Whitman College vs. Western Washington University

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am a senior in high school from a small town in Washington trying to deciding where to go to college and I have recently been put in a difficult situation. I was waitlisted at what was previously my top choice (Whitman) so I decided on WWU instead. I payed my enrollment fee and was all set to go when I got an email from Whitman offering me admission! They are two very different schools and what I have heard consistently from friends and family is that they see me academically at Whitman but personality-wise at Western.</p>

<p>Bellingham is one of my favorite cities and, since I am interested in environmental and marine sciences, it is the perfect location. I am very outdoorsy and I love the ocean so it is somewhere I would definitely fit in. Whitman, however, has fewer people than WWU and I always imagined myself at a small liberal arts college. Although I would be in the honors program at Western, I'm concerned I would regret not going to the most prestigious college I was accepted to. Also, my lifelong best friend is a freshman at Whitman now and my two closest friends in high school have recently committed there as well. This is both a plus and a drawback because I am all for having my own college experience and I do not want others to influence my decision.</p>

<p>Both schools are very welcoming and everyone I have met on either campus (students, staff, etc.) has made me feel at home. I don't think I am leaning one way or another so I would like some advice on this situation! What do you think I should do?</p>

2

<p>Both are outdoorsy but if you are interested in marine science Western seems like the better choice. Where I live Western seems to be the choice of students who wanted an LAC but blanched at the full-pay price. I think it draws a lot of those types of kids.</p>

3

<p>Of course cost is the other issue</p>

4

<p>Does going to Whitman involve taking on significant debt, for either you or your parents?</p>

<p>I don’t think you’ll regret not going to the most prestigious college you were accepted to - I did not, and I don’t regret it. I loved my undergrad, had a good time, and it got me to where I wanted to go regardless. I will also mention that I actually had a co-worker here at Columbia who was also a grad student of mine, and she was an alumna of Western Washington. I’ve also heard really nice things about the town/city of Bellingham.</p>

<p>I think this is a highly personal decision, though. Whitman is a great college and if you want the small LAC experience, it’s the best place for you to go. However, if it will put you in significant debt, WWU also sounds like a good choice for you.</p>