I am a high school senior from California and am choosing between Whitman College and College of Wooster. They are so far apart, I know there are going to be very defining differences between the two, especially concerning the campus vibe and student body (which is hard to determine from looking online!). I like the idea of staying in the west, but my identical twin sister is going to Whitman. Is it worth going to Wooster to separate and follow our original plan? I’m feeling rushed and unsure.
I have known kids who loved both. As you note, 2 very different places.
My advice is that you should not pick Wooster to get away from your sister if it’s not your preference. Why should she go and not you? Would this impact your relationship?
If you like the sounds of Wooster and are only wavering because it’s far away, you’ll be fine on that front. And if that’s the case, and you want space from your sister, go for it.
I would suggest that you dig deep in terms of how and WHY you are feeling about each. Sibling relationships are tricky (at best!), and you need to tease this out from the rest of the decision. It’s going to be hard for any of us to give you a lot of guidance.
Thanks gardenstategal! For anyone who knows about Whitman- As an introvert, I’m worried about the sororities/fraternities at Whitman. But I love the outdoors program! Wooster seems a bit more quirky and diverse, which might make it a more accepting place. Me and my sister are very close and very quiet, and have the same interests. Will we have enough space to separate on a campus of ~1,500?
How big is your high school now? Are you and your sister in each other’s faces all the time there? If so, do you feel fine with that?
How did she settle on Wooster while you were still considering Whitman? Did she apply to Whitman also?
My high school is 1,500. We have the same group of friends that we came with from middle school. We both committed to other schools (her to Beloit, me to Wooster) and then got accepted off the waitlist at Whitman.
@L.Claire, congratulations on your acceptance to Whitman! I cannot speak for your other choice, but I would have loved for my daughter to attend Whitman. She gave it up to attend school on the East Coast. Whitman is small; my daughter’s high school has about 1,500 students, too. It might be hard for you to both forge separate lives if your interests are similar, though. I agree with @gardenstategal that you need to dig deep into your feelings. Try to envision yourself with and without your sister and in both environments. Good luck!
What are the people like at Whitman? I didn’t get a chance to visit. From online I got the impression that they are outdoorsy and down-to-earth (yay!) but also more outgoing and sorority-girl-ish than I am. Thank you all for the responses!
I can’t say enough good things about Wooster. Go Scots!!
I would definitely not say they are all sorority-girl-ish. However, one complaint about Whitman is that it is not as culturally diverse as some other colleges. Part of that comes with its location, I think.
LClaire, My son went to Whitman and graduated in 2014, I visited several times and I can’t imagine that it has changed a lot in 5 years. The student body is predominately white it’s true, but that happens at a lot of private liberal arts colleges and I know they put a lot of effort in getting more diversity on campus. The fraternity and sororities are not at all like the stereotypical picture we all have in our heads. My son joined a fraternity and had a great time, it was laid back and inclusive, not at all preppy. My son served in several leadership roles and picked up great organizing skills. He tells about how the members kept putting off letting the national bigwigs visit because they had never learned any of the secret handshakes or rituals they would expected to know. I think the sororities are are the same low key inclusive sorts. My son had plenty of non greek friends and everybody is welcome to the parties.
I loved visiting because the campus is full of talented energetic friendly people, it’s just a great place. If your interested in outdoor activities you can’t beat the outdoor program!
LClaire, I think Whitman is pretty sociable but not in a rah-rah sort of way, more in a friendly happy sort of way.