Wellesley vs UMass Amherst for CS

Hey guys! I committed to UMass, but was informed I got off Wellesley’s waitlist last Friday. I was really excited but also kinda conflicted. Ideally, I would want a collaborative and supportive environment, somewhere that isn’t constantly painful and stressful. From what I can gather Wellesley is really intense academically and known for grade deflation. I’m worried that if I go to Wellesley my mental health and GPA will tank. I understand Wellesley has a LOT to offer, but I’m not sure if I can keep up/if it’s worth constantly being stressed out. At UMass, my classes would still have some element of competitiveness but it would be less (based on what I’ve heard from current students who have taken CS classes. I like the small class sizes that Wellesley has along with the strong alum network that’s kinda like a sisterhood. There’s a lot of interdisciplinary departments (Media Arts and Sciences, CogSci) that seem really cool, and bc Wellesley is so small I’ll have more 1-1 time with professors and opportunities to research with them, which would be really nice. Additionally because Wellesley is an overall stronger school, if I want to major in the humanities and change my mind, I will still be getting a very strong education. At UMass I did an overnight and observed some classes. I like (some of) the architecture at Umass, the lecturers for the CS and Public Health classes I saw, and the vast resources UMass has for CS majors and Linguistics majors. At Wellesley I wasn’t able to visit, so everything I know is from collegeconfidential, my alum interview, the Wellesley website, and my friend(s) experiences visiting Wellesley and talking with the students. Could someone with insight on what Wellesley is like in terms of the rigor provide an accurate image of what it’s like to go there/how intense it is academically? Also I could use insight from anyone honestly.

Also money will be a factor. Umass is about 30k/yr for me, I haven’t gotten my FA package from Wellesley yet.

Wait until you ahve the aid package to decide for certain. The numbers may make the decision for you.

If you can find a way to squeeze in a visit to Wellesley, it would probably be worth the time and the money. You would know pretty quickly if you could be happy there.

My usual advice is that you should do the thing that is the bigger challenge for you. You will stretch and grow more. Yes it might be more painful, but it is likely to be even more rewarding because of what you learn about your capabilitites. However, your concern about your mental health tanking there is worth consideration. Grades can tank anywhere. How readily to you cope with challenge and stress? How certain are you about your major?

Lastly, have you asked any of your Wellesley-specific questions in the Wellesley forum? Post there too.