Which among WASP would you choose to ED and why?

[Anonymous]

Not many top talent phds coming from the “good” lacs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not many top talent phds coming from the “good” lacs.

8 out of top 10 per capita are SLACs. You are an idiot.
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs#total-phd

[Anonymous]

WASP-B data on MCPS applications/admits/attending from the most recent cycle.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

Amherst, 52 /4 /4 7.7% acceptance rate

Bowdoin 47/ 10/ 7 21% acceptance rate

Pomona 34 / 2/ 1 5.8% acceptance rate

Swarthmore 64/ 10/ 5 15.6% acceptance rate

Williams 54 / 5/ 2 9% acceptance rate


Swarthmore is the most popular application, Pomona the least. Amherst and Bowdoin have the highest yield.

In terms of strategy, Bowdoin then Swarthmore are the way to go. PAW very tough admits, keeping in mind that AW stats definitely include recruited athletes as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WASP-B data on MCPS applications/admits/attending from the most recent cycle.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

Amherst, 52 /4 /4 7.7% acceptance rate

Bowdoin 47/ 10/ 7 21% acceptance rate

Pomona 34 / 2/ 1 5.8% acceptance rate

Swarthmore 64/ 10/ 5 15.6% acceptance rate

Williams 54 / 5/ 2 9% acceptance rate


Swarthmore is the most popular application, Pomona the least. Amherst and Bowdoin have the highest yield.

In terms of strategy, Bowdoin then Swarthmore are the way to go. PAW very tough admits, keeping in mind that AW stats definitely include recruited athletes as well.

Thanks for this. But don’t they all have recruited athletes, except for maybe Pomona?

[Anonymous]

Shaking my head at how people are splitting hairs over the merits of WASP and its peers. There’s a whole universe of LAC opportunities out there outside WASP and even outside the LAC’s. I’m a proud WASP alum but the whole LAC experience is limited to an extremely small sliver of the population. Get out of your LAC bubble and talk to an SEC grad or Big Ten grad or grad of a lesser known regional college/university . They also had great academic and social experiences in college and are living good lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shaking my head at how people are splitting hairs over the merits of WASP and its peers. There’s a whole universe of LAC opportunities out there outside WASP and even outside the LAC’s. I’m a proud WASP alum but the whole LAC experience is limited to an extremely small sliver of the population. Get out of your LAC bubble and talk to an SEC grad or Big Ten grad or grad of a lesser known regional college/university . They also had great academic and social experiences in college and are living good lives.

Yeah, surely SLACs get too much interest and national universities are in need of much more. Maybe you can start a national university thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WASP-B data on MCPS applications/admits/attending from the most recent cycle.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

Amherst, 52 /4 /4 7.7% acceptance rate

Bowdoin 47/ 10/ 7 21% acceptance rate

Pomona 34 / 2/ 1 5.8% acceptance rate

Swarthmore 64/ 10/ 5 15.6% acceptance rate

Williams 54 / 5/ 2 9% acceptance rate


Swarthmore is the most popular application, Pomona the least. Amherst and Bowdoin have the highest yield.

In terms of strategy, Bowdoin then Swarthmore are the way to go. PAW very tough admits, keeping in mind that AW stats definitely include recruited athletes as well.

Thanks for this. But don’t they all have recruited athletes, except for maybe Pomona?

Yes, but Williams and Amherst (and Bowdoin) have nearly double the percentage of recruited athletes: 30+% vs. 17% Swarthmore and 8ish% Pomona. Significant difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WASP-B data on MCPS applications/admits/attending from the most recent cycle.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

Amherst, 52 /4 /4 7.7% acceptance rate

Bowdoin 47/ 10/ 7 21% acceptance rate

Pomona 34 / 2/ 1 5.8% acceptance rate

Swarthmore 64/ 10/ 5 15.6% acceptance rate

Williams 54 / 5/ 2 9% acceptance rate


Swarthmore is the most popular application, Pomona the least. Amherst and Bowdoin have the highest yield.

