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QB Moderator
| Hello. Welcome to our online discussion. Today joining us is Maggie McHale from Wellesley College and Mark Robertson from Williams College. |
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QB Moderator
| We also have Logan Powell from Bowdoin with us. |
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QB Moderator
| I will let them briefly introduce themselves. Please feel free to start asking questions and we will forward them on shortly. Thanks for your patience. |
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Williams (Mark)
| Hey everyone, so glad you're joining us tonight. I'm Mark Robertson at Williams, graduated from Williams in 2002, starting my fourth year here in admissions. My dog Gordon is with me tonight, so between the two of us, I think we can come up with some good answers for you! |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| Hi everyone. My name is Maggie McHale and I am an assistant director of admission at Wellesley College. I have not always worked in admissions. I have also worked in consulting and as a software developer. I look forward to answering any questions you might have! |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Hey Guys,
Glad you're all here. I am a Bowdoin grad from 1996 and worked at another admissions office that we refer to as "the Bowdoin of Cambridge, Mass". Both great places but Bowdoin has better food! |
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bellalissa
| HI I'm Melissa I was wondering how would you each grade your school's business program based on teaching quality and Job placement? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Hi Melissa,
To answer the question for Bowdoin, we don't have a typical "business" program because we're a liberal arts college. We do have students who study economics and go on to all kinds of things. In fact, Bowdoin graduates are now acting as CEO's of American Express and Netflix, so our graduates do pretty well in the business world! |
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silverstarmaddy
| Is Wellesley still female only or is it co-ed now? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| Wellesley is still female and we will most likely never go co-ed. |
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Christobal
| I want to have a career in Business. I am stuck between two colleges. One offers this as a major, the other does not. If I end up going to the college that does not offer this, will not majoring in business course hinder my chances of getting accepted into the Business Graduate school of my choice? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Christobal,
Good question. It's not as easy as picking the school that has business. You should look to see what the graduates of both schools go on to do, what their placement is like in business school and other graduate school programs, what internships they offer and if the alumni help in job placement. That might be a good start to making that decision... |
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Williams (Mark)
| Someone asked if Williams offers financial aid to all students who demonstrate financial need.
The answer is YES! We guarantee to meet 100% of the financial need of every single student we admit. And most of an aid package here is made up of grants -- not loans -- leaving you with very little, if any, debt upon graduation. |
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silverstarmaddy
| Does attending a summer program from your school make an applicant stand out/ more likely to get in? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| There are numerous factors that are considered when we review your application, so there isn't just one that makes you more likely to get in. If there is something that you are really interested in taking over the summer, you should absolutely attend that program, but it isn't something that is going to make or break your application. |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Summer programs can help, and not just at the school where you're taking the classes. If you do well in any outside classroom work, other colleges will notice and it can certainly help. Each school may have a slightly different policy regarding how they evaluate the work you do at a summer program, but in almost every case, doing well will help everywhere. |
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adrianchiang
| If a college does not offer a business program, and I decide to take an economics course will it affect my job outlook for big businesses after 4 years of college? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Some people might say that Economics gives you a more theoretical rather than practical training for business, but if you do well in econ you'll be very well prepared for any big business. And don't forget, many people go on to graduate school in business and their undergraduate degrees can be very different when they arrive. Big business needs smart people, not just people who have taken business courses. |
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Williams (Mark)
| Someone asked about our fall Diversity Visitation Program and how many students we expect to include this fall.
We typically bring over 200 students in the fall for a visit, paying their full way to campus. In any year, several hundred more than that might apply, really depends on the year, but we typically select students who've really challenged themselves in high school (we require a copy of your high school transcript) and who, based on financial need, would otherwise not be able to visit. Hope you apply! |
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silverstarmaddy
| sometimes students cannot take courses due to lack of funding at their school or it is not offered (ex: AP classes or ACT/SAT Prep). Does the area students come from matter when applying? Do you look at that stuff? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| We definitely look at the context you're coming from. We can't expect you to take courses that your school doesn't offer. So, if you do as much as you can in what your school provides, and you do well, that's a great start. We never compare you to students from other schools who may have very different resources. Also, if there is any chance you can take courses at a local CC, that can also help. |
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Williams (Mark)
| Regarding your question about being disadvantaged in the admissions process based on what classes your school is able to offer...
