<p>I applied EE to wellesley and got a likely letter. Ever since I've beengetting more and more excited about Wellesley, but I'm still waiting for Harvard, where I think i have a pretty good shot at getting in. My parents agree that while wellesley is great, you can't say no to harvard...what do you guys think...Wellesley or Harvard?</p>
<p>I want to study science and visual art (go premed probably). </p>
<p>I'm really intrigued by Wellesley's relationship with MIT.</p>
<p>oh, and, what about wellesley vs. wesleyan? I expect good news on that front as well...but wouldnt know what to do if accepted.</p>
<p>Wellesley has the prettier campus, hands down. Wellesley probably even has more money (though, that is less apparent to the naked eye.) The 800 pound elephant in the living room here, is the presence of over a thousand men. Depends how badly you want them around all the time.</p>
<p>It is an interesting problem - Harvard is better known and has a remarkable reputation world wide. Wellesley may offer a better undergraduate learning experience. Since we don't know you, I would suggest asking students at these schools that you do know, or asking some doctors you know.</p>
<p>As for quality of life - most Wellesley posts talk about getting into Boston and I think Harvard is closer.</p>
<p>Roza, fwiw, it's a slightly different question, but just this last week my D said that she wouldn't trade Smith for Harvard now. Fwiw. One vote. Having a terrific undergrad experience. Wellesley was her runner-up.</p>
<p>You might also want to closely question someone who's trying to combine Wellesely/MIT classes...I thought I heard that it's not a terribly covenient thing to do, as with Five College classes at Smith.</p>
<p>thanx for all your advice...I guess I just have to wait a few more days, then I find out if all this deliberating is even necessary.</p>
<p>Also, What made your D choose smith over Wellesley? I love both schools, and they were the only two women's colleges I applied to. But I still put Wellesley ahead of Smith. I am tempted by the latter, with the STRIDE scholarship they offered me, but I figure I can find the same thing at Wellesley if I seek it out.</p>
<p>D's reasons for Smith over Wellesley: Performing arts (ballet, orchestra) deeper at Smith, more of an afterthought at Wellesley; Northampton beat the town of Wellesley (significant time penalty for getting to/from Boston); Smith had more diversity, Wellesley felt too relentlessly upscale. Liked Wellesley, just clicked at Smith.</p>
<p>For premeds, I'm not sure Harvard is better than Wellesley. Wellesley has much smaller, friendlier basic science courses (like you'd be taking for premed). The emphasis is on the students and the professors are good teachers and like to teach the subject matter. The undergraduates are their first priority. </p>
<p>At Harvard, the basic pre-med science courses are taught in huge lecture theatres seating hundreds of students. The professors are distant figures up front and generally are brilliant scientists-but generally do not consider teaching undergraduates a priority-but rather a distraction from the more important work of grant writing, consulting, and future research to be conducted in their labs. The TFs who teach section are more accessible-but these generally are second or third year graduate students under an inordinate amount of stress. Some are good teachers. Some aren't. A very mixed bag.</p>
<p>If you wanted to go on in science, e.g., Ph.D., I think Harvard might be the better choice because of better course selection at the post-pre-med-requirement levels, especially in chemistry and perhaps physics. But for premeds, Wellesley is pretty idyllic, compared to most places.</p>
<p>Silver, I know people who have taught at and attended both institutions. This is a big question. I would pick Wellesley way ahead of Harvard for undergraduate. Some of the best teaching on the planet is to be had at Wellesley. My choice of best school is based on what these people have told me. As one professor said at the ivies you have all of these very bright undergraduates but if you go upstairs to where the teaching goes on all of the grad students seem to be from women's colleges and denominational schools where teaching is still part of the mission.</p>
<p>Silver, as Mardad points out, there actually is a significant question. For undergrad education, while part of me would wince at giving up prestige and bragging rights, for the quality of the undergrad education, I'd take Wellesley over Harvard. I'd also take Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Middlebury, Smith, and probably 3-4 others over Harvard if all I'm looking at is quality of undergrad education.</p>
<p>I started out biased in favor large research universities. I graduated from one, TheMom graduated from one and has worked for another for a quarter of a century. I've come around: a top LAC can often offer a better education. Harvard for graduate or professional school is a different matter.</p>
<p>so then at big institutious.. teaching isn't part of the mission?
i still think the quality of the education is still good at both LACs and at big unis.. i've applied to both.. more LACs though.</p>
<p>It isn't that teaching isn't the mission of the university. But, at certain large research institutions (e.g., Harvard and others I'm sure) the tenure decision isn't based on teaching ability or mentoring or even dealing with undergrads. It is based on (mostly) on the opinions of the professor's reputation as a scholar/researcher in the field. So, some professors care and do a good job of dealing with undergrads. Some don't and still get tenure. The culture of science departments at Harvard as well can be a bit overwhelming. At Wellesley-science is on a more managable scale and much gentler. Professors care about undergraduates.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My parents agree that while wellesley is great, you can't say no to harvard...what do you guys think...Wellesley or Harvard?