In terms of strategy, Bowdoin then Swarthmore are the way to go. PAW very tough admits, keeping in mind that AW stats definitely include recruited athletes as well.

Thanks for this. But don’t they all have recruited athletes, except for maybe Pomona?

Yes, but Williams and Amherst (and Bowdoin) have nearly double the percentage of recruited athletes: 30+% vs. 17% Swarthmore and 8ish% Pomona. Significant difference.

I think Swat is higher than this but I get your point. Bowdoin is very high in recruited athletes, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WASP-B data on MCPS applications/admits/attending from the most recent cycle.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/10/mcps-students-college/

Amherst, 52 /4 /4 7.7% acceptance rate

Bowdoin 47/ 10/ 7 21% acceptance rate

Pomona 34 / 2/ 1 5.8% acceptance rate

Swarthmore 64/ 10/ 5 15.6% acceptance rate

Williams 54 / 5/ 2 9% acceptance rate


Swarthmore is the most popular application, Pomona the least. Amherst and Bowdoin have the highest yield.

In terms of strategy, Bowdoin then Swarthmore are the way to go. PAW very tough admits, keeping in mind that AW stats definitely include recruited athletes as well.

Thanks for this. But don’t they all have recruited athletes, except for maybe Pomona?

Yes, but Williams and Amherst (and Bowdoin) have nearly double the percentage of recruited athletes: 30+% vs. 17% Swarthmore and 8ish% Pomona. Significant difference.

I think Swat is higher than this but I get your point. Bowdoin is very high in recruited athletes, though.

I've seen 15-17% for recruited athletes at Swarthmore, on a few sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shaking my head at how people are splitting hairs over the merits of WASP and its peers. There’s a whole universe of LAC opportunities out there outside WASP and even outside the LAC’s. I’m a proud WASP alum but the whole LAC experience is limited to an extremely small sliver of the population. Get out of your LAC bubble and talk to an SEC grad or Big Ten grad or grad of a lesser known regional college/university . They also had great academic and social experiences in college and are living good lives.

people know this. places like Michigan are not a secret. this is one thread on one college board about LACs. which is okay!

[Anonymous]

My eldest DS just graduated Williams and had a wonderful experience. Prof's were so kind and accessible, he was able to participate in quite a bit of research connected to his degree. In a job he's happy with now. No regrets.

I'm sure all the popular LACS are equally strong on academics and student experience.

My second two kids want nothing to do with being in a small LAC, so they're looking for much bigger schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not many top talent phds coming from the “good” lacs.

8 out of top 10 per capita are SLACs. You are an idiot.
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs#total-phd

Okay? You didn’t combat my point. Please work on your reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shaking my head at how people are splitting hairs over the merits of WASP and its peers. There’s a whole universe of LAC opportunities out there outside WASP and even outside the LAC’s. I’m a proud WASP alum but the whole LAC experience is limited to an extremely small sliver of the population. Get out of your LAC bubble and talk to an SEC grad or Big Ten grad or grad of a lesser known regional college/university . They also had great academic and social experiences in college and are living good lives.

No. This forum talks enough about these schools. There’s literally so many threads about southern publics and the SEC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not many top talent phds coming from the “good” lacs.

8 out of top 10 per capita are SLACs. You are an idiot.
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs#total-phd

Okay? You didn’t combat my point. Please work on your reading comprehension.

New poster, here. You made a claim without any support about lack of “top talent” from SLACs. Do you have evidence for this assertion? I went from a top 10 SLAC to a fully funded top 5 PhD program. SLACs were extremely well represented in my cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not many top talent phds coming from the “good” lacs.

8 out of top 10 per capita are SLACs. You are an idiot.
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs#total-phd

Okay? You didn’t combat my point. Please work on your reading comprehension.

New poster, here. You made a claim without any support about lack of “top talent” from SLACs. Do you have evidence for this assertion? I went from a top 10 SLAC to a fully funded top 5 PhD program. SLACs were extremely well represented in my cohort.

You will not find lac grads at the top PhD programs in STEM.