Williams is exceptional and well known. It would be an incredible four years. The CAL Berkeley option is also amazing. Wellsley is just not in the same league as those two schools. Best of luck to you and Congratulations on such amazing opportunities.
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So this has deteriorated into the drivel of arguing over which is best known? Really?
How about helping this young woman with her difficult decision of which one will bring out the best in her and will be the best fit for her next 4 years.
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The OP listed it as a con. Itâs her discussion point. We were discussing. We also shared other insights to help with her decision.
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quote=â2022soon, post:21, topic:3606171â]
Wellsley is just not in the same league as those two schools.
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Wellesley is widely believed to be the top womenâs college in the world with highly accomplished alumnae and top tier academics. Its ranking scores on USNews Top LACs (if you care about that) is basically the same as Williams. (The comparable schools on the university list rankings are Princeton and Yale. So do you think Yale isnât in the same league as Princeton, lol?)
Are you staying it isnât in the same league because it is a womenâs college?
Wellesley has another pro, actually. The women there have a voice for 4 years and leave empowered not to feel compelled to capitulate to every day sexism. It is amazing.
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I spent a year studying in France (at a French university - not an American one located there) and their academic culture is quite different from ours. Had to laugh when I saw the 20 is for God comment - most really strong students score in the 13-15 point range which can be a shock to Americans used to our grading system. I canât speak to Sciences Po, but where I was most French students left school every weekend and campus related activities were minimal. This was, of course, a long time ago. I absolutely loved it but I was a college junior and French was one of my majors so I had familiarity with the language which I think is necessary for success there (I only gained fluency - sadly eroded since - by living in France so if that is a goal, it is a great way to achieve it). All of your options are excellent so Iâd go with what fits you best.
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Not sure that the decision is as difficult as this thread suggests simply because you have 3 options with distinct differences.
Are you ready to spend 2 years abroad ?
Do you want to attend a single sex school for 4 years ?
Will you be comfortable in a small, rural environment at an outstanding college ?
Based on the information shared by OP in the original post in this thread, my best guess is that it may come down to a decision between UC-Berkeley/Sciences Po versus Williams College.
P.S. I find the fourth listed âconâ under UC-Berkeley Dual Degree program interesting.
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Do some homework on the Sciences Po experience, and try to figure out if you are more like the people who had a great experience, or the people who really regretted it. IME itâs one or the other- not much of a middle ground.
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Yes, but the points werenât on target in the context of what this student wants to accomplish.
For example, the comment about whether Williams has the same name recognition as Berkeley among average Americans ignores the fact that this studentâs goal is to go to grad school for public policy. Both Williams and Wellesley will have instant name recognition with anyone in academia and both are highly respected.
The comment about Wellesley no being in the same league as Berkeley and Williams seemed needlessly gratuitous, insulting to the OP who picked it as one of her 3 finalists, and frankly sexist. Whoever thinks that Wellesley isnât in the same league as the others is just plain uninformed. It has produced 2 Secretaries of State, one of whom has also been a presidential candidate, a space shuttle commander, multiple well known authors and journalists, doctors, judges, scientists, and actors.
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It didnât ignore anything as I specifically stated that Williams has a great reputation among academics:
So, your point is verifiably false. As far as what the average American or small business owner thinks, thatâs quite on target because, believe it or not, not every 17-year-old who intends to go to grad school for public policy ends up going to grad school for public policy. What the student wants to accomplish at age 17 shouldnât be the only relevant point of discussion. She might also end up back home, an hour from San Francisco interviewing on Main Street where the Berkeley brand carries more weight with more people than does the Williams brand. It matters.
Most of the advice in the thread, while fine, seems to deal exclusively with best-case, which isnât how life usually works. I look at âhave you considered the more limited social bonds you will form basically going to school at Cal for two years instead of four years somewhere else?â or âdoes Williams really open the same doors as the others if you donât go to graduate school or travel in an elite professional/academic niche?â to be important considerations. Plan Bs and contingencies matter, despite most in College Confidential subscribing to the Comprehensive Cradle-to-Grave Life Plan⢠method of parenting.
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I agree with collegemom3717 that you should look carefully at the Sciences Po experience. The Reims campus is a small satellite campus located about 100 miles from the main Paris campus. The TGV (Train Ă Grande Vitesse) can take you from Reims to Paris in about an hour and costs about $60 to $80 roundtrip. European universities offer fewer on-campus activities than American colleges do, so I imagine that Sciences Po Reims students would want to go to Paris often. If you are on a tight budget you would feel constrained.
UC Berkeley might also be a challenge for a tight budget. The university provides housing for only 22% of its students, so competition for nearby apartments is fierce. The New York Times reports that rent for a two-bedroom apartment can run $4,000 per month. A group of Berkeley residents has sued the university to force it to cap its enrollment. This case illustrates the high cost of living for a student in Berkeley.
I recommend that you look closely at the total cost of attendance for your UC Berkeley/Sciences Po Reims option. While it could be an exciting experience, it could easily cost much more than $120k, making its cost comparable with your private options.
Both Williams College and Wellesley College house almost all of their students on campus and almost all graduate in 4 years. They offer numerous on-campus events and nearby activities, as well as junior year abroad options. A student can fully enjoy herself with modest spending money. The cost of attendance quoted in your financial aid package is likely to be realistic.
I have focused on financial considerations, but I think you are weighing two dramatically different experiences. UC Berkeley/Sciences Po Reims will be big university city living. Williams or Wellesley will be a campus-oriented medium-sized college experience. Any one of them can give you a great education and set you up for grad school and beyond.
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I think you should go to Wellesley, if the finances work out. And Williams if that is a better financial situation for you.
Wellesley will change your life. My dear friend is an alum and she speaks so highly about the way of shaped her, the friends she made, the confidence she gained. Iâm sure Williams is also special, but this is a unique period in your life, and being at a womenâs college, closely connected to opportunities in Boston, still able to study abroadâI think itâll be the right fit for you.
I think the Berkeley/Sciences Po option is maybe less appealing bc moving to a town outside of Paris without the language skills and without some foundational support as an 18 year old is a lot. If itâs a priority, study abroad in France, get a grad degree, etc.
My 2 centsâand congrats. Those are amazing options!
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Based on your net price, Williams appears to offer a fantastic value:
As others have said, the OP brought it up as a discussion point and listed prestige as a pro for Berkeley. So saying that the other two colleges are as prestigious as UCB and Sciences Po, is also insulting to the OP.
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Make sure to apply for the Social Science Summer program (SHSS) if you decide to attend Williams. They only accept 20 students each summer so it is not a guarantee. They also pay for your flight to and from the program and give you a spending stipend. My son attended last year and felt like he started a semester ahead in academics, friendships and a comfort level with the campus. Good luck with your decision!!
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