As Logan said, we strive to consider all applicants in the context from which they come. It's impossible for us to compare all high schools and consider what you would've been able to do if you were studying elsewhere. We typically look for students who've maxed out the most demanding program available to them at their school -- whether it's full of APs, IBs, honors classes, or just regular old high school classes. If you have any questions about what will best prepare you for a top college, don't hesitate to ask any of the colleges! |
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adrianchiang
| so taking an economics course from a upper tier liberal arts school is just as great as taking a business course from another upper tier school? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| There isn't really a ranking involved with these types of courses. It's more about what is more interesting to you. When you take an economics course, you are looking at more of a theoretical approach to business, whereas business courses are more hands on approaches. Either way, you will learn a lot and any graduate school would like to know you did well in either. |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Upper level econ and upper level business can both be very helpful, and some of the difference depends on what you want to do after you graduate. Many people go on to business school where everyone will receive good training. Some like the diversity of classes taught at a liberal arts college, but it's a matter of what works best for you. |
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bellalissa
| What do you look for in a prospective student who applies to Bowdoin? What factors are most important? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Great question. We look at three main factors: 1. academic qualifications (grades and test scores); 2. extracurricular involvement; 3. personal qualities. And you may know that Bowdoin does not require you to submit SAT or ACT scores. We look at the whole picture, including recommendations, essays, background, etc. Does that help? |
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Williams (Mark)
| Hey Chad! Certainly if online AP classes are available for you to take, and they are financially affordable for your family or your school, they can only help your application. We admire students who go above and beyond to challenge themselves academically. But as I said earlier, you won't be disadvantaged in the process simply because your school does not already offer those classes. Good luck! And email me at mrobertson@williams.edu if you'd like to follow up. |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| There may or may not be big differences between a #5 school and a #15 school, but it might depend on what you're looking for. The basic point is that you'll receive a great education at either place. You may be attracted to a particualr program that might be more evident at one school than another. If you get in to both though, you probably can't go wrong! |
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adrianchiang
| Is there really a difference from the #5 school of U.S. News compared to say #15 or is it most colleges are all great in education and opportunity at a certain level? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| Anywhere you go, you will have a lot of opportunities and receive a great education. Each school is different and it's all about what is a better fit for you. The rankings don't show a complete picture of what's it like to actually be at a school. |
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dannyorh
| Do colleges look at the highest SAT scores from each section or the highest sets of scores? Or do they look at the most recent score? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Most colleges and universities consider your best scores, not just your most recent ones. Taking tests so often that it becomes an extracurricular activity may not help, but do as well as you can and the schools should note those. |
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Brett
| What kind of SAT scores are expected from an entrant into the business field? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| It might depend on the school you're applying to. Each school wil have a range of scores that competitive applicants usually have and they should be able to give you that information fairly easily. Just remember it's not all about test scores. Grades, outside activities, recommendations and essays can also make a big difference! |
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ShaquitaPack
| I am normally a straight A student, but this past semester was especially difficult as I was taking two APs, Analysis (which is the hardest math course we have available next to Calculus), and Honors Chemistry. Although I didn't get a 90 average, will colleges look at that as a bad thing since I didn't get all 90s or will the difficulty of the classes be taken into consideration? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| The difficulty of the classes will definitely be taken into consideration. Many colleges would rather see you challenge yourself with more difficult courses, than take easier ones and get straight A's. |
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Williams (Mark)
| Ukken989: thanks for your question about business-related international partnerships and opportunites at Williams.
The answer is yes, and no. Being a liberal arts college, we don't offer undergraduate courses directly in business. Many classes you'll take here in economics, especially development economics, along with math and political science, could be very helpful in preparing you for international business. We do offer travel programs during the year -- especially during Winter Study -- and we expect that most of our students will take internships each of their summers at Williams, and these can take you to many of the world's top banking, consulting, and marketing firms.
