Hi all. Deciding between 2 very diff schools. Hoping for UVA or WashU waitlist to pull through
Wake Forest:
Major: Health and Exercise Science
Pros:
-#5 Best School for Kinesiology (https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-physical-therapy/)
-Great reputation, sets me up well for grad/med/law school (not sure yet)
-Small classes and can get to know professors
-I love the south, Warm weather
-Great traditions and school wide events
-Work hard Play hard attitude
-Places a large emphasis on community service
-Seems like they care about their students a lot
Cons
-Greek life is dominant
-Feels a little homogenous (preppyish?)
-Very similar to the small private school I attend currently, and I feel as though I should branch out, as I’ve been in the same environment for my entire life
-No American Sign Language or Speech/Hearing Sciences programs
-Not a great college town
CU Boulder
Major: Integrative Physiology
Pros:
-Speech/Hearing Sciences and Sign Language offered
-More diversity in thought
-Small scholarship and honors program
-Amazing outdoors like hiking, snowboarding, etc (I love nature)
-Something new
-Great college town and ~vibe~
-I have family in CO
Cons:
-HUGE, I may feel overshadowed
-Can’t get some classes I want to take until Jr. Year due to demand
-I wouldn’t feel a sense of pride of going here when I know I am capable of more and got into “better” schools
-Party culture? Not that I don’t want to party, but I want to also be academically challenged
-Did not handle covid well
-no fun school events or traditions other than football games
Please help me decide and if you are a current student, let me know your experience at either of these schools. I am so indecisive and the May 1st deadline is approaching
I visited twice- once in the fall and didn’t LOVE how you basically have to drive to go somewhere. Visited again recently and I discovered Reynolda Village, but still not a very walkable area. Beautiful campus of course
@smileyfrog , is cost a factor? Do you have to pay OOS tuition at CU Boulder? That’s a huge factor for most people.
If there is no cost factor, then it’s a question of big school vs smaller school, South vs Rocky Mountains, campus focused (WF) vs outdoors and campus (CU).
Don’t look at rankings and selectivity with regards to “pride”. That wears off quickly if you are happy or unhappy. The only wrong choices are if you are unhappy and also in lots of debt.
No cost factor- it is OOS tuition at Boulder, but I received the Chancellor’s scholarship, so it helps a little. You do have a point about big/small, south/rocky and campus/outdoors. Thank you for the input!
I’m a big believer in large universities as you can find whatever it is you want at many of them. I went to Michigan and never once felt it too big for me, even though my HS graduating class had 58 graduates. It’s more like the real world in that you have to find your way.
My DD also received the Chancellor’s Scholarship, but the fit for her wasn’t right at Boulder. I worked for a company in Boulder and it’s a really nice college town with Denver only 30-45 minutes away.
Were you admitted into the Honors College at Boulder?
Yes, I was admitted to honors college. I do like boulder, I just feel overshadowed with so many people and I am afraid that there won’t be the same level of personal attention I may need for class/career advising etc. I am also concerned that Wake looks much better on grad school applications. Where did your daughter end up?
My daughter just gave up her spot at Wake Forest to attend the Honors College at our state school. For us, money was the biggest issue (Wake is 30k/year more than the state school), but fit was another big issue. Wake Forest is known for grade deflation, especially in the sciences (its nickname is “Work Forest”). You should go to the school where you think you’ll be able to earn the highest GPA if you plan to attend grad school afterward.
Yes, that makes sense about the grade deflation. My worry is at Boulder, there will be the opposite case and academics won’t really be taken seriously. I’m concerned it may look to grad schools as though because I went to an “easy” state school, I won’t be as competitive as those applying from a competitive school
Have you really looked into the Honors program at Boulder? No guaranteed honors housing, no priority registration, limited honors courses (one per semester, I believe), no honors specific advising. Make sure you do your research so you know what to expect.
My daughter is at Barrett at ASU. She really likes the school and gets a ton of perks by being in honors. There is a lot going for it. Boulder didn’t stick with her, because she isn’t really outdoorsy, but it’s still a very good school.
When I went to college, the people that went to CU there were not the best students; rich kids who liked to party. That’s clearly changed (same goes for ASU). College has gotten so expensive that many people will take scholarships or stay in state to attend.
Grad schools know this. And they aren’t just looking for kids from Ivies anymore. My Top 30 grad school had a diversity of colleges represented (Duke, Tufts, Michigan, Stanford, and also Augustana of SD, Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth). And all were very bright. You will find lots of smart people in Boulder.
My only advice is go where you feel comfortable and that is affordable. Don’t try to get in the minds of grad schools or employers. Grad schools will look for your GPA, internships, and test scores. Employers will look for experience and how you click with the interviewer and fit with their team.