[/quote]
First, congrats on your great work to have such great options. Of course you can turn down Harvard ... should you? I have no idea ... visit both schools and decide which feels like a better fit to YOU (your vote is the one that counts here!). Wellesley has a pretty unique learning experience that will probably feel very right or very wrong to YOU. Good luck with your decision! ... 3togo
(I jumped in here because I trusted my gut and survived and thrived after turning down an obvious "you can't say no" option for another terrific option way back when )</p>
<p>Silver, everyone will have their own responses. My gut feel, having been immersed in this a while, is that undergrad opportunities are pretty good at Yale, U/Chicago, Brown. I wouldn't have stepped on your toes if you'd gotten in but Columbia disappointed us a fair amount in our assessment...it had been my D's #1 on paper and she wound up not applying. G'town I think is towards the top of the charts for government/political science...I wouldn't rent my soul for it otherwise.</p>
<p>Remember, this is one old crank's opinions and while I can defend them there are nine and sixty ways of approaching the subject. My one overarching caveat is just to be very very cautious about equating prestige or how well known an institution is with how good the undergrad education is.</p>
<p>Put Rigel makes an excellent point: profs at LAC's are there to teach; they may do research as well, but they <em>have</em> to teach. At research universities, some profs like to teach and others find undergrads a nuisance.</p>
<p>Where did your D go? I thought you had kids at Columbia if I remember correctly when I was going through my COlumbia thing...</p>
<p>As for choosing an undergrad school.. it's all up to personal taste isn't it..
people like diff. things... that is why there are so many diff. schools and people that fill up the incoming classes i suppose..</p>
<p>If you are even considering Wellesley over Harvard, there must be something about Wellesley that REALLY appeals to you. Listen to that inner voice closely and you'll be able to make the decision that is right for YOU and not (necessarily) your parents and not (necessarily) the other random strangers on some internet message board. I knew one woman who went to Harvard over Stanford, because her parents insisted that "you don't say no to Harvard" and she was miserable for four years and happy to get out. In today's Boston Globe, amongst so-called "peer institutions" (Wellesley included) Harvard students were amongst the least happy with their experience overall. </p>
<p>Why don't you go to both the Wellesley spring open campus and the pre-frosh weekend at Harvard and decide based on your overall experience and comfort level at each institution?</p>
<p>I am really curious -as this with a REALLY open mind- about some of the statements made in this thread. As a preface, let me share that my parents do believe in single-sex education and are working towards establishing a preliminary list for my sophomore sister. My current analysis finds very little to support the enthusiasm of my parents and a LOT of parents and students on this board. That said, I would love to find evidence that reverse my current viewpoint. </p>
<p>"For premeds, I'm not sure Harvard is better than Wellesley. Wellesley has much smaller, friendlier basic science courses (like you'd be taking for premed). The emphasis is on the students and the professors are good teachers and like to teach the subject matter. The undergraduates are their first priority... But for premeds, Wellesley is pretty idyllic, compared to most places." </p>
<p>This seems to contradict many reports that Wellesley is particularly lacking in sciences, and especially for pre-meds. Also, I am not sure that pre-med equates to basic science courses. Did I miss something? </p>
<p>"Some of the best teaching on the planet is to be had at Wellesley. My choice of best school is based on what these people have told me."</p>
<p>Could you please point me in the general direction of the department at Wellesley that fits such lofty criteria. I started reading about the Economics department -since it seems very popular at W- and did not see anything beyond the mundane. Again, what did I miss? </p>
<p>" My one overarching caveat is just to be very very cautious about equating prestige or how well known an institution is with how good the undergrad education is." </p>
<p>Now, this is a statement that rings extremely true, and ever so in the case of Wellesley when being compared to its true peers. Obviously, the truth rests in the interpretation of the statement.</p>