<p>My D was just taken off of Georgetown's wait list but had just decided on Wesleyan after a long decision of Colgate or Wes. FA is the same at both, GU a little less expensive tuition so overall a little less expensive. Yes they are two very different schools but D has many sides to her so I think she will be fine wherever she goes.
Help please! I would love to hear CC feedback.</p>
<p>If it helps, my D wants to go to a school where learning is the goal, not the grade. She is leaning towards Philosphy/Politcs/Econ or College of Letters at Wes. I just want to make sure that she is not missing the name recognition that GU has; Wes at least on the west coast is not as recognizable by many people. (or at least that is my impression).</p>
<p>My attitude toward Georgetown is a lot like my attitude toward Barnard or NYU: if you want a perfectly safe place from which to explore a major urban center, it’s hard to beat. It also has DI athletics and a household name to go along with it. Drawbacks: 1) it doesn’t have much of a campus 2) the surrounding neighborhood, though nice, is pretty pricey, and, 3) though it’s a medium-sized university, it’s not really known for much more than religion/philosophy, history and political science (which may not be such a drawback, given your D’s interests.)</p>
<p>Tough to beat the high level of intellectual engagement in the social science departments, College of Social Studies, and College of Letters at Wes. The undergraduate experience at Wesleyan is the main focus, and the rigor and resources are on par with just about any top graduate school you can think of, so not only can your daughter get a more personalized education at Wes, she’ll also be working at the highest level for nearly four years. The open curriculum encourages students to pursue their true passions, which means your daughter’s classmates will choose courses based on content, not because it’s a requirement or because it’s an easy A. </p>
<p>As for name recognition on the West Coast, I wouldn’t be too concerned. As johnwesley posted on a different thread, more Californians are choosing to go to schools like Wesleyan. In fact, half of LA might actually be populated by Wes grads (clearly hyperbole, but Google “The Wesleyan Mafia”)! Seriously though, Wesleyan is astonishingly well represented and respected, not just on the West Coast, but all over the world. In a nutshell, Wes is known as leader in interdisciplinary education, curricular innovations, and for its passionate, creative, and innovative student body. Go to Wes for the undergrad experience. Georgetown will always be there for grad school.</p>
<p>I took my daughter to Wes back in November…5 of the 8 students that we chatted with were from LA… and they didn’t know each other prior to attending… I was surprised that so many students from the left coast had applied and were happy @ Wes.</p>
<p>My dd14 and I went to the open house on Veterans Day… she had no interest in applying to schools here in CT…so needless to say, our ride to Wes was NOT pleasant… LOL but I told her that I’m the mom and I know a little bit more than she does as she rolled her eyes at me for the 100th time… lol She ended up loving the school and plans on applying!</p>
<p>Can she do an accepted student weekend? I know they used to offer them(from reading The Gatekeepers by J. Steinberg) They may even pay for her to attend…</p>
<p>I recognize the tone of that post LAMom! I’ve been there before; waking up at night wondering if my kid is making the RIGHT decision, and wondering if I should have forced the issue somehow…second guessing, wondering… We are also from CA and we find that among professionals, Wes has a huge cache, but for some others they only have the vaguest notion of having heard of it. Having two kids, I’ve now lived through two such episodes of fear and loathing (which tells you a lot more about me than my kids) – maybe my journey will help you. It niggled at me first when my S refused to apply to Brown (the reach where I pictured him) and applied ED to Wes (because it is where HE wanted to go). We all loved Wes, and were thrilled for him when he got in. It is unqualifiedly a great school and since S became interested in it I’ve met many very impressive alums here in CA-- but that fear struck again when S was admitted to Berkeley (it being impossible to withdraw UC Applications). That caused at least one of my friends to wonder if he could get out of his ED committment to go to a school with a real football team and one she had heard of (and no, he didn’t consider it for a second, since he wanted Wes, not Berkeley; and yes, many other friends emphasized Wes was a far better choice for him). After some calm and reflection, I realized that Wes promised to be a great environment for him - far, far better than Berkeley would have been, and I truly believe he will get a more personal and hence much better education at Wes. I realized that S had made a very adult choice. He didn’t consider stupid criteria like where his friends were going or exact rankings, but thought about what mattered to him: a stimulating, diverse and creative intellectual environment that was not too big, but not tiny either. Someplace he could thrive.
Be happy and empower your D. Indeed, between GT and Wes she literally could not have made a bad choice from a “resume” perspective, but the fact that GT and Wes are so different leads me to conclude she knows what she is looking for and GT was not it. She is in the best position to choose what she wants, and she has made a great choice. Good luck and all the best.</p>
<p>I want to thank all of you who responded to my question. I posted the same question on the GT thread, but the responses I received from the Wes thread moved both my daughter and me to tears. When my D read the responses from both threads she knew she had made the right decision on May 1 and that getting off the GT wait list would/did not change her mind. Your responses were so thoughtful and insightful, I felt as if you knew who my D was and could actually read my mind. You helped me realize what a special place Wes is. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!</p>