Hi! I was accepted to Wellesley this weekend on a full ride scholarship (a huge surprise to my family and I), and I got a likely letter to Barnard a while ago. Though their official decisions have not been released yet, I am trying to consider which school would be a better fit for me. I am assuming that I will not get a full ride at Barnard, and will have to pay somewhere upwards of 30K per year to attend. Wellesley was in my top three choices for schools, while Barnard was more of a ‘dream’ school to me and thus was lower on my list because I wanted to have realistic expectations. I will be visiting both schools in a few weeks during my spring break, but wanted to get more input from others as well as tips on what to look for during my future visits.
I did not apply to B or W because I wanted to attend a women’s college; rather, I was attracted to both schools for their academic opportunities. In terms of what I’d like in a college experience, I had always intended to live in a city/urban area. I’d like a mix of classes that are large and lecture style along with more intimate and personalized classes. I definitely want to study abroad and intern/work somewhere, and though I have no interest in frat parties, sororities, or clubbing, I’d like to go to a school that has a lively social life for people not interested in substances but still want to have fun and relax!
My parents were extremely happy to hear about my full ride, of course. However, I think it’s made them biased against Barnard. They are understandably concerned about it being located in Manhattan, which is a stark contrast from the very small town of Wellesley. I live in a suburban college town in CA with a population of 45k, and Wellesley has a pop. of around 27k. There does not seem to be much to do in the town, and downtown looks very high end and expensive. Though I adore Wellesley and its beautiful campus, I am worried I might feel ‘suffocated’ or bored at times due to it being an isolated campus, (having no boys), the lack of a ‘college town’ feel, and having incredibly small student body. I also heard that there is essentially no social life on campus at all, and that the students are competitive and constantly stressed about grades. Barnard/Manhattan offers lots to do in the city along with a more co-ed environment because of the cross-registration opportunities across the street at Columbia. There is also incentive to attend Barnard because my degree would be from Columbia University.
How realistic would it be for me to go to Boston regularly (multiple times a week? every weekend?) to fulfill my ‘big city’ desires? Google Maps says it takes 24 minutes by car, but the commute would probably be longer if I were to take the school shuttle there. Also, if I were to eventually decide that I favored Barnard more, how might I talk to my parents about it? I would feel guilty if I were to go into debt/put stress on them if I had the opportunity to go to an equally prestigious college for practically nothing.
I am still waiting to hear back from Barnard, of course, as well as UC Berkeley and a handful of other schools. UC Berkeley was my #1 choice but my parents don’t like the school much either (largely because the city and campus are not that safe). To me, it offers everything I’d like, plus I’d stay in-state and have a car. I was waitlisted at UCLA so I am feeling less optimistic about my future at Cal. At this point, Barnard, Wellesley, and Cal are all tied for #1 for me.
Thanks in advance!
I just wanted to see what people would advise if my predictions come true