Wellesley vs. Boston College

<p>Okay, so the clock is ticking and May 1 is approaching faster than I ever imagined. It's down to Boston College and Wellesley College. Money isn't an issue at either school.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'm a legacy at BC and love all the sports and school spirit. I plan on majoring in the realm of Economics, maybe a minor in Sociology. My reservations about BC is that the students drink too much, focus too much on looks, are preppy, and that the school is too conservative. I've heard a lot of people say that the girls at BC are gorgeous, but, being female, I worry that I won't fit the mold because I'm not really into make-up or material/designer things. Also, I worry that it's not as academically strong as Wellesley. One more thing... my Dad passed away last year (he's a BC alum), so being on the campus makes me feel a connection with him. However, I don't want this to make my decision for me. </p>

<p>As for Wellesley, I go to an all-girls HS now and I've never had a bf because I guess I'm on the shy side and have spent most of my high school years being uber busy with studying and ECs. I worry that even though people say it won't be a problem meeting guys, it will be (my HS said it would be fine and that there would be opportunities, but that's hardly the case). I'm concerned that the academics at Wellesley will be too much and I feel like it's less accessible to Boston than BC is. I also worry that the Wellesley students might be slightly more out-spoken than me. </p>

<p>I thought Wellesley's campus was beautiful, but I preferred BC's because it was slightly more compact. </p>

<p>I've been racking my brain all school vacation week and I'm at the point where I just want to give up. I can't seem to reach a decision (no matter how many pros/cons lists I do...). I'm desperate at this point, and yes, I know that the schools are very different, but please... any help will be much appreciated.</p>

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I've been racking my brain all school vacation week and I'm at the point where I just want to give up. I can't seem to reach a decision (no matter how many pros/cons lists I do...). I'm desperate at this point, and yes, I know that the schools are very different, but please... any help will be much appreciated.

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<p>SAME HERE.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Boston College to offer any useful tips, but I can say that Wellesley's econ department is rumored to be one of the best out there. I've heard that from college review sites and current students.</p>

<p>Also, you're not the only reserved one! I am too, and I'm slightly worried, but they say Wellesley helps you come out of your shell, so I don't know.</p>

<p>Haha, that was probably not helpful at all. Sorry!</p>

<p>HI! i'm in the same exact position (almost) as u! haha in fact i posted a similar thread in the BC forum! i visited Wellesley (spring open campus) and BC last weekend and i really loved BC. The campus just seems more lively and closer to everything (Boston). The thing is that money is the greatest factor for me,, wellesley gave me more money. I liked Wellesley and I think i would be happy but BC is a bit more appealing... coed, closer to boston, and i would be in the business school, econ major.<br>
I'm completely confused,, i dont know where to go! </p>

<p>I did an overnight at Wellesley but didnt do an overnight at BC. If u have a chance (if u live close) id recommend that u do an overnight at both schools. I live in chicago, and really regret not doing an overnight at BC. It really comes down to where u will feel most comfortable and im positive that u will find people at BC that dont drink,, after all there are 9000 undergrads! You'll find people at Wellesley that don't drink also.</p>

<p>Goodluck!!! may 1st is just too soon to make such a decision! haha</p>

<p>Hi elmtree (and monv84),</p>

<p>I was never a student at BC and only visited the campus a few times, so I'm not qualified to give an accurate comparison between the two schools. I'll just try to address some of the concerns about Wellesley that you have.</p>

<p>If by "school spirit," you mean the more traditional sports-oriented kind, then BC definitely out trumps Wellesley. BC has nationally recognized football and basketball teams that are Div. 1, with games that are televised. Wellesley's sports teams don't come anywhere near that. They just don't have anywhere near as big of a presence as the teams at a Div. 1 school like BC. Not to say that student's aren't passionate about their sports here if they're part of a team. But as part of school culture, Saturdays aren't centered around sports matches, like it is for football and basketball at BC, I'd imagine. However, Wellesley students certainly have a lot of "school spirit," in that they're very proud to be attending Wellesley, aren't afraid to say they're Wellesley students, and buy and wear lots of Wellesley gear.</p>

<p>In terms of meeting guys and dating, certainly it'll be much easier if you attend BC just based on the fact that as a coed campus, guys will be right there with you all the time. At Wellesley, if meeting guys is a priority for you, then it'll take more effort. There certainly will be opportunities, but that doesn't mean that it won't take effort on your part. For example, you should attend the events/mixers/parties/dances that attract off-campus students. You should join student organizations and groups. Guys aren't just going to fall into your lap. One thing that is very unlikely to happen is the random hookup with a guy. Wellesley has very few (if any?) casual, off the cuff, "hey-let's-just-get-some-beer-and-invite-people-over" parties where guys come over and within a few hours people are randomly hooking up with other people. Of course, you might randomly hook up with a guy that you meet at one of the bigger parties and take him back to your room, but you don't have to. I'm just saying that for the vast majority of the time, you get to meet guys on your own term, when you want to. And don't worry, many Wellesley women date. They're all meeting people somehow - it's not like our alumnae base is overwhelmed with a whole bunch of unmarried folks.</p>

