Wesleyan vs. Carleton vs. Oberlin

<p>Well then, how funny:) Your daughter isn't the only one who turned down Williams for Smith. And yeah, about UChicago -I've met a few cool people, and my professors are absolutely higher caliber than professors at Smith. Also the average students are much more engaged in class. Nevertheless, I'm having a bit of a crisis wondering now if academia is even really for me. Now than I'm at the place with the hard-core "life of the mind" I'm wondering if I'm more of a doer than a thinker, at least compared to hyper-intellectuals. UChicago has more of a competitive atmosphere than I'd anticipated -this has been the biggest turnoff. That, and the fact that I have trouble studying with omnipresent traffic noise. I absolutely could relate better to the majority of the population at Smith. Also I'm thinking I might not major in science anyway, since I realized over the summer I actually don't enjoy a lot of classes required for a bio major, and everything in my academic record and tests says I excel a lot more in SS. And of course the five colleges or Wesleyan have good resources for political science and African studies. Convincing my parents that taking a little time off from school and ending up at a LAC they've never heard of or Smith is an acceptable thing, is a totally different monster.</p>

<p>hey mini, I realize CC is kind of shallow way to communicate and all, but I'm desperate for some perspectives. I've been at UChicago almost a month. As an academic and a mother, does what I said above sound like a nuts reason for withdrawing from UChicago this semester (before it shows on my transcript) and going back to Smith in the Spring (maybe to transfer out to another LAC like Wesleyan or Oberlin, maybe not)?</p>

<p>You know, I really don't want to offer advice - it seems to me that this is probably more about you, and less about the school. It isn't like you have a crying, screaming interest that can only be met in one place, but not another. So you are looking for a perfect fit, and you may simply end up with a "grass is always greener" scenario - after all, these really are all great schools - different, it is true, but all places at which you can receive a fine education.</p>

<p>Back in the very dark ages, I attended Williams. It really wasn't a great fit for me then (it would be even less of a fit for me now.) I didn't fit well with well-healed student body, or the athletic inclinations, or the rural isolation (there's more, but that says enough.). But I also have to tell you that I received a GREAT education, for which I am extremely grateful to this day. It challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, both educationally and socially, and I grew hugely in the process.</p>

<p>It is sad you haven't found a place at which you are totally comfortable yet, but perhaps you should focus on finding a peer group of students like yourself, rather than leaving it to the school to manifest one magically for you? I don't know, but I wish you the best on your journey.</p>

<p>Honestly, I don't think I'm that picky. I just think I'd be happier at a small school that wasn't in the city -two things that were originally very important to me when I was looking at colleges. I'm very excited by particular programs offered at Oberlin and Wesleyan that are fairly unique to those schools. Also, I got REALLY close to my group of friends at Smith. We were international, interracial, interreligious, and inseperable. I've literally never had such good friends. Maybe it's cuz it was an all girls' school. Either way, if I'm doing a liberal arts major I'm sure I can receive an adequate education at Smith, and it feels like there was little point in me leaving. I'd be pretty confident/happy to go back. My parents opinions, I'm sure, will be that UChicago is a better school which will serve me better in the longrun, and so I'm crazy.</p>