Wellesley v. Barnard v. Northeastern? Help!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wellesley College
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<p>Hello! I'm a high school senior looking into my college options--I've been admitted to Barnard, Wellesley, NYU, and Brandeis, waitlisted at Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Amherst College, and Vassar. I really need outside input on Barnard and Wellesley, since it's unlikely that I'll be able to visit the schools again before having to make my decision and then hold my breath for waitlist responses, if any. </p>

<p>I'm focused on an English major, particularly creative writing, journalism, or the publishing industry (not that I'm indecisive). I have a 4.04 GPA, I've written two novels, am a member of NHS and numerous other high school clubs, play flute and guitar, overachieve, etc, etc...</p>

<p>Right now Barnard is my top choice particularly because of its strong writing aspect and its association with Columbia. I've been thinking of it as Barnard College at Columbia University, even though I know that isn't exactly accurate. The city's opportunities for jumping into the publishing and literary scene. Wellesley, on the other hand, has prestige, strong academics, a very strong English major, and a beautiful campus. On the other hand, I live about fifteen minutes away from the Wellesley campus and I'm very not excited about the all-girls college experience or the rumor that the students vacate the campus to visit Boston schools, which I think sort of negates the campus-community atmosphere. </p>

<p>And now another variable--</p>

<p>I'm now being offered a full ride (absolutely everything except the books) to Northeastern's Honors Program. It would be less about the academics, more about the co-op opportunities and future career options. </p>

<p>Also, after visiting Barnard, I found that I'm not as comfortable as I thought in New York. Any idea if this will be assuaged by time spent at the school? N.U. has suddenly become my top choice, but I'm not sure if I would be copping out of going for either of the two heavily-academic Seven Sister degrees. Help?</p>

<p>I plan on saying yes to Amherst College, Columbia, or Brown, should by any miracle I move off of the waiting list. </p>

<p>I really would appreciate some input!</p>

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<p>I personally feel that anyone who would love Amherst, Columbia, Brown, Barnard or Wellesley would feel completely out of place at Northeastern.</p>

<p>Are you attracted to academics as such? Ideas for ideas sake? This is a large part of a liberal arts education.</p>

<p>Or do you see your four years of college primarily in terms of preparation for a career?</p>

<p>Only if you are eager to get started with a career should you attend Northeastern.</p>

<p>Another option is to consider NYU. Which NYU school would you attend? My sense that NYU can offer more of a balance between career prep and liberal arts options.</p>

<p>In any case, I urge you to choose the school which is the best fit for you. Do not be swayed by school names!</p>

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<p>My son is attending NEU so this may surprise you…but if you want to be an English major I don’t think it is the best choice.</p>

<p>He also loves writing but doesn’t want any part of majoring in English. He is undecided and figures the co-op offers him the best way to try out things before he graduates with a degree in something he doesn’t want to do. Right now he has no interest in doing anything after he graduates except getting a job. No interest in going to grad school or anything like that.</p>

<p>He also is attending NEU on a full-tuition scholarship. Although he did have other schools that would have cost less out of pocket that certainly helped him make the final decision-not the deciding factor but the money got his attention and he looked at the school much more closely after that.</p>

<p>NEU is a completely different school than the ones you mentioned. I know a complete full-ride is very attractive. What would these other schools cost?</p>

<p>I agree with fendrock-he is eager to get started working because he already is a writer and he wants to be able to support that while he earns a living.</p>

<p>It is all about fit. If the other schools are considerably more expensive though you are wise to take that into account.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input!</p>

<p>Pepper: Thanks for that point about English–I would be going to NEU primarily because I would be in a job and debt-free with work experience under my belt by the time I graduate. And yes, I am looking at NEU more closely because of the financial offer–it was originally one of my safety schools, but since I got buried under a pile of waitlists during decision week, it’s become more attractive, not least because of the excellent facilities for the Honors students and because my parents would be willing to help pay for graduate school and an apartment afterward.</p>

<p>fendrock: The atmosphere and the peer group at Wellesley is far more attractive to me than Wellesley, except for the point, as I mentioned, about the isolated all-girls environment. I’m not abjectly against it, but I do feel a little too apprehensive about it to say that I’d be entirely comfortable. Otherwise I definitely side with your description of a liberal arts education rather than a career-oriented one. (For the point about NYU, I shied away after visiting and realizing it was more purely urban rather the more protected, campus-centered Columbia/Barnard schools).</p>

<p>Thanks for all your help!</p>

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<p>Pepper: As as for the other schools’ cost, let’s just say my parents would not be paying for grad school…Barnard especially is actually revoking all financial aid my sophomore year because my brother will be graduating. I talked to the financial aid office while I was there, and they flat out told me they expect my family to use our house as collateral to pay for school and provide more than what our financial aid forms indicated we could afford. (Phew). That consideration has knocked Barnard down a few notches.</p>

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<p>Will you attend Wellesley’s Open Campus this week?</p>

<p>It might give you a better sense of what it would be like to attend Wellesley, and you could see who your classmates would be (one would be my daughter…)</p>

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<p>Yes, I’m going to be attending later this week. I’ve already met a few admitted Wellesley students while visiting Barnard, and they seem like exactly the sort of group I’d like to go to attend school with. (Un)fortunately, a few of them are leaning towards Yale…</p>