<p>You say that you're concerned that the academics will be too much for you. Do you mean that you're afraid that they'll be too hard? Certainly they'll be challenging because the professors expect college level work, and high quality level work at that. But if you were accepted, then the Admission office must have seen evidence that you're quite capable of the work here. Wellesley might be the first time where you aren't the smartest student in the class and the first time where you're challenged not only by the professor, but by your peers as well. And thats OK. The great thing about Wellesley is that as challenging as the work is, the professors want to help and mentor you. Your peers want to help you. It's an incredibly supportive environment. Don't be afraid of the academics! Be excited to academically push yourself! As someone posted in another thread, the academic standards are higher (college vs. high school) and you might get lower grades than you're used to at first (again, college vs. high school), but that's not a reason to shy away from it.</p>

<p>In terms of accessibility to Boston, definitely BC will have much greater and easier access than Wellesley. BC is located right at a T stop, whereas Wellesley is definitely in the suburbs of Boston and you'll need to either take the bus or have a car to get into the city. There really is no comparison here. Again, it's a matter of what you're looking for in a college and what's important to you.</p>

<p>I have no idea on how gorgeous the girls at BC are, but thank god for Wellesley being a women's college and who cares what you look like in the morning when you're heading off to class and you just rolled out of bed and really, pajamas are the most comfortable clothes ever. Not to say that students don't know how to get all dolled up when they want to, but for everyday, comfort is key.</p>

<p>As for your interest in Economics, Wellesley's department is one of the best in the country. In fact, a fairly recent article named it number one amongst LAC in research output of faculty and students (see Bodenhorn (2003), “Economic Scholarship at Elite Liberal Arts Colleges,” Journal of Economic Education, vol. 34 no. 2, p. 341-359). And because Wellesley is an undergraduate institution, everything there is for you, without any grad students as an intermediary. Every year, the top Wall Street firms and I-banking companies come to recruit at Wellesley. If that's what you're interested in, the Wellesley alumnae network would be invaluable. </p>

<p>As to being reserved and a bit on the shy side, Wellesley isn't filled with homogeneous personalities of all outspoken and extroverted people who are pushy. But I think Wellesley can help people who are on the quieter side be more confident and willing to put themselves out there, especially for causes/issues they believe in. It's a very empowering community. I've definitely been in a situation where i've said to myself, "Dammit! You're a Wellesley woman! Just go and do it!"</p>

<p>Hope all this helps.</p>

<p>I do have a few more questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How much homework is there each night?</p></li>
<li><p>How much homework do you do on the weekends?</p></li>
<li><p>When I go to apply to grad school, is class rank considered. Wellesley is a small school and if you happen to be great academically it seems everyone else is too. So, if you're in the bottom half of your class, will the grad adcom know this?</p></li>
<li><p>What are the dorms and food like?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it easy to be bored there?</p></li>
<li><p>On average, how often do people go into Boston and what do they do while there?</p></li>
<li><p>What types of grad schools are students accepted at?</p></li>
<li><p>This might be a controvertial question, but is the campus really that diverse? The statistics show that it's around 30% asian, but asians only make up about 5% of our national population. Even factoring in international students, it seems as that asians are over-represented and hispanics and blacks are under-represented. Do you find this to be the case?</p></li>
<li><p>In terms of religion, do they decorate for the holidays at all? Are there Christmas trees and Menorahs and such?</p></li>
<li><p>Do people support each other or is it on the competitive side? Is it easy to stand out academically?</p></li>
<li><p>How political is the campus, are there a lot of guest speakers/rallies?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for all you help so far!!!!!!</p>

<p>A selective group of answers to the questions:</p>

<p>3) Students aren't ranked, and grad schools don't care. Your GPA and chosen courses are more important.</p>

<p>5) No :) It's nearly impossible to be bored.</p>

<p>6) No idea what the averages look like, but I can count on my fingers the number of times I went into Boston. Not because it was too difficult but because I loved being on campus and enjoying time with my friends. In the city, there's shopping, shows, concerts, parties, and touristy goodness. Boston's a fun city.</p>

<p>7) Wellesley students go on to all types of grad schools. Is there anything in particularly that you're interested in hearing about?</p>

<p>8) It's a diverse campus ... how you measure diversity is up to you, but minority populations consistently account for more than 50% of the student body. There's also socio-economic diversity to consider: despite the stereotypes, more than half of students receive financial aid, and nearly a third of those students are from families earning under $60,000 a year. The new financial aid policy eliminates loans for that 1/3, and loan caps are tiered for FinAid recipients at higher family income levels.</p>

<p>9) No public holiday decorations, but there are various accommodations for students who observe religious holidays. Dining services, for example, offers alternatives during Passover and Ramadan. </p>

<p>11) Students currently at Wellesley might argue that the student body isn't very political, but don't believe them :) Guest speakers (often big names, sometimes controversial), participation in national observations, big events for major elections, and near-constant discussions around campus bring politics into everyone's regular life.</p>

<p>haha, thanks ringer! I still have a couple more questions though.</p>

<p>Can students have fake Christmas trees in their dorms and Christmas lights?</p>

<p>Also, are you allowed to choose your roommate for freshman year?</p>

<p>fake Christmas trees and lights --> a-ok.</p>

<p>i've also seen real trees in some rooms, but as far as whether or not that is allowed: questionable, haha.</p>

<p>i have friends who put down a roommate preferance their first year. i think what they did was write on the housing app: "i would like to room with ____" and the other person did the same. there isn't any guarantee, but i've seen it happen.</p>

<p>I've heard real trees are illegal, but I've done the fake tree thing for the past two years.</p>

<p>I go to WC, and I think you would fit Wellesley College. Perhaps even love it.</p>