I’ve been admitted to Wheaton MA. I am waiting on UMass Lowell and Trinity CT. Anything to distinguish them from each other? I am interested in biology and neuroscience. I want smaller classes and if possible a close relationship with professors. I hope to be involved in scientific research. I don’t want to spend 12 hours a day studying but I do want to be in an atmosphere where students are serious about their learning. I also hope to have some fun, but I’m not a drinker/partier and I’m a bit wary of fraternities. I love playing football (ex-captain at U18 level) and sports in general both for practice and for spectator opportunities, but that could be professional sports as well as college sports. Being able to “walk on” the football team would be a plus if the team’s commitment is academics, otherwise a strong intramural program is important. Finally, I hope for a strong culture of volunteering and philanthropy. Thank you for any opinion, advice, or anecdotes you may have!
Is it this Trinity college? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_College_%28Connecticut%29) If so I would strongly consider it, considering you are willing to pay the $$$. Wheaton is also good but it is seen as lower than Trinity. Additionally, the cheapest of these colleges will likely be UMass Lowell unless you get great aid from these last two. Lastly, any reason why you didn’t apply to UMass Amherst? It is much higher ranked than Lowell and they have a strong Biology program and new facilities.
Good Luck
Yes it is this Trinity College. I didn’t apply to UMass Amherst because I thought it would be too highly-ranked for me. I forgot to mention that I am a french applicant.
@AFrenchie36 - I would think that Trinity would be considered by many to be more selective than UMass Amherst since it has similar academic stats but a lower acceptance rate than Umass. Nonetheless, all these schools are quite solid so I wouldn’t worry about things too much. As long as you pick the school that’s the best fit and put the time in to study you should do quite well!
Pro/Cons
Trinity: P- Most selective out of these Schools C- Tough to get into.
Wheaton: P- Neuroscience is a popular major C- Slightly lower ranked than Trinity.
UMass Lowell: P- Cheapest out of these schools C- The city it’s in isn’t the best.
Anyway, Merde!
(I hope I’m using this right, I study Chinese currently, not français) lol
By football you probably mean what Americans call soccer. A few distinguishing points to complement your own research: Trinity has full sports programs and plays at the varsity level within NESCAC; Wheaton will have sports, but I’d think overall is less sports-oriented; Trinity’s fraternities are reputedly influential in the College’s social life; Wheaton has a bit of a gender imbalance, with more women students, so some students may leave the campus on weekends; Trinity has an urban setting; In both schools you will have small classes and the opportunity to work closely with the faculty – a major plus for both of them. I don’t know much about Mass-Lowell.
Good luck in your choice and your studies!
My son also had his choice of the same schools. He decided to attend UMass Lowell (with a full scholarship). What helped him make up his mind was 1. the fraternity life was very heavy at Trinity & Wheaton was too small. He is majoring in Biotechnology and is very happy with his choice. His largest class has 45 students. His smallest has 15. He says the professors are there to help you if you need them.
“I didn’t apply to UMass-Amherst because I thought it would be too highly-ranked for me.”
With either a much lower acceptance rate (Trinity: 32%) or higher SAT scores (Trinity and Wheaton), you may have already exceeded this level of selectivity (pending your acceptance to Trinity). I’m not saying you should have applied to Mass-Amherst – nor do I want to focus on rankings – but this should give you some perspective regarding the quality of the schools you have applied to.
(Wheaton SAT optional; adjustment of scores may be necessary.)
@merc81 - Ya I would place UMass Amherst above Wheaton and below Trinity, at least selectivity wise. As UMass has a higher GPA and lower acceptance rate than Wheaton. Trinity College however beats both schools in both categories. (But UMass is cheaper!)
@Greenman57: My post was probably somewhat redundant considering your earlier comments. Though we may be using different databases in reference to GPA:
Freshmen in top 10% of HS class (as an indirect indicator of GPA):
Wheaton: 37%
UMass-Amherst: 28%
Trinity: 23%
UMass-Lowell: 22%
(I’ll note without explanation that Trinity’s figure is anomalous compared to other recent years.)
And, as you implied, these numbers relate to selectivity only. The choice of college should be made with broader considerations.
(Source: USNWR Best Colleges, 2015 Edition)
@merc81 - That is a little surprising that the UMass and Wheaton beat Trinity. (With it’s low acceptance rate)
I guess this is another case of why not to judge a college by it’s acceptance rate. I know that Umass Amherst beats many schools, stats wise, but has to keep a somewhat high acceptance rate because many top students use it as a safety school when their true goal is schools BC Tufts MIT and Harvard. (Though I would pick UMass over schools like WPI and BU since it is a great value)
This all being said, Trinity has the best looking campus… Look at this place… http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/trinity-college-1414/photos
The area around the Trinity campus is a high crime area. The city of Hartford is not a vibrant area and does not offer much for students off campus.
@Greenman57: I went back one year in USNWR, and Trinity’s figure for the freshmen in the top 10% of their HS class is 69%. This is so far from the currently listed 23% that I don’t see how both numbers can be accurate, though I have no insider knowledge whatsoever. I commented briefly on this topic on the Trinity forum, with the expectation that someone from Trinity would be eager to correct any error, but as of yet no one has responded.
Nice link. Trinity has a great look, I agree.
As you suggested, UMass has significant competition from nearby schools and must admit accordingly.
@AFrencie36: How badly do you want to get into Trinity? Thinking about this can give you insight into what you intuitively want.
@merc81 I like Trinity but right now I have a strong preference for Wheaton. I like the fact that it is a small school, with strong academics and no fraternities on campus.
Wheaton sounds like a nice fit for you. Sorry I couldn’t help with your question about volunteering. My feelings are that Wheaton has a culture of community, which may overlap with a culture of volunteering.
You still gave me some great informations about Trinity, so thank you for your help @merc81!!