<p>Any interest in Wheaton College in Norton, MA?
It has a beautiful campus in a nice town mid way between Boston and Providence.
Has a good reputation academically and athletically.
Scholarship program appears generous, but I have no experience to back that up.
My D is interested in playing softball there and is thinking of applying ED.
Any feedback from current students or parents? Alum?</p>
<p>Thanks!
Softball Dad</p>
<p>I graduated from Wheaton in '77 ...last time I went back for my 25th things looked pretty good......Wheaton has a new president named Crutcher who has great ambitions for the college. I had a wonderful experience at Wheaton and made lifelong friends. It was challenging intellectually and I got a very good job before I graduated.....because of the internships I did during junior and senior years. You're local so you've probably been there but if not take your daughter over there and see what you think. Many of my classmates have their kids there now which I think is a real vote of confidence! Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Thanks, DKE!
I wish there was more input from students and alum.
My D is looking at Wheaton, Williams, Wellesley, Dartmouth, etc.
The campus is very nice but the dorms my D stayed in while at a softball camp needed work.
She's doing the overnight visit later this month.
(I never had the opportunity to do an overnight at Yale.)
You must have gone when it was all female, if I calculate the years correctly.</p>
<p>What affect do you think that has on the success of its grads?
Thanks!
Rskibum</p>
<p>My friend's son chose Wheaton because they liked the Christian focus of the school. He also got into several other schools, but it was their 1st choice. He's happily playing football there as a freshman. Before he applied, I had never heard of Wheaton, but it's mentioned in several college guides as the "Christian Harvard," or words to that effect. My friend & her family are very pleased with their experiences with Wheaton so far.</p>
<p>HIMom, the first poster meant the Wheaton College in Norton MA. It can get confusing which is why I try to put the "MA" after it when I remember.
rskibum, sometimes looking at the schools livejournal can help give you an idea of how a few students feel. Wheaton's journal isn't very active, but here is a link: <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/wheatoncollege/%5B/url%5D">http://www.livejournal.com/community/wheatoncollege/</a></p>
<p>Dear Rskibum, </p>
<p>I am a recent graduate of Wheaton College and can attest to the previous statements made by DKE. The school has a tremendous new president who I am certain is poised to take the school to the upper echelon of liberal arts colleges. That having been said, I believe that Wheaton presents its students with opportunities that are both rare and non-traditioinal at many other liberal arts colleges. Firstly, the Filene Center works tirelessly to connect their students to the vast network of Wheaton alums and friends accross the country resulting in a significant amount of impressive first year hires directly from college. I personally am working as a Jr. Broker at Oppenheimer & Co. in Boston and landed the job in the same manner. Secondly, the school is only improving in every fascet. The sports teams continue to dominate (for a fun sidebar go to Cincinnatireds.com and look for Chris Denorfia - a friend from college now gone pro) and gain leverage with their recruiting, and academically the school has never been more challenging or more respected. Having had a father who attended Williams and two brothers who attended Bates I can honestly say that I would consider Wheaton a fantastic fit for any student considering the latter schools. If your daughter is looking for a place to grow intellectually, socially, or even perhaps athletically... I can give no higher recommendation than the one I give for my Alma Matter.</p>
<p>Oh... and for the softball dad... I would only encourage you to look at how successful the program has been over the past ten years. The school does sit on a beautiful campus between Prov. and Boston and students have numerous opportunities to explore both during the school year. As far as academics are concerned, should your daughter tire of Wheaton, we participate in the twelve college exchange which includes Dartmouth, Wellesley, Brown, and many more. I would urge her to take an overnight with the team however, and assure herself that those are the group of girls that she wanted to spend a significant amount of time with (sports are demanding). I can attest to the fact that the girls on the team are great, but everyone has their own opinions!</p>
<p>Wondering whether to add Wheaton to D's list. She's a strong high jumper (5'3 - - good enought for some D1 teams), interested in architecture, urban planning and possibly engineering (engineering minor). </p>
<p>D is reluctant b/c:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>she doesn't know anything about the Wheaton track team (she has attended track camp at Cornell and has friends at Smith, Bates, Hamilton, Lafayette and Bucknell - - Bates and Hamilton are reach schools for D)</p>
<ul>
<li>she is troubled by the gender imbalance (says she'd rather go to Smith where no one has a bf than be one of the girls w/o a boy)</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>Any insights?</p>
<p>Well, allow me to lend my insight on both matters. If you take a quick visit to the Wheaton website, you'll notice that the track team are the 8 time national champions. Coach Paul Souza specializes in getting the most out of his jump teams, so I think in that sense it would be a great fit for her. As for the gender imbalance, I think its relative. Being a boy at Wheaton, I never considered what it might be like to be a girl there. I do know that the ratio was evening out, but then Wheaton decided to stop dropping the standard for males to enter the college, so I think its pretty much back to around 65/35. I think that the best way for her to figure this out would be to visit the school. She should make an appointment to meet Coach Souza, and that way she will find out what will work for her and what will not.</p>
<p>NYC;
First of all, Wheaton College (MA) has an excellent reputation in our area.
Second, though Smith College is an excellent college, lots of students have significant others.
Third; I agree with Shub...(I don't know if he/she is faculty, student/ admissions).
I TOTALLY agree that you and your D should visit Wheaton and have your daughter do an overnight.
In my opinion, Do NOT allow your daughter to attend ANY college without an overnight and allow her to attend a class or 2, attend a practice and hang out with team mates. Meet the coach and get his/her honest feedback.
