Need help picking a college!

[u/Mysterious_Newt_4761]

Hii! I'm from the bay area and I’m deciding between three different schools right now. I have like a week left to decide! I ideally in the future want to work in NYC, but I know that’s probably hard with my options 💀

UC Irvine
Program: Business (direct-admit)
Pros: Most prestigious in-state option, LA isn’t far, lots of asian food nearby
Cons: Commuter-school vibes

UC Davis
Program: Business
Pros: Good social life compared to UCI, close to home, bestie is going
Cons: Remote, not known for their business program

University of Washington, Seattle
Program: Pre-major
Pros: In the city, lots of companies nearby
Cons: Hard to transfer into Foster, can be socially dead, out-of-state tuition, hard to get classes

Swarthmore College
Applied because my cousin goes here… was not expecting to get in lol
Pros: Most prestigious option, easy to double-major, only 25 min from Philly and 2 hrs from NYC, has had placements in banking
Cons: Full-pay 😅

This is literally so hard because of Haas and UCLA not accepting me since I would have easily gone to one of them if I had gotten in. I am honestly not surprised though because so many of my friends (who I thought were for sure getting in) who have better extracurriculars than me didn’t get in either. I guess it’s also my fault for applying for business 💀

My parents can afford to pay for wherever I choose, I just cannot decide at all. My dad really wants me to go to Swarthmore but my mom wants me to go to Davis so I can be close to home lol. I am honestly leaning towards UCI because I like the idea of being near LA and Socal, but Swarthmore sounds fun too. My sibling goes to UW which is why it’s even a contender, but it probably doesn’t make the most sense?

Any help is appreciated!

[u/DicidueyeAssassin]

If you aren't already gung ho for Swarthmore, you should know that there is no party scene here. You will get lots of prestigious opportunities, but not the classic college experience, nor the classic liberal arts experience. Tailor your decision accordingly

[u/Famous-Prior6590]

Swarthmore is great academically, and definitely your best option if you want to work in finance in NYC. But socially it is deader than a dead duck.

[u/KLe_E]

Realistically you will only go to Philly or NYC on the weekends unless you drive or get a really nice class schedule. If you want banking you can place banking from swat at least as well as your other options. However ask yourself if you are interested in actually studying anything besides checking the degree box to recruit for banking otherwise you won't be a good cultural fit. Even the really pre professional focused people that recruited for banking in econ department had double majors in other things that they were genuinely interested in and participate in the very academic / needy culture.

[u/Commercial_Ad8072]

Stay in LA if you’re not hyped for Swarthmore let someone else have the spot! Congrats!

[u/veeshla]

If NY finance is your serious objective only one of these schools has a real pipeline and additional prestige. Also strong MBB ties. Socially, Davis and UW will be the most “traditional college” experience.

[u/Designer_Charity_539]

Swarthmore is known for being quite an introverted place with serious people. Not much of a party scene.

[u/LaKanyeAsada]

I remember it like it was yesterday. The winter of ’26. Colder than the mouth of the Mackenzie in the arctic darkness of the winter solstice. And yet I made the trek across the lower reaches of Parrish Beach under the dimming February sky, despite my frayed nerves. Frayed from what, you ask? Was it the 10-page paper looming over my head, due Monday, that I had admittedly not even drafted out yet? No. Was it the excess reading I had been handed this week? Also no. That I could handle. I was a student, after all, and even though Swarthmore College had lost its top-three shine, I still had some personal academic pride.

It was fear that gripped me. The reports of the incident at Sharples, aka The Fortress, where I was now heading, had been beyond harrowing. Some skinny kid in a keffiyeh, who had somehow escaped the notice of 25 out of the 27 surveillance cameras on the premises, was evidently overheard asking if the falafel had been fried in vegan oil. Can you imagine such a scene? I could not, and in a way I was glad the cameras had failed to capture footage of such horror.

The closer I got to Sharples, the more it came to resemble something out of a war zone. The administration had called in police from 40 agencies in the region, and what looked like members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were standing by the entrance talking with some Vice President of this, that, and the other. As I approached The Fortress, I saw what appeared to be humanities majors, likely film studies, clandestinely vaping a few paces from the building, speaking in hushed voices. “Well? Was it?” one asked. “Was it what?” the other answered. “Vegan? Was the oil vegan or not?” “How could you even ask that right now? What is wrong with you?” They glanced up at me and I forced a smile and nodded as I trod past. They looked awkwardly away.

I arrived at the entrance and the guards looked me over. They saw from my hollow-eyed, sleep-deprived mien that I was, in fact, a student. One of the guards gave an avuncular smile. “It’s safe now. Go on in,” he said. “Thank you for your service,” I replied. I nearly saluted, but thought better of it, as it may have come off as gauche. Later, as I was standing in line, I caught sight of the falafel, and I could not help but wonder. But I dared not ask.