Denison vs Wesleyan vs Davidson vs Middlebury

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s tiring is the poster who relentlessly pushes Middlebury and bashes Davidson. It reeks of the old and tired bias that no Southern school can be any good while every NE school is a winner. The facts suggest that all these schools are great, but maybe, just maybe, Middlebury is slipping a bit and Davidson is gaining momentum. Let’s be open to new possibilities.

I think that you might be mixing two posters together. I am the poster who has been continually correcting teh poster who constantly bashes Middlebury across threads but I have not and would not say anything negative about Davidson. I think that all four of these schools are great schools and kids should pick based on fit unless they were trying to go into IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

[Anonymous]

Davidson vs Vanderbilt?
Have both options this year. Humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

No, those are the percentages of enrolled students who submit scores for admission consideration. The scores reflect all students who enrolled in the class. I don’t think most schools collect and report on all score info, so Wes’s CDS is a little different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

No, those are the percentages of enrolled students who submit scores for admission consideration. The scores reflect all students who enrolled in the class. I don’t think most schools collect and report on all score info, so Wes’s CDS is a little different.

Those reporting percentages (41% and 17%) were taken directly from Wesleyan's current CDS. This doesn't seem to be an aspect that should be subject to dispute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Davidson vs Vanderbilt?
Have both options this year. Humanities.

Accepted at both?? So lucky - congratulations!!

I went to one in the 90s and have gone back to visit since then. And I visited the other last month with my DC. Both are fabulous schools with all the opportunities a student could need or want. There’s no wrong choice!

If you can, have your DC visit both this month, even if they visited previously. Kids learn a lot more about themselves senior year and may have new perspective. Plus, many are better able to picture the experience after they’ve been accepted and know for sure it’s an option.

Yes, there are obvious differences between the two schools - the size and the surrounding setting, especially. But knowing both schools, I think that’s less of an “on paper” decision than it seems. Go visit. My guess is your DC will discover a real preference for one over the other, even if that preference is small. And again, congrats! You can’t go wrong with either!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Davidson vs Vanderbilt?
Have both options this year. Humanities.

Accepted at both?? So lucky - congratulations!!

I went to one in the 90s and have gone back to visit since then. And I visited the other last month with my DC. Both are fabulous schools with all the opportunities a student could need or want. There’s no wrong choice!

If you can, have your DC visit both this month, even if they visited previously. Kids learn a lot more about themselves senior year and may have new perspective. Plus, many are better able to picture the experience after they’ve been accepted and know for sure it’s an option.

Yes, there are obvious differences between the two schools - the size and the surrounding setting, especially. But knowing both schools, I think that’s less of an “on paper” decision than it seems. Go visit. My guess is your DC will discover a real preference for one over the other, even if that preference is small. And again, congrats! You can’t go wrong with either!!

+1 Great post and so very true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Davidson vs Vanderbilt?
Have both options this year. Humanities.

I went to Vanderbilt and my son now attends Davidson. Both are great schools and can get you anywhere you want to go. As others have said, the main difference is vibe.

I directed my son toward Davidson because I had worked with a number of their graduates and was always impressed with their smarts, knowledge, and kindness. Imagine working hard in a beautiful setting with smarts kids who want everyone to win at their own vision. Lots of kids do research, study abroad, and go on to PhDs, professional schools, and even IB. Alumni are very willing to help kids. Davidson has lots of resources to help kids achieve what they want.

Davidson’s a good fit for a smart, curious kid who isn’t afraid to work hard (because they will) and be surrounded by kids who want to do the same thing. Students are fun, kind, and social, but they are not obsessed with IB, FANG, high-end consulting, or developing a business before they graduate. A kid who wants the latter should look to other schools.

[Anonymous]

Ditto what the previous past says about Davidson. I’m a professor at a top-30 college who decided to send my kid to Davidson (and forego a ginormous tuition discount at my home school) bc of so much respect for Davidson from my academic peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

No, those are the percentages of enrolled students who submit scores for admission consideration. The scores reflect all students who enrolled in the class. I don’t think most schools collect and report on all score info, so Wes’s CDS is a little different.

Those reporting percentages (41% and 17%) were taken directly from Wesleyan's current CDS. This doesn't seem to be an aspect that should be subject to dispute.

