Should Latin Daughter attend Wellesley (Boston, Cambridge: fit in, home, neighborhoods)

[calilatin]

My daughter just got accepted to Wellesley. We have to decide by the end of the month so we would greatly appreciate some insight.
My daughter is latin and we live in California. We just came back from Boston and we absolutely fell in love with the richness in history and architecture. Wellesley is a beautiful campus and we fell in love with it the moment we stepped foot. (I couldn't help notice the some population of hispanics (particualry Mexican in Boston/Cambridge). We feel she will get the best overall experience and education at Wellesley.

Since our deadline is so close and her other choices are schools like USC, Berkeley, and UC Santa Barbara (all in Cali), we would greatly appreciate input on life in the "Collegiate State" for a latin girl from California.

-Worried Mom

[ogre]

First of all, congratulations to your daughter for being admitted to several excellent colleges. From the schools you've listed that she has been admitted to, it sounds as if she has some very different schools to choose from, so there are more factors to consider than whether she would be close to a large Latin population. Wellesley is a relatively small college in a suburban town, unlike large universities, such as the schools in CA she is considering. Also, there is the question of whether she would be more comfortable staying close to home, or would find it exciting and interesting to spend several years in a new place on the other end of the country.

Obviously, your daughter is the only person who can answer those questions about the type of school and its location. I don't know the racial/ethnic percentages at Wellesley, but I'm sure the school would have this information. Also, if you check the college's website for lists of student organizations, you can find out about organiztions for students of various ethnicities. This would give you some idea about the opportunities for culturally-oriented social activities on campus.

As for the surrounding area, the town of Wellesley itself is upscale, with a very white/non-Hispanic population. For the most part, many of the towns in the general area of the suburbs west of Boston also have a highly white/non-Hispanic population. There certainly are Hispanic populations in various parts of the Boston metro area. My impression is that many of these are family-oriented neighborhoods. I'm not sure that it would be easy for a college student to meet other young people for social activities in these neighborhoods, though it would be possible to soak up some of the culture of home by visiting restaurants and stores.

There are not any really lively Hispanic areas very close to Wellesley, but one advantage of Wellesley is that the town is on a commuter rail line, with a station within walking distance of Wellesley College, providing convenient access to neighborhoods of various ethnic makeups within the city of Boston and the closer suburbs. Even though the Boston area's Hispanic population is found in localized enclaves, rather than being widespread as in California, and although many areas with Latin populations may be more family-oriented, rather than having many college-age young people, the large student population in Boston makes it possible to meet many young people sharing the college experience. Since college students come from all over the country, and from many other nations, naturally there will be a wide variety of ethnicities and nationalities represented among this student population. Be aware, though, that most of the Boston suburbs, including Wellesley, are very white, so your daughter would have to travel some around the metro area to soak up some Spanish flavor, and would not be able to find this just by stepping out her door and walking around town locally in Wellesley.

Again, whatever your daughter's decision, congratulations to her, and best of luck.

[smarty]

I'm not sure I understand what your concern is.

Safety? It is a safe school and town.
Diversity? I think that is one of the major reason why they accept your daughter.

1st-year students:
13% In-state students
87% Out-of-state students

01% American Indian/Alaskan Native
29% Asian/Pacific Islander
06% Black/Non-Hispanic
07% Hispanic
44% White/Non-Hispanic
09% Non-Resident Alien
05% Race/ethnicity unreported


Wellesley college is very different than the other colleges you mentioned. It is a much smaller college. Some high school in CA is bigger than Wellesley. One of the few women college left in the country. Not the strongest in areas of science or math. It is a liberal art college. If that is what she want, that is no reason not to go.

Btw.. it would give her a chance to be independent. This way she cannot just call home to ask for an extension cord.

[calilatin]

Thank you so much for your input. This is not a concern for my free spirited daughter as it is for mom. Im sure she will do well.

[calilatin]

Thanks for the helpful stats. Wellesley is a very safe city. Just a little concerned for her well being (a little racism maybe?).

[ogre]

Originally Posted by calilatin

Thanks for the helpful stats. Wellesley is a very safe city. Just a little concerned for her well being (a little racism maybe?).

Mmm, possibly. But more likely a great deal of racial indifference, and a certain degree of stuffiness unrelated to race, since Wellesley is a very affluent town.

[smarty]

Did you experience racism in CA? Do you see racial groups just hang out by themselves?

Not a concern at all here. Hispanic is under represented minority where as Asians are not under represented (5% of population but 29% in college). You can see from the college's racial mix that after Caucasian, there is a large mix of Asians, then Hispanic and Black. She will fit in just fine. It is what makes her who she is... She brings in a different point of view and hence an asset to the college. There is always some "inequalities" based on looks. As Obama says, he did not choose to be black, there are people who look at him and decided the race for him. Blacks get followed in a store more often because of bad previous experience with blacks of salespersons. However, your daughter will help change that.

[CaseyB]

There isn't a whole lot of interaction between the students at Wellesley College and the residents of the town (same with the other 2 colleges there). Don't base your decision on the racial mix there - if she likes the school, she'll be fine.

[septimus]

She'll have plenty of chance to experience Boston and have the safety of a nice campus. Wellesley-MIT have a bus that goes back and forth between the 2 campuses so there is a lot of chances to get into Boston/Cambridge.

[TomDot]

Originally Posted by calilatin

Thanks for the helpful stats. Wellesley is a very safe city. Just a little concerned for her well being (a little racism maybe?).

Do you mean like will she be followed by store security or be refused service at a restaurant?
She'll be fine.