Ask how your D fits in his future plans. Can she make the team? Play the first year?
What is the off season workout schedule? 6:00 AM workouts in January? 5 days a week? What does they look for in recruits? Academic priority?</p>
<p>Think of this a sales experience on both sides. You're selling your D's skills to this college, and the coach is selling their college to you.
While you're there, you're D will make them look good by making the track team successful. It's a mutual fit, and it must feel right from your D's point of view.</p>
<p>Your D will have to find a "fit." From what I've learned; she'll know when she experiences it. So...go to lots of colleges that she qualifies for and do an overnight at those she's best qualified for and especially if the coach wants her.</p>
<p>Send videos, resumes, unofficial transcripts and other info to coaches of colleges you qualify for and reply to those coaches that contact you.</p>
<p>You are marketing your D's talents!
Good luck!</p>
<p>I know that it is not uncommon for those hoping to play a team sport to send videos, but I assumed that with individual, timed events (track, swimming) listing D's stats would be sufficient.</p>
<p>Is a video really that important? (Not that I'm opposed to the idea, I just never considered it.)</p>
<p>I'd suggest contacting the schools your child is interested in & asking the coaches she might train under. They would be able to provide you with the most accurate info about what they require in evaluating an athlete.</p>
<p>Shub - I just figured out what you meant! D doesn't want gf so she's not interested in or troubled by the number of girl/girl couples. </p>
<p>Wheaton looks like a fine school, a bit weaker (admissions stats) than others D is considering, but I'm not troubled by that b/c of the time commit that college sports require. So far, finding ANY fit has been diff b/c schools with the strongest arch/art/engr programs are either academ rigorous D3 schools (Bowdoin, Bates, Hamilton, Oberlin, Connn College), compar less rigorous D1 schools (Lafayette, Bucknell) or - - worst of all - - rigorous D1 schools (Cornell-big!, Wake). </p>
<p>Smith, Trinity, Colorado (distance), Holy Cross (conservative) and Union (ugly city) offer what I consider to be a good balance of athletics and academics - so D would have to come up w/ better reason than signif others to bounce any school in this category. Similarly, even though Wheaton isn't particularly strong in arch/art (2 arch hist courses, 2 sculpt, 2 graphic design - - but her interests could change) and girls outnumber boys 2:1, I'm willing to overlook a couple of warts to add prospects at this level.</p>
<p>I will certainly have do overnights and, rsk, I'll make sure to ask some of your questions (especially re: practice times - - D opted out of crew b/c of 7am pracatices!) during the initial visit.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>D2 is a 1st year at Wheaton MA and a student athlete, D1 is at Wellesley. Here's my observations on a bunch of different topics in this thread in no particular order.</p>
<p>Campus is nice, but there are many nicer, seems to be reasonably well kept.</p>
<p>Not at all impressed by their judgement of scholarship. There's lots of pretty dumb students getting merit money according to D. In our situation, I really feel we were shortchanged about $5K in need aid.</p>
<p>Don't apply anywhere ED for D3 athletics unless you can afford 100% of the bill.</p>
<p>Of all the colleges mentioned in this thread, Wheaton MA is by itself on the bottom of the academic list, not weak, but far closer to average than any of the others with the exception of maybe Wheaton IL, and I think presents less oppurtunity.</p>
<p>Your D should definitely be contacting coaches. I've heard videos are a waste but my D had a couple coaches ask for them.</p>
<p>Norton is a dead small town. Very difficult to access Boston or Providence. For the price, you'd think some sort of bus service would be provided.</p>
<p>I'd give Bates a shot; they don't use SATs so there's lots of other ways for D to sell herself.</p>
<p>Athletics seem top notch but I get no sense of school spirit.</p>
<p>Firstly, I dont disagree with some of the things you mentioned in your post twr. However, I will comment on a few aspects of your post. I can't stress to you how much I disagree with where you place Wheaton academically concerning the other schools in this thread. Not only do I feel that it should be considered equal in many aspects, I also feel it is superior in some. The Filene Center provides students with resources beyond the reach of most colleges, giving students significant opportunities upon graduation... There ARE opportunities provided by a Wheaton education, bottom line. Concerning students who your D feels are "dumb" but are recieving aid... I can only say that one of (whom I considered to be)the "dumbest" girls I knew at school parlayed a year as a Balfour Scholar at Wheaton into three more at Dartmouth and was considered in candidacy for a Rhodes Scholarship (Wheaton also has the second most Rhodes scholars since 2000 for liberal arts schools in the nation, Williams is first) while there. Its all relative... grade inflation in highschools has led to an increase of less-intelligent kids at all good schools, not just Wheaton. I will agree that the sense of school spirit is lacking, but such is the nature for a school in search of an identity... going coeducational left the school with a mixed sense of history, which is how tradition and spirit are fostered on the college level. I know you were trying to be blunt in your evaluation, but perhaps take some time to delve a little more deeply before you offer your insight in such a negative light.</p>
<p>I don't think anyone truly judges a school by one student (either the one described by you, shub or the one described by twr). </p>
<p>Wheaton sound like a fine school, but its students present weaker profiles at admission than those who enroll at the other colleges I listed (I actually expected to receive negative comment re: my listing Smith and Trinity in the "less rigorous" category!). And, I'm certainly glad that there are some "lesser" schools b/c my chrn probably wouldn't qualify for admission if colleges enrolled only those students presenting "top tier" credentials. </p>
<p>Anyway, no offense intended.</p>