Expert: Susie Watts - 4/24/2008

Question
I thought I had done a pretty good job researching colleges and I thought that once I was accepted it would be clear cut choice. Well that is so not the case. I have narrowed it down to three schools. I am looking for a school that will challenge me academically, but I don't want to struggle at the bottom. Right know I am looking to do a pre med program and major in biology and classics with a minor in film studies or Spanish. I'd like a supportive and friendly environment and  a city that is not isolated. I would also like diversity, not necessarily race (e.g. beliefs/personalities). I would like to avoid debt and I'm not really sure what a realistic amount of debt would be.

Here are my schools:

Baylor University (Texas)-- I believe that academically it is pretty strong (in both classics and bio). The campus is gorgeous, the people are friendly and I know a bunch of students there. I like the city around it (I've lived there a few years now). The financial is not good but I live near enough to commute so that really drives down the cost. I am really afraid that going here won't really allow me to get out there and experience the world, especially since I'll still be living at home.

Denison University (Ohio)--- This is more of what I was looking for : a small liberal arts college. There are lots of opportunities at Denison form study abroad options to help getting internships. The problem with this is that it feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. The students were generally nice, but the campus didn’t feel very welcoming. I didn’t feel any connection to the students there. It is not diverse in any way. Academically it is good although not quite what I had hoped. The financial aid is excellent, I should graduate about 7,000 dollars in debt if that, the loans in the fin aid package cover that for now.

Lawrence University (Wisconsin)--- This school, I believe, is pretty much at the same level as Denison academically. There are not as many opportunities because their endowment is not as large and there are less students. I haven’t visited yet but my gut tells me that it is a better fit than Denison. There is more diversity at Lawrence and the students seem lean more to the left like I do. The students seem friendly. I like that they have a conservatory because I love music ( I do not want to study it though). The city is nice and there are many more things to do and places to go. The financial aid package is pretty good. My concern is that it leaves me a 3,000 dollars short and there are two loans already included in the package.

One of my biggest concerns is that I may not be challenged enough or prepared for med school or grad school. Another major concern is that I won’t be happy with my choice. I really dread the idea of transferring. I guess my question is which school do you believe I should pick? Is a gut feeling worth the debt?

Answer
After looking at your comments on the three schools, it sounds as though you are leaning toward Lawrence.  All of the schools are good, but I think you should go where you feel the most comfortable and where you honestly feel you can see yourself as a student there.
You can probably be challenged in any of them academically, but there is a lot more to college than that.  College is a four year opportunity to earn a degree, but it should also be a time for you to grow as a personally personally as well.