Anyone have any thoughts on my son who is graduating this May. He is interested in International Relations but is somewhat undecided. He is deciding between Dickinson, Wofford, and Roanoke. Any thoughts as he is having hard decision?
DIckinson seems like the one to beat here; their internationally-oriented programs are particularly strong, and include cool programs like their Global Mosaics research program.
Do costs differ significantly among his choices?
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He got a lot of merit aid at Roanoke so it would be 1/2 price of other 2 schools. Wofford and Dickinson after aid are about same amount. We are blessed that they are all are affordable.
I’ve heard good things about all three colleges; congratulations to your son on his acceptances and merit aid! It’s great that all of these are affordable for your family.
Has he visited all of the campuses? Has he mapped out a potential schedule for 4 years of classes to see if any preferences emerge in terms of distribution or major requirements? Are there particular study abroad programs that he is particularly interested in? Has he read the faculty bios/research interests to see if any of them seem particular interesting to him? Are there particular living options, research options, extracurriculars that make him more excited about one than the others?
How does he feel about Greek life? Wofford is about 44% Greek, Roanoke 7%, and Dickinson is about 21% (all numbers average of fraternity & sorority percentages). Although this blog post indicates that Wofford’s Greek life is not the stereotypical one, it is a much bigger percentage than the others.
If you are willing, would the money saved on Roanoke (compared to Dickinson and Wofford) be able to be used for grad school or a house down payment? If so, letting him know that might influence his thinking.
There’s no bad choice here, so best of luck to your family as the decision is made. Please report back to let us know what the final decision is!
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Dickinson would suit your son’s potential academic direction: Best Colleges for International Relations/Studies.
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Global education is one of the core values at Dickinson. The international relations major is stellar, but even so, your child does not have to declare the major until the end of sophomore year - there is freedom to try a variety of courses in different departments before the need to make a decision. Study abroad is highly encouraged (all Dickinson aid transfers over to study abroad programs) and there are tons of options. I know little about Wofford or Roanoke but Dickinson is a small school of about 2,300 students, which may be a positive or negative depending on what you’re looking for. As a small school, Dickinson emphasizes close relationships with professors, which lead to great networking opportunities down the road. The community is very strong in general and being able to see friends and familiar faces upon walking around campus can be really nice. You have to decide what is most important to you, but Dickinson has been an excellent choice for my child. Best of luck in your decision.
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One more note: Dickinson also offers a security studies certificate that international studies students often take advantage of. And in addition to international studies as a major, there is an international business and management major that may appeal to your child.
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As others have said, Dickinson is very strong in International Relations, languages, study abroad/internships, and Mosaics. However, it has a number of other interesting features in case he changes his mind - international business, strong sustainability and environmental programs, a working farm. Dickinson is an interesting and fairly unique place. The town of Carlisle is cute and has all of the things a college student needs. The Appalachian Trail goes through town and there is great hiking, canoeing, other outdoor activities very close by. My son has been very happy there, in a different field, but has had lots of interesting activities and opportunities.
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I believe Wofford and Dickinson would have a slightly better reputation than Roanoke.
I would say that there is going to be a very significant regional difference between Wofford and Dickinson, so it would really be about fit in the campus community.
Wofford is very tight knit and has a very active social scene. It does not have to dominate your social life, though. Many students there are Greek, but are also in clubs, play sports or are involved in community service. Greek is only one hat of several worn by most students and the greek life is very accepting and welcoming there.
Not a bad choice either way- congratulations on your acceptances!
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I went to Dickinson graduated in 1993 and my daughter just toured Wofford yesterday. I loved Dickinson to this minute and got the same impression yesterday. All things I love about Dickinson I was reliving yesterday with the atmosphere, the happy students and the personal touches.
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I’m happy to answer any questions you have an alumnus or as a current Wofford dad. Again, very good choices!
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