Moreover, our alums are spread around the world, and run many incredible companies, non-profits, and firms. After Williams, our students find incredible success in a variety of fields which prepares them well for entry into the nation's top business schools. B-schools consider both practical experience and education, in selecting candidates. |
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adrianchiang
| How do admissions view class rank? I think our school lists you without weight to your AP/Honors courses. I'm ranked about 125 of 550 with 3 APs, 1 Honors. Would I still not be considered top 10% even though if weighted in rank I would be? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Good question. In many cases we will call the school and find out what your rank might be if it were weighted. We are smaller schools that spend a lot of time on each application, and larger schools may not be able to do that in every case. So, we won't penalize you for being outside the top 10% if your school doesn't weight your rank. |
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spchua18
| What are some career prospects for an economics major? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| It really depends on what you are interested in. The great thing about being an economics major from a liberal arts college is that you aren't stuck with one career path. There are so many to choose from. Our econ graduates have done everything from investment banking, research, and consulting to working in large Fortune 500 companies. You can go on and get an MBA or even go for a PhD in economics. It's really up to you and what your interests are! |
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Williams (Mark)
| Someone asked: what are the career prospects for an economics major?
Depending on what you do with it, the prospects can be just about anything! Our economics grads often pursue work directly in a business-related field for a few years before making the jump to business school, law school, or public policy. Many with an especially strong quantitative background are highly desirable to investment banking and analysis firms.
Many other economics majors choose careers in the public sector (think tanks, government service, etc.) and lots choose graduate school to become professional analysts and economists. Our president, Morty Schapiro, is an economist, and his specialty is the economics of higher education. Pretty helpful in his own day-to-day work ;) |
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adrianchiang
| What do admissions look for in recommendations? If I am applying for a business major, would it look nicer if I had Harvard MBA graduate who taught me over the summer recommend me over an English teacher who taught me all year? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Most schools require you to submit two teacher recommendations and a counselor recommendation, so you can consider submitting the MBA teacher rec as an additional one. Schools will read more than three rec's so don't hesitate to send in one or two more if you think they'll be helpful. In short though, submit rec's that are going to be strong and from people who know you fairly well. |
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ukken989
| how importantly does williams or bowdoin rank sports with regard to the whole picture of an applicant? |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Athletic ability can be a strong factor, and the same would be true for great talent in music or art. If you're considering playing a sport, be in touch with our admissions office and with the appropriate coach(es). They can let us know about your ability and support you through the process. |
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adrianchiang
| How do I know what to recognize of my list of accomplishments, programs, and extra-curricular on my application? Can I list them all or am I limited to list the top 5 or something similar? |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| You should list everything that you have done. If you don't list them, then we won't know that you did them and everything that you have done outside of the classroom is really important to understanding you as a person. |
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Williams (Mark)
| Someone asked about Williams' location.
Yes, we are in a small town -- an incredibly beautiful town -- with just about 10,000 people who live here year round. Our location has served us very well for the last 200+ years, and our students and alums wouldn't have it any other way. The tight-knit community and meaningful day-to-day interactions we're able to have, for me, are great positives that are much harder to find in bigger places.
Recognizing the fact that we're in a small town, Williams spends incredible amounts of money to create really great activities to do in town. Trust me, you'll rarely, if ever, be bored here, just ask our students. But just don't expect lots of malls and movie theatres right nearby -- you'll have to drive 10-20 minutes to find those.
As for internships, it's rare to find internships here during the year, but that's less a product of our location, and more that your classes will keep you very busy. Still, there are lots of big-time internet startups nearby, and lots of professors who've helped students become great entrepreneurs. Steve Case, who founded AOL, went to Williams, and his first business was running a student shuttle service! |
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QB Moderator
| Thank you so much, everyone, for joining us. We will be posting this discussion to our website soon for you to refer back to. I'm sorry we couldn't get to everyone's questions today, but please join us for our other discussions throughout this week. |
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Williams (Mark)
| thanks everyone, this was a blast! i'll be around for the next chat, too, and always feel free to email me at mrobertson@williams.edu |
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Bowdoin (Logan)
| Thanks everyone. It's been fun. Good luck with everything and hopefully we'll see you on campus soon! |
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Wellesley (Maggie)
| Thanks again for the great questions! Hope to see you all soon! |
