<p>I'm trying to decide which one to go, and I cant make up my mind</p>
<p>It’s like an apple and an orage. Hard to compare. One is small town rural, one is big city (and a fun one) close-in suburban. One is research oriented, one is classroom. One is mid-sized, one quite small. Both are very good but have polar opposite vibes. W&L has a big Greek system and, while Emory has one, it is not as important. Both are wealthy schools, but the vast wealth of Emory has provided it with amazing faciliites and programs. W&L has some of that but on a much smaller scale.</p>
<p>I agree with Puxxle - apples and oranges. the answer depends on what environment you think suits you best in terms of your personality, interests, etc. I don’t think any third party can help you make this decision without a lot more information about what kind of experience you are looking for.</p>
<p>academically, which one would be better? i like the greek system, and im thinking a small school would be better, but overall which one is better for academics?</p>
<p>Well, rightly or wrongly, Research Universities (i.e. places with many grad programs which do primary research), are generally considered “better,” particularly by academics. Reason is that their faculties are involved in research which makes its way into classrooms. Of the two schools that would mean Emory. So, if grad school is on your mind take that into consideration.</p>
<p>W&L facutly does research, but it is just not on a scale that Emory profs would be expected to do. </p>
<p>Both schools boast good student/faculty ratios, so you will get good interaction with profs at either.</p>
<p>Which is better in what way? Both provide an excellent education in their own way. There are some aspects to W&L that would, in my opinion, make it much better than Emory. However, as Puzzle mentions, there are some aspects to Emory that are also appealing. YOU are the one that will make the difference here, not the school. The best school is the one that YOU will thrive at the most. </p>
<p>I have one daughter who preferred a place similar to Emory. I have another who visited tons of schools and still thinks W&L is the best there is. They both think they have it a little better than the other one. Who’s right? Well, they both are. Why? Because it comes down to who they are as individuals, not the school. I don’t know what kind of person you are, but that would be my advice - go to the school that speaks distinctively loudest to you If you do that you will, without a doubt, be going to the “best” one. </p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>tough decision</p>
<p>Both schools are very prestigious, but very different, as everyone else has said.</p>
<p>From what I have heard from my friends at both schools, Emory has much more to offer because of its location in a bigger city. Lexington, where W&L is located, has absolutely nothing going on and can become very boring. I would chose Emory, personally. Both schools have such high academic rankings, but Emory, being larger, has more research opportunities.</p>
<p>I would advise you to pick Emory. From what I hear, it is a great school that students really enjoy. Good luck!</p>
<p>The reason you are having a hard time deciding is because you have two excellent choices. </p>
<p>One correction to the previous post - that there is nothing going on in Lexington and that is “boring.”</p>
<p>Your biggest challenge at W&L will be finding a balance between academic life and non-academic life. There is a huge social scene and a huge “extra-curricular” scene in Lexington (service, outdoor club, music, intramural sports…) Regardless of what your interests, you will have more that you want to do than you have time. </p>
<p>W&L and Lexington have flaws, however, being boring is not one of them.</p>
<p>The misperception that there is “nothing” going on in Lexington reflects something I have seen much of in my 10 years as a college parent. It’s a basic difference that helps students choose their school. </p>
<p>Here it is: Some students look frequently to the off-campus environment for their activities, and hence prefer schools in cities. Others look for campus-generated activities (even if not actually conducted on campus), and hence enjoy their years at schools located in smaller communities. </p>
<p>Which one are you? The student who heads off-campus with a couple friends to museums, plays, sporting events, bars, etc? Or the student who is so immersed in campus-centered social and extracurricular life that four years at a small school in a small town, where museum- and club-hopping are not SOP, is thoroughly satisfying? </p>
<p>To each his own, I say. The choice is one for you alone, not for those of us on this board who don’t know you. </p>
<p>What I do know is that some of my favorite kids who chose big name, big city schools because of all the things there are to do there have visited W&L, and, in their words, say they really don’t have time/inclination/money to do all the city things they anticipated and they really wished they had gone to a smaller school like W&L, where life is overwhelmingly campus-centered. And I also know that my S is one of those W&L grads who is forever grateful that they made “the practically perfect university just for him” way back in 1749. Here’s hoping your choice is equally satisfying, whatever it may be :)</p>
<p>I agree with Esquette. I have not heard any complaints from current students about being bored or not having enough to do. I have heard them lament about not having enough time to do all of the things they’d like to do. That said, no matter what school it is, there always seems to be students not entirely satisfied with their options. I think that has more to do with how well they chose in alignment with their personal tastes.</p>