad Vassar has that going for it. </p>
<p>@johnwesley Thanks for the link and for confirming the biology program. I am a nightowl, but it does not bother me that Middletown sleeps, I’m used to a quiet town feel. </p>
<p>@tk27169 oooh! I love college lists. thanks for the links, I’ll take a good look at them. I am visiting UChicago in a few weeks so I’ll see how I like it then. I know it’s a lovely campus, but I loved the small but beautiful and lawny expanses of LAC’s so I’ll have to see if I like UChicago’s campus. It seems more urban and large, similar to Yale’s, which was not my favorite when I visited. I love that UChicago has so many small classes, that shocked me. I am worried about just the largeness of the campus and dorms, and the crowdedness (probably not a word) of people. All of the things on your list I absolutely love, and I will likely be picking UChicago unless the campus feels just too big and overwhelming. I love me some homeyness (yes, not a word) and small student body where I know most people and can run up to anyone and have a chat.</p>
<p>Interesting. I’d say Chicago, Vassar, and Wesleyan are all “bubble” experiences—none is going to sell itself on the surrounding community. In Chicago’s case I’d say that’s unfortunate because Chicago is truly a great city, but that greatness is best experienced from the North Side, not from Hyde Park which is a bubble, albeit a liveable one, on the South Side.</p>
<p>The most beautiful campus of the three is Vassar, but it’s also the most divorced from its surrounding community. Chicago tries, but it doesn’t engage much beyond Hyde Park. Wesleyan doesn’t seem to much care about its surrounding community, but the surrounding community seems least threatening of the three; but at the same time, Wes’s surrounding community seems to have not so much to offer.</p>
<p>I like all these schools. A lot. On campus beauty I’d say Vassar, then Chicago, then Wes. On surrounding community, I’d say Chicago (recognizing the limitations, but Hyde Park’s not nothing), then Wes, then Vassar. On pure academics, I’d say Chicago, then Wes, then Vassar. Bottom line, Chicago wins in my book, on points. Others may differ.</p>
Well, you don’t really need fancy facilities for ecology, to be honest. An herbarium and a greenhouse/phytotron are nice, and animal collections can be useful if you’re interested in a particular organism (e.g. Cornell ornithology, Duke primates, Michigan paleontology, etc.). Otherwise, access to field courses is most relevant.</p>
<p>I’m not impressed by how most private universities teach ecology, with the notable exceptions of Stanford, Cornell, Duke (decreasingly so), and maybe HYP, but I’m sure Chicago would provide an adequate ecology education. Chicago’s graduate program leans heavily on its connections with the Field Museum, perhaps too much so; I am less sure about the undergraduate level. For evolutionary biology, of course, Chicago is beaten by none and matched only by a few.</p>
<p>I was not familiar with Vassar’s program, but a look at the website reassured me. A surprisingly high percentage of the faculty are ecologists or dabble in ecology (~7 faculty), so I’m sure it would be a suitable option. In fact, I’d say it’s at least as good an option as Wesleyan, which is quite good in the sciences for a LAC.</p>
<p>@bclintonk Thanks your advice, it is duly noted. I agree with many of your points, and will soon need to determine which schools offers the best for what I want. </p>
<p>@warblersrule Thank you for the advice. I am interesed in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology but I am not certain if that’s the field I want to be in or if I’d prefer Envi. Science or something else. I am glad Chicago has a good evolutionary program and I have looked at research at Vassar and Wesleyan so hopefully I’ll be set no matter what. I also have UC Davis on my list, which I’m sure has great research opportunities.</p>
One thing to know about Middletown is that it does tend to roll up it sidewalks after dark, but, that still leaves the Wesleyan bubble - which is substantial - to rely on otherwise. Also, the free fifth year, leading to a Masters, is definitely available for bio majors: <a href=“
thanks for the links, I’ll take a good look at them. I am visiting UChicago in a few weeks so I’ll see how I like it then. I know it’s a lovely campus, but I loved the small but beautiful and lawny expanses of LAC’s so I’ll have to see if I like UChicago’s campus. It seems more urban and large, similar to Yale’s, which was not my favorite when I visited. I love that UChicago has so many small classes, that shocked me. I am worried about just the largeness of the campus and dorms, and the crowdedness (probably not a word) of people. All of the things on your list I absolutely love, and I will likely be picking UChicago unless the campus feels just too big and overwhelming. I love me some homeyness (yes, not a word) and small student body where I know most people and can run up to anyone and have a chat.</p>