<p>Dear Group, my son has been admitted to University of Washington (did not apply for Honors and $0), Willamette ($15000 merit scholarship), Pacific Lutheran University ($17000 merit scholarship), Whitman ($4000), Pepperdine (awaiting word if any re scholarship for merit), wait listed Northwestern, no from Georgetown. </p>
<p>Seems the best 2 options are Willamette which is VERY small and Univerversity of Washington which is VERY large. He thinks Willamette is too small, but is afraid UW is too big. Pepperdine may actually be an option if a scholarship comes through. </p>
<p>Wow...two totally different ends of the spectrum. Has he attended accepted students events? I suggest he do that and/or and overnight in both if there is still time. Also he can hook into the Facebook groups of both and see where he seems to click better. He can read student blogs and email students on those campuses to get a feel for the sorts of kids at each. UW will have a lot of different types of kid but it may be harder to find his niche simply because it is so big. WU also has a variety of "types" that was one of the things we liked about it. This, combined with its size makes it very easy to find a niche. It really comes down to his personality and preferences and your pocketbook. Both are excellent institutions just very different from one another.</p>
<p>Oh and another student on CC and I think a parent too said to "pretend that you have no option." Walk around for a day "knowing" that you can only attend one or the other, then monitor how you feel and the decision becomes more clear. If your S was to hear you say..."You must go to UW" he could instantly check his gut reaction and know if he felt a sense of loss or elation.</p>
<p>If he is an in-state student, he may already know quite a few people -- from high school or elsewhere -- who will be or already are attending the University of Washington.</p>
<p>This could make a huge campus seem smaller, at least socially, because he would see familiar faces from the very first day.</p>
<p>Thank you for your feedback, historymom, Marian and citygirlmom. </p>
<p>We can comfortably afford Willamette with the scholarship and the U. He did an overnight at Willamette and got really nervous and overwhelmed and though it was too small. I have taken him to the U to sit in a class, look at the dorms and walk around as well as talk to current attendees and recent alumni and he seems to think most people are happy there. He felt comfortable when at the U of W. A lot of people from his high school have gone to the U. </p>
<p>Pepperdine is out of reach without a scholarship. He likes it, though. </p>
<p>He is very indecisive and overwhelmed but slowly it seems the U may be his choice, unless he gets a great scholarship from Pepperdine or gets into on the wait list from Northwestern. That would be a reach, but something we are more likely to take out a loan for than Pepperdine.</p>
<p>Thanks again...we will see about attending those events as well.</p>
<p>I wonder why he is still considering Willamette based upon your comment that he "did an overnight at Willamette and got really nervous and overwhelmed and though it was too small." I think unless he makes another visit to Willamette or something else happens to change his feeling about that school, it would seem a mistaken choice.</p>
<p>Why has he ruled out Pacific Lutheran and Whitman (or moved them lower in his ranking)? That information might help us understand his preferences and what might help him make the final choice.</p>
<p>His sister goes to Pacific Lutheran and it is "too close" to home and Whitman is too isolated in the rural area, also is smaller than Willamette.</p>
<p>Okay, well, it seems that a couple of the places he applied to really aren't of interest to him as things have evolved.</p>
<p>You mentioned that he didn't apply for Honors College and is concerned about finding his niche in a large school. Is Honors College still an option - some way for him to enter it? Because that would be one way to find a niche. I've not attended a very large U, nor my kid, but it's my impression that there are many ways to find the niche - clubs, activities, living communities...</p>
<p>Are you from western WA Janey? The UW is surprisingly cozy for kids in the Puget Sound area--they go in a little pack from high school and so they know a small group. D. did not go there but about 10 of her friends did and they are all very connected and have built quite a network becuase each one has a roommate or somebody down the hall they added to the group and it is surprisingly like a small school since you know your group. The FIGS seminars seem to help too.</p>
<p>I know many current UW students and they all love the place. One advantage of large is the many opportunities, in many diverse areas, that it offers.</p>
<p>I think Whitman is the best LAC in the northwest, but the U is a great school for a student who doesn't need his hand held. He can apply to Honors after he starts at UW, which would be a good way to meet people. The key is for him to make friends - they can all navigate the bureaucracy together.</p>
<p>Well, I'm not a parent but I am a current senior who is in a remarkably similar situation! A lot of money from Willamette, none from UW (honors), a little from Whitman. Reading these posts has helped me think about my decision, so thank you all even though that wasn't what they were probably intended for.</p>
<p>JaneyPT, you did not mention what your student wanted to major in. This is very important when trying to compare very different colleges like Willamette and UW.</p>
<p>The reason is because large state universities have so many colleges and departments and many can be quite small. For instance I attended Ohio State as a civil engineering major and the department was quite small. My class had 35 students by senior year, smaller than many departments at a LAC. And the atmosphere was intimate too. All the teaching faculty knew me and I knew all of my fellow CE's. We had student-faculty basketball games, had football Saturday picnics on the Hitchcock Hall patio overlooking Ohio Stadium, and took ASCE sponsored field trips with faculty each term.</p>
<p>If your student is concerned about the size of UW, he needs to consider what he may be majoring in and then go online to consider the size of that department. If it is a small one he should have no problem with the size of the university. If it a large department he may very well find it more difficult developing close relationships with faculty and students compared to a college like Willamette.</p>
<p>PLU: Wouldn't pay up over UW. LIke any smaller school, there are going to be good things. In general I think smaller places do a good job of challenging students who may not be self directed learners or who may need to just mature a little. The downside is the lack of diversity and the lack of independence--at the UW you really do learn to grow up and take responsibility for your own education. The alumni network, etc. is pretty small so I don't know that this is worth a huge cost premium over a public university like UW or even WSU. </p>
<p>FIGS: Freshman Interest Group Seminars....Basically a small group seminar class designed to give Freshmen students an intimate academic experience since the more routine classes are going to be huge.</p>
<p>I guess I missed why you have not heard anything from Pepperdine yet. But, I would wait for them as long as posssible, and do UW. If someone does not know what they want exactly then the above advice regarding more options seems better. If your S changes his mind, he will have many options. It is not unusual for kids to start with one major and end with another. Student who flunked my class one time came back 2 years later to thank me. Said it made him realize he was in the wrong degree program, and had switched to history which he loved and was now graduating.</p>