Reply to Williams vs. Carleton vs. Middlebury vs Pomona vs Swarthmore

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[quote=Anonymous]Thanks, everyone, for the advice and perspective. Just some updates:

She has crossed out Haverford and Middlebury as they lack a cognitive science program and more than a few courses in them. She would like to have that option available. Though it does make her sad, especially for Middlebury, whose campus and location she loved! While Amherst also lacks the department, it is close by U-Mass for the opportunity to do research or take upper-level/graduate courses.

She will be visiting Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona, Williams, and Carleton for their admitted students days or another time around then to get a sense of the fit. She did visit these schools and loved them all for different reasons, but now it's time to do an overnight stay. She wishes she could take things from each school and combine them- Williams's tutorials and winter study, Swarthmore's arboretum and honors program, Amherst's open curriculum and music culture, Pomona's resources and diversity, and Carleton's nurturing community and humble students- but alas. All these schools have unique strengths and highlights, and at the end of the day, anyone who goes to any of them will have a really wonderful undergraduate experience. We can always look to the grass is greener perspective or try to parse about comparative differences, but no school can be perfect, and you learn to make the most of whatever you pick despite its imperfections.

She linked me to this really human article written by a Pomona student: http://voices.pomona.edu/2015/04/what-pomona-isnt/ I think, even with its Pomona emphasis, it's an important read for anyone who's gotten into their dream schools and has built up on a culture of hype and expectation. Here's an excerpt:

"After all, colleges are essentially just large communities of intelligent people who have no idea about anything but continue to do the best they can.

Because of this, it almost doesn’t matter where you choose to go. What matters is you.

No college is going to tell you how to discover yourself, or what that even means. No college will be able to fix your problems for you, whether they be financial or social or personal. No college, regardless of how many resources or opportunities it boasts, will single-handedly change your life for the better; just because you get here doesn’t mean you’re “set.” Whatever you expect of Pomona, or of any college, be realistic. And be forgiving."[/quote]

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