Okay, D is down to final three schools for selection. Would love any polite and friendly input. She is a high achieving IB student and loves to be involved in service projects. Not very political or athletic. Unsure of major but definitely wants to minor (or double major) in Spanish. Plans to study abroad. Coming from a very small school (14 in her class) and a very small island in the Caribbean. If you have any personal info on these schools we would love to hear it. She has reached out to students on facebook, she has visited all the campuses and done over night visits at all three. She has not had that defining A-ha moment where she just feels like one is SO much better for her (except of course the obvious rankings and prestige). There are things she loves about all the schools and the negatives of each seem relatively minor. All that being said – Wellesley will leave her with twice as much debt as the other two. Thanks in advance for any helpful insights!
Wellesley is the outlier here. It is 1) a women’s college (not everyone’s cup of tea) and 2) provides a different level of academic intensity and competition than either Clark or Goucher. This is not a comment on rankings or prestige, but on average admitted student profile and campus culture. What kind of experience is your D looking for? The cost question is one only your family can answer. Wellesley does not give merit aid, but it does give good need-based financial aid. For me, the question would be, how much do I want to challenge myself? Will I be happy on a single-sex campus? And is the extra debt worth it, personally, to me? Your D can fulfill any of her goals at all three of these colleges. IMHO Wellesley is academically superior to Clark and Goucher, but it is also a very unique environment and your D must be certain that she would like it better than the other two, both of which are respectable options.
Thanks @NJSue - Our D believes that she will love being at a Women’s College and also believes that Wellesley with its intensity will drive her to perform at an even higher level. She is definitely a high achieving student. She has always loved learning and thrives in a rigorous program. So, the question really does come down to debt for her and whether it is “personally worth it” - thanks for that perspective - I hadn’t really thought about the debt in those terms.
I know people on CC will disagree, but I think your D would be buying a different “product,” in a sense, at Wellesley than she would find at the other two schools. The much-overused analogy is the choice, say, between buying a Ford and an Acura. Are the advantages of the latter worth the extra cost? For some, the answer is clear; both get me where I want to go, so I will pick the more economical option. For others, not so much; it depends. Wellesley has a really great alumnae network; an exceptional faculty even by the standards of elite research universities; financial strength (it will be around, in some form, in the next century). It is higher ranked academically; it is better known by employers who recruit nationally. All of this does not mean, however, that every student there automatically benefits across the board from these factors, nor does it mean that Goucher and Clark do not also offer their students good experiences, and for a lower price. I love LACs, which is the common feature of all three schools; but a liberal arts BA is not necessarily an immediately marketable degree, and I certainly understand the argument about keeping debt down and maximizing value. On the other hand, I would not want my child to pass up a really great school for the sake of a few thousand dollars (which, in the overall scheme of things, may not matter so much in the long run). A full-pay Wellesley education costs over 250k now, so you might think about whether your D is getting a bargain there. That’s another way to look at it, and again, a question only your family can answer. Good luck and congratulations to your D on her good choices.
“Wellesley will leave her with twice as much debt as the other two.”
What are the dollar figures for that debt? If your daughter is a US citizen or legal permanent resident, and would graduate from Wellesley with the full federal student loans (5,500+6,500+7,500+7,500 = 27,000) or from one of the others with a debt of only 13,500 that is one thing. But if the debt for Wellesley would include more than just the federal loans, or your daughter is not a citizen or permanent resident and can’t be guaranteed to be able to work in the US after graduation, the whole thing would be very different.
Wellesley is clearly the better school. It’s truly world class, just like going to Stanford or MIT or Williams is world-class. (Just look at the list of alumnae).
However, the matter of cost isn’t to be taken lightly. What kind of debt are you talking about?
Clark and Goucher are both good colleges, with different strengths, campus vibes, and environment. Do you have access to a Fiske guide or an Insider’s guide to the college?
My son is between Clark and Goucher. Goucher gave a much better package and he was selected for a leadership program there. He brought his offer to Clark and was told that Goucher is not the “same” as Clark so they would not make adjustments to his Clark offer. He was devastated. However, now we are going to Goucher for one more visit. (I’ve never been). The more I read about Goucher, the more impressed I become. It will be my son’s decision in the end. He will need to make the choice and decide if the debt is “worth it” if he choses Clark.
A friend that graduated from Goucher many years ago raves about the teachers and programs. My son has a few friends at Clark and they are very happy also.
Thanks everybody – D is going to have the standard student debt ($27k-ish) at all the other colleges, but Wellesley’s package is coming out a little quirky since we live outside the contiguous United States. We are waiting on an appeal, but right now it’s more than double (GULP) the other schools!
Unless Wellesley has packaged Perkins loans or loans of their own along with the standard federal loans, the extra debt for Wellesley will be something that you & her other parent(s) will have to take on either through PLUS, as a personal loan, home equity loan, or by co-signing with your daughter. This is the point where the rubber meets the road. Can you take on the responsibility for that debt or not? Even if you can, are you truly willing to? If the loan would be something other than a PLUS (which apparently is easy to borrow - for details ask in the Financial Aid Forum), will you be able to qualify every year, or will you use up your borrowing ability before she gets through her degree program?
Lots to think about here.
Wishing you all the best!
Where did she decide to go?
@ppshoo - she chose Wellesley - we appealed the financial aid award and it came much closer to being in line with the other schools. She is so excited! Thanks for asking! Where did your son choose?