Opinions Requested!

[suzymoonspider]

I am currently taking non-degree classes at one university. I have to decide where to enroll as an undergrad for Spring 2003. I will be a sophmore and a half

So here goes the situation:
I can continue to go to GMU, a heavily commuter school 35 minutes outside Washington D.C., it is very hard to get dorms and very expensive to live off campus. My parents live locally and I could live at home- but I am not sure I am willing to. Greek wise- there are 6 great greeks. I might be able to join in Spring but I don't think so, I don't think they have spring recruitment.

OR, I can apply to William and Mary. I could probably get on-campus housing but if not housing isn't as expensive. I would be a legacy to one of the sororities on campus- but this wouldn't necessarly influence my decision toward a sorority- though it would be cool to be a "sister" to my sister

Academic wise- William and Mary is of a higher caliber. I am a English or International Relations major. Both schools have it. English is stronger at Mason. International at William and Mary. Tuition is also about the same at both.

I know I have to make the decision but it is easier to do that with a little input from outsiders- and you all are so good at dispensing advice

Any opinions??

[sororitygirl2]

Well, obviously you will be the one making the decision and I don't have a TON of input but...

To me, it sounds like William and Mary is a better choice. If you can't afford to move out of your parents and go to Mason, then you are going to be stuck at your parents (where you said you don't want to be), in what could become an unhappy situation.

Plus, you say that W&M is a better school and you could go Greek there, maybe even this spring?

I am just reiterating what you have said, but it sounds way better to me.

[KappaKittyCat]

I'd go for William & Mary, but that's just me. It's a stronger academic caliber, and you sound like an intelligent young lady who wants some challenges in her life. You wouldn't be looking if there weren't something about GMU that made you unhappy or left you feeling like something was missing. I'd also suggest W & M just to get away from home. It's an experience every girl needs to have. I'm not suggesting that you're not independent, even though you continue to live with your parents. However, you should really take the opportunity to stretch your wingspan a little. You can do that with a little more safety at W & M because your sister is already there, so you'll have some help with the adjustment.

Go for it, girl!

Just my 400 Lire.

[Optimist Prime]

It depends on your major and what you want to do with it. If you need to be near a city to make contacts or work then Mason. If you want a more traditional academic experinece then W&M. It is the second oldest in the country. Say hi to Ricky.

[maggieaxid]

Why just those two schools, not to sound pushy or anything, but you can go to Elon, in NC (about 2 hours south of W&M) for less than both those schools AND live on campus AND they have your major. Plus, a fabulous greek system with 7 very strong national sororities. (Elon ranked #2 in that recent "top greek schools" thing.) PM me if you need any info. one of my sisters is an admissions counselor. And I do believe it is easier to get into than W&M.

[LeslieAGD]

If it was me, I would choose W&M...and, from your post, I kind of get the feeling that you're leaning towards W&M too. Both offer your major and have similar tuitions, but you've stated that housing wouldn't be a big problem at W&M, which seems to give it the edge.

[rubyrose]

I think you have to prioritize what is important to you in order to make this decision. All of these things that people mentioned are important: cost of tuition, living on/off campus, academic reputation and programs, location, etc. But the question is what is important to you!

While I think that going Greek is a great enhancer for anyone's college experience and certainly was for me, I personally did not look at the quality of the Greek system when deciding where to go to school. A lot of people probably rank the quality of the Greek system higher on their list when deciding though, and like anything it has to be an individual decision. From my own personal experience, my highest priority was academic reputation and programs. I wanted to make sure that my college experience was going to help me reach my full potential and get me the kind of job I wanted to have.

The job market is tight out there for college graduates especially these days and every little academic advantage can mean the difference to you in making a solid start in achieving your career goals.

You seem like you have a lot going for you, and I wish you all the best in making your decision!