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[quote=Anonymous]Hi, my sister, who is a first-gen and low-income student from community college, is making an extremely tough decision between two phenomenal schools. Here are the considerations.

[b]Class standing[/b]: This is the biggest difference between the two schools. Ordinarily, it's advised to go to the school that accepts more of your credits and graduates you faster. The hesitance is that as a low-income student who will transfer into two schools notorious for their rigor, we're a little concerned about the fast transition to junior standing. It would mean less time to get to know her peers (an important aspect of a LAC community) and less time to benefit from the outstanding opportunities available at both schools which are a big step up from those available at community college.

[b]Graduation plan[/b]: She would like to do a career in international relations, diplomacy, and policy analysis in refugee rights and migration, coupled with a degree in economics and a strong quantitative background. Currently, she has almost no ECs related to this field.

[b]Swarthmore College[/b]:
* The bill to attend is $0. The school is actually giving her some money back to pay for books and expenses. The work study expectation is only $350 for the whole year.
* She will have junior standing and will only be eligible for 4 semesters of aid. She cannot study abroad during the semester due to a 2 year residential requirement. 
* All her distributional requirements are completely filled, leaving her the full four semesters to dive into her major and related courses.
* For her prospective major, economics, Swarthmore is ranked #14 on IDEAS Econ Department Rankings. The department professor rating is a 3.75/5 for economics professors. While she can cross-register at UPenn, it seems almost no one does because there isn't a system wide shuttle to the school. 
* However, Swarthmore is usually the #1 or #2 feeder into economics PhD programs in the country on a size adjusted basis, which is a testament to their strong academic preparation. Wellesley is in the 10-20 range. 
* Swarthmore seems slightly more prestigious than Wellesley. Her friends at top schools and her professors have been more wowed by her mentioning Swarthmore. Swarthmore was the highest ranking LAC on foreign policy's list of recommended undergraduate institutions for IR which is purely based on peer assessment from experienced professionals. But this might be insignificant since Wellesley is very well regarded too by employers and graduate schools. 
* She likes the emphasis on the common good among Swarthmore students, which complements with her passion in peace and conflict studies. She wonders if Wellesley students might be too preprofessional by comparison. She likes the love of learning aspect at Swarthmore as someone with multidisciplinary passions.

[b]Wellesley College[/b]:
* The bill to attend is $2500. The work study expectation is $2100, and it will go up to $2300 in later years. 
* She will enter as a sophomore and can be eligible to study abroad (fully funded by the school). Opportunities in economics include Oxford, Cambridge, and the LSE. 
* Wellesley is ranked #2 on IDEAS Econ Department Rankings, and the department professor rating is a 4.25/5. In addition, most Wellesley students pursue Economics coursework or research opportunities at MIT, thanks to a daily bus system to both schools. 
* Wellesley has the Albright Institute, which allows fellows to gain global affairs and practicum experiences over time with distinguished visiting professors and diplomats. 
* Wellesley has an incredible alumni network of women who deeply care about helping Wellesley students and graduates out. 
* Wellesley's career services seem to be more in-depth about advising and mentoring students. She will be around peers who are openly determined and passionate to pursue their career interests, which could motivate her to strive for her best as well. 
* Wellesley is close to a better city for undergraduates (Boston/Cambridge). There are many thinktanks in the area with what she wants to study.[/quote]

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