NP

this is something I wish the CDS would disclose.

what percentage of kids submitting scores at time of application is the percentages you site. not open to dispute.

but the scores themselves - the 25%, 50%, etc are treated different by schools. either, they are the numbers of reported scores. OR a few schools - wes is one - makes all enrolling students tell them after the fact what scores they got. And they use ALL scores in the percentage number. so you get a feeling for enrolled student body and helps you know if you should submit.

most schools only report the scores of those who submitted. those are much higher than the entire enrolled student body

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

No, those are the percentages of enrolled students who submit scores for admission consideration. The scores reflect all students who enrolled in the class. I don’t think most schools collect and report on all score info, so Wes’s CDS is a little different.

Those reporting percentages (41% and 17%) were taken directly from Wesleyan's current CDS. This doesn't seem to be an aspect that should be subject to dispute.

NP

this is something I wish the CDS would disclose.

what percentage of kids submitting scores at time of application is the percentages you site. not open to dispute.

but the scores themselves - the 25%, 50%, etc are treated different by schools. either, they are the numbers of reported scores. OR a few schools - wes is one - makes all enrolling students tell them after the fact what scores they got. And they use ALL scores in the percentage number. so you get a feeling for enrolled student body and helps you know if you should submit.

most schools only report the scores of those who submitted. those are much higher than the entire enrolled student body

If all of this represents the case, I believe Wesleyan has been making a mistake. If virtually all students are required, literally, to submit scores at Wesleyan (undisputed), the CDS format doesn't specify that the "percent submitting" entries cannot reflect this accurately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are great, but Davidson is top-ranked. For years, Middlebury coasted on its reputation, but as metrics changed to outcomes, it ranked lower. Also, coming out of the Great Financial Crisis, Middlebury had some financial issues. Subsequently, it couldn’t compete as aggressively with other schools on financial aid and other investments.

Where is Davidson top-ranked from this group?

If you use SAT medians as a proxy Davidson is in the middle with Wesleyan

Middelbury 1500 median
Wesleyan 1430 median
Davidson 1430 median
Denison 1370 median

Middlebury is a clear step above the others but they are all great schools and I would choose solely based on fit unless you were looking for Wall Street where Midd is one of the strongest SLACs probably second to Williams and closing.

Worth noting that Wesleyan requires all enrolling students to submit their scores, even if they applied TO, and all of that data is included in their CDS. Not sure that’s true of any of the other schools, so this isn’t necessarily apples to apples.

On its most recent CDS, Wesleyan includes SAT data for only 41% of its students and ACT data for only 17% of its students.

No, those are the percentages of enrolled students who submit scores for admission consideration. The scores reflect all students who enrolled in the class. I don’t think most schools collect and report on all score info, so Wes’s CDS is a little different.

Those reporting percentages (41% and 17%) were taken directly from Wesleyan's current CDS. This doesn't seem to be an aspect that should be subject to dispute.

NP

this is something I wish the CDS would disclose.

what percentage of kids submitting scores at time of application is the percentages you site. not open to dispute.

but the scores themselves - the 25%, 50%, etc are treated different by schools. either, they are the numbers of reported scores. OR a few schools - wes is one - makes all enrolling students tell them after the fact what scores they got. And they use ALL scores in the percentage number. so you get a feeling for enrolled student body and helps you know if you should submit.

most schools only report the scores of those who submitted. those are much higher than the entire enrolled student body

If all of this represents the case, I believe Wesleyan has been making a mistake. If virtually all students are required, literally, to submit scores at Wesleyan (undisputed), the CDS format doesn't specify that the "percent submitting" entries cannot reflect this accurately.

Well you should reach out to them ASAP so they understand they have been reporting improperly! People on this board, man. For applicants who are serious about the school, Wesleyan has one of the most informative and transparent class profile pages in the Admissions section of their website. Not only does it give a clear idea of the distribution of standardized test scores for students who submitted them with applications, but it also references the kind of rigor in coursework that most admitted students have attained. My DC looked at many selective schools and I can’t think of any others that shared this level of detail for prospective applicants.

Lots of schools like to play games with the CDS. Wesleyan does the opposite.