The Guide to WASP

[Anonymous]

Pomona is the best of the bunch and most selective too-having the consortium with other amazing schools to draw from is the key to their success as well as the weather. My DC hated Amherst and didn’t even look at Swat or Williams-terrible location and grinder culture, no thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, maybe we missed something, but in what universe is Amherst in a great college town? Seriously, we couldn't find much town at all there. There were Amherst, U Mass Amherst, and then nothing nearby. That was my DD's chief concern. We asked where kids went off campus for fun and they mentioned buses to Boston, which is a bit of a hike. If we missed a great college town I'm happy to be proven wrong. Did we just look in the wrong place?

I think you did look in the wrong place. Amherst is in a great town along with other nearby towns such as Northampton and Hadley. Lots of good restaurants (probably because UMass with its large student population there). Great shopping nearby such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, LL Bean, etc. If you like the outdoors there is a lot do as well. Mt. Holyoke mountains has nice hiking trails. The Berkshires are not far away

This is good to know. Is there anything within walking distance of campus?

You can walk but it may be difficult carrying groceries. There is the PVTA (bus) that is free for students with ID and can take you directly to Walmart, Target, Trader Joes, Whole Foods as well as to UMass. A bit further away (not walking) is Northampton which is a larger town with more restaurants, shops, bars, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona is the best of the bunch and most selective too-having the consortium with other amazing schools to draw from is the key to their success as well as the weather. My DC hated Amherst and didn’t even look at Swat or Williams-terrible location and grinder culture, no thanks!

To each their own. We are from the Northeast and our kids preferred New England with its four seasons - especially beautiful in the fall and spring. Amherst and Swarthmore both have consortium.

[Anonymous]

^^^Their consortium is BS-the 5C’s are within 1 square mile of each other, not the same at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^Their consortium is BS-the 5C’s are within 1 square mile of each other, not the same at all.

Whatever you say

[Anonymous]

This thread could be the WASP Power Slap match!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, maybe we missed something, but in what universe is Amherst in a great college town? Seriously, we couldn't find much town at all there. There were Amherst, U Mass Amherst, and then nothing nearby. That was my DD's chief concern. We asked where kids went off campus for fun and they mentioned buses to Boston, which is a bit of a hike. If we missed a great college town I'm happy to be proven wrong. Did we just look in the wrong place?

We were there two weeks ago and thought the exact same. My daughter took it off her list because of the location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, maybe we missed something, but in what universe is Amherst in a great college town? Seriously, we couldn't find much town at all there. There were Amherst, U Mass Amherst, and then nothing nearby. That was my DD's chief concern. We asked where kids went off campus for fun and they mentioned buses to Boston, which is a bit of a hike. If we missed a great college town I'm happy to be proven wrong. Did we just look in the wrong place?

We were there two weeks ago and thought the exact same. My daughter took it off her list because of the location.

This seems fake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pomona is the best of the bunch and most selective too-having the consortium with other amazing schools to draw from is the key to their success as well as the weather. My DC hated Amherst and didn’t even look at Swat or Williams-terrible location and grinder culture, no thanks!

So your kid is lazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's my take on WASP:

Williams: Terrible, no good school that rejected my kid. May locusts devour their crops and their spouses become infertile.

Amherst: Kid didn't apply and so I don't know much about it except that it's definitely better than Williams.

Swarthmore: It's am amazing college that accepted my kid. All Swatties are good looking geniuses and who will probably win Nobel Prizes in the future.

Pomona: It's a mediocre school that waitlisted my kid. It has the potential to be great (waitlist pending), but it has some serious issues (like taking my kid off the waitlist).

That’s the spirit!

All williams grads are deeply insecure about not having gotten into an ivy, so they throw that sense of inferiority into a ridic superiority complex wherre thry go around telling everyone they go to thr #1 ranked slac. For ppl to go, huh? So how do you like going to school so close to colonial williamsburg?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it might be relevant for your student:

Williams and Amherst: stopped requiring that students have the COVID vaccine a year ago.

Swarthmore and Pomona: still require students to have the COVID vaccine, at the moment, here in March 2024. Swat also requires a booster.

OMG, just stop. This was NOT asked. YOU are the only one with a problem with a Covid vax requirement.

Honestly, a lot of people won't ask but are thinking of it just the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, maybe we missed something, but in what universe is Amherst in a great college town? Seriously, we couldn't find much town at all there. There were Amherst, U Mass Amherst, and then nothing nearby. That was my DD's chief concern. We asked where kids went off campus for fun and they mentioned buses to Boston, which is a bit of a hike. If we missed a great college town I'm happy to be proven wrong. Did we just look in the wrong place?

We were there two weeks ago and thought the exact same. My daughter took it off her list because of the location.

This seems fake.

Hahaha um, cool? That’s what happened in my real life.

[Anonymous]

I went to Smith and rode the bus between the colleges all the time. All the towns in that area are typical New England towns. Small but cute. Enough to keep you occupied. Hiked nearby. Went to the mall sometimes. Would have loved to have had a Whole Foods equivalent back then. I took a few road trips to Boston every once in a while but was very content in my part of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's my take on WASP:

Williams: Terrible, no good school that rejected my kid. May locusts devour their crops and their spouses become infertile.

Amherst: Kid didn't apply and so I don't know much about it except that it's definitely better than Williams.

Swarthmore: It's am amazing college that accepted my kid. All Swatties are good looking geniuses and who will probably win Nobel Prizes in the future.

Pomona: It's a mediocre school that waitlisted my kid. It has the potential to be great (waitlist pending), but it has some serious issues (like taking my kid off the waitlist).

Love this so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Smith and rode the bus between the colleges all the time. All the towns in that area are typical New England towns. Small but cute. Enough to keep you occupied. Hiked nearby. Went to the mall sometimes. Would have loved to have had a Whole Foods equivalent back then. I took a few road trips to Boston every once in a while but was very content in my part of the world.

Quintessential New England. So much to do. I highly doubt that any student from the area when asked what they did on weekends, replied that they would go to Boston, as one poster said above