If your kid is serious about economics, hands down UChicago. If they want to be coddled or have their hands held, or sing kumbaya with other woke warriors, Wellsley.

Are they a true scholar or not? If so, Chicago. If not, Wellsley.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure how you turn down Chicago for Wellesley

Especially for Economics…. coming from an economist.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Undergraduate economics is an easy major at any university, so other aspects should determine which college to go. My kid turned down sports recruit offers from liberal arts schools that are better than or on par with Wellesley to go to UChicago, unlikely to major in Econ.

Undergraduate economics can be easy if the student wants it to be. It can also be very, very challenging - see above

Pro here. Yes, if you are talking about the level of Glen W, who finished all of his PhD coursework and most of his PhD dissertation as an undergraduate. Got his PhD a year later. But, he is the only Econ student in the history of Princeton who achieved this level. Even this level of achievement is still easier than what the top math students do at Princeton.

What I was talking about was several steps below that. How did Glen W do that? The highest level econ class he could take as a freshman wouldn't give him enough time to complete a PhD's requirements in 4 years. (I'm talking about taking the classes, not learning the material)

Princeton has an Econ track that allows a very hardworking student to do what Glen W did.

Depends on the type of Economics. U Chicago is knows for the Chicago School of Economics, with Milton Friedman at its center, who for many here will be very conservative, even libertarian. Also, U Chicago Economics is very heavily mathematics-based, so it is not easy. If you can't do multivariable calculus as the entry point into economics, you can't major in economics at U Chicago. If your DC does not agree with this/can't handle this, U Chicago will be a poor fit.

Other programs are more mainstream and will fit better with current social justice pedagody - labor economics, public sector economics, and even Harvard with Raj Chetty as its current star, focused on social mobility as an economic specialty.

Anonymous wrote:Both are outstanding for economics.

+1. Plus, not many people in this area know Wellesley. In fact, judging from most of the threads, there is very little known about the top schools, period.

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Anonymous wrote:I didn’t get the sense Wellesley is nurturing?

Wellesley went through a period where professors were mandated to give a lower average grades in their classes. They were trying to counter the rampant grade inflation that happens everywhere. There was so much stress upon students that they gave up. So that period is over.

What is the gpa distribution of graduating seniors now? Can it be found online?

The grade “deflation” policy was rescinded in 2019

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Undergraduate economics is an easy major at any university, so other aspects should determine which college to go. My kid turned down sports recruit offers from liberal arts schools that are better than or on par with Wellesley to go to UChicago, unlikely to major in Econ.

Undergraduate economics can be easy if the student wants it to be. It can also be very, very challenging - see above

Pro here. Yes, if you are talking about the level of Glen W, who finished all of his PhD coursework and most of his PhD dissertation as an undergraduate. Got his PhD a year later. But, he is the only Econ student in the history of Princeton who achieved this level. Even this level of achievement is still easier than what the top math students do at Princeton.

What I was talking about was several steps below that. How did Glen W do that? The highest level econ class he could take as a freshman wouldn't give him enough time to complete a PhD's requirements in 4 years. (I'm talking about taking the classes, not learning the material)

Both are outstanding for economics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t get the sense Wellesley is nurturing?

Wellesley went through a period where professors were mandated to give a lower average grades in their classes. They were trying to counter the rampant grade inflation that happens everywhere. There was so much stress upon students that they gave up. So that period is over.

What is the gpa distribution of graduating seniors now? Can it be found online?

One schools unofficial motto is “Where fun goes to die”.

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t get the sense Wellesley is nurturing?

Wellesley went through a period where professors were mandated to give a lower average grades in their classes. They were trying to counter the rampant grade inflation that happens everywhere. There was so much stress upon students that they gave up. So that period is over.

The Wellesley economics department is extremely strong. The opportunities provided to each student are plentiful and professors are very involved with the students. It’s an amazing school and the alumnae network is unparalleled!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Undergraduate economics is an easy major at any university, so other aspects should determine which college to go. My kid turned down sports recruit offers from liberal arts schools that are better than or on par with Wellesley to go to UChicago, unlikely to major in Econ.

Undergraduate economics can be easy if the student wants it to be. It can also be very, very challenging - see above

Pro here. Yes, if you are talking about the level of Glen W, who finished all of his PhD coursework and most of his PhD dissertation as an undergraduate. Got his PhD a year later. But, he is the only Econ student in the history of Princeton who achieved this level. Even this level of achievement is still easier than what the top math students do at Princeton.

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Anonymous wrote:I think U Chicago produces more Nobel prize winners. Wellesley can be easily confused with Wesleyan; their names sound similar.

They do not get confused.

They do. I know someone whose son now goes to Wesleyan and for a while she kept on telling people that he got into Wellesley.....

I, too, have encountered this--even though it is ridiculous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think U Chicago produces more Nobel prize winners. Wellesley can be easily confused with Wesleyan; their names sound similar.

They do not get confused.

They do. I know someone whose son now goes to Wesleyan and for a while she kept on telling people that he got into Wellesley.....