Wesleyan vs College of New Jersey for ED

Parents Forum
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<p>We're trying to figure out which of these schools are better fit for my S to apply ED to. Academically, both are reach schools for my S, but the coaches from both schools are sounding very positive about getting him in.</p>

<p>S has ovenighted with the Wesleyan team and feels pretty comfortable. Even though Wesleyan is known for its activism, it didn't shown in that one night expericence (and a couple of the team members are Government major). We had visited TCNJ but S has yet to meet with the team, although he already knows a couple of players on the team. He feels comfortable at both schools as far as the campus goes but TCNJ is much closer to home.</p>

<p>Our main question is which school he can find his niche easier. He has no idea what he wants to do at this point. His sciences and maths are B average and he is not into literature and arts. Being that, we think a pre-professional track will be better fit for him, e.g. business, international relations/economics/government. In that regards, I think TCNJ has an edge since it has a business program.</p>

<p>Another consideration is which school will he fare better coping with the academic workload. Wesleyan is harder to get into but sounds like the class size is smaller and the quality of teaching may be better than TCNJ. A CC'er once commented that, for these good LACs, they won't take you if they don't think you have a good chance of succeeding at their school. How true is this statement?</p>

<p>Wesleyan is very hard to get into, and it makes it so much harder to pass it up. Also, I think TCNJ is not as well-known outside of the northest. In term of the costs, Wesleyan will easily doubles that of TCNJ.</p>

<p>Other schools we're considering are Skidmore (me and my wife thinks it fits S very well), Lafayette (maybe too preppy and also Div I).</p>

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<p>Go with your gut - that TCNJ is a better fit. It's easy to get caught up in the name-prestige game, but you know your S and your instinct is trying to tell you something. </p>

<p>It's true that the smaller LACs have smaller classes where the less driven student can succeed. But it is also true that many small LACs cater to a specific type of student, and if your child is not that kind of student, he may not be happy not having much in common with anyone besides team-mates. </p>

<p>And for what it's worth, my D's best friend is a freshman at Wesleyan - a superb student, award-winner, quite intellectual - and she's struck by how demanding her classes are - and how accomplished/impressive her classmates are.</p>

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<p>I honestly don't think that the tennis coach can get a "B" student accepted unless he is nationally ranked and the clear #1 on the Wesleyan team. Athletic departments in that conference do have 66 admissions slots that can be used to enroll students with below average academic qualifications. But, these tend to be concentrated on sports where it is difficult to find good players with average or better academics (football, ice hockey, etc.)Tennis is not one of those sports. In most sports, one of these slots would only be used for a #1 difference-maker on the team.</p>