This is indeed a relevant datapoint, though the numbers I’ve seen are different. Wesleyan’s endowment has performed particularly well recently, resulting in an endowment/student of 491k; Grinnell is at 1.7 m/student, Vassar at 566k, and Kenyon at 315k. So Grinnell is particularly high and Kenyon a bit low, with Vassar and Wesleyan pretty close together in the middle. Wesleyan’s total endowment is higher than Vassar’s, but as circuitrider points out, it also has significantly more students.
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The answer to the $128,000 question is…
…
…
GRINNELL!!
But seriously - that definitely evens the scales.
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Good call. I got the info from college raptor, and when I looked in the weeds, it appears that data is from fiscal year 2020, so doesn’t account for the boom endowment growth of 2021.
Well done – your son has some great choices.
I graduated from Vassar and what surprised me was how well known Vassar is globally compared to the majority of its LAC peers. Global reputation was never a criterion for me when selecting colleges, but Vassar’s brand recognition certainly helped me when living/working in the UK, Scandinavia, and the Middle East. Vassar has a fantastic network of alums in business, but also in academia and the arts.
Vassar alums have a very strong presence in Hollywood - think Streep, Kudrow, and Hathaway - but also directors (Noah Baumbach and Shaka King), producers (Jason Blum and Kelly Edwards), writers (John Gatins, Greg Rucka and many others) and studio executives (Elizabeth Murdoch and Lloyd Braun). More recently, Sasha Bühler greenlit All Quiet on the Western Front for Netflix and Jon Read was a producer for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Additionally, you might look at Vassar’s summer program with New York Stage & Film at its Powerhouse Theater. It is where many Broadway plays were developed including: Hamilton, The Humans, Doubt, Tru, Side Man, and Hadestown.
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I just remembered that for someone interested in film acting, Wesleyan has what is perhaps one of only a handful of sound stages located on a major college campus:
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Many thanks for sharing your insights. The lad decided to commit to Wesleyan. Grinnell was a close second, but ultimately location and programs in the arts tipped the scale.
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I don’t think he’ll be disappointed. We had a great 4 years with a kid at Wes. We’re not generally “joiners” but remain active at the school, which if you knew us would tell you something.
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Based on your son’s interests, Wesleyan would probably be the best choice if COA was equal. Since the COA was not equal, then the issue becomes whether or not your son is likely to attend grad school or a professional school after completion of his undergraduate studies. Regardless, Wesleyan University is a great choice & clearly the most exciting choice due to location, size of school, and student body.
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Closing thread since this poster has already chosen to attend Wes.
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