Should Latin Daughter attend Wellesley (Boston, Cambridge: homes, dorm, schools)

[calilatin]

#1
04-22-2008, 07:34 PM
calilatin
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
5 posts, read 221 times
Reputation: 10



Should Latin Daughter attend Wellesley
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 extremely small 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

[johnrex62]

I don't see why her latin heritage would make any special problems for her. She just has to realize that many others may not come from the same background and could have misconceptions about her just as she will about them. If she gives them a chance and understands there will be jerks no matter where she is, and some of those jerks could be popular and influential no matter where they are, she should be able to adjust and help them to adjust to her.

If you think she needs protection from the real world, I think you might be underestimating her. Give her the tools she needs to make it and trust that she will figure it out. She will have to eventually. (You haven't made any kind of arrangements to live forever, have you?)

Wellesly might be a bit more elitist than the average community college, but that is only a fact of life and not something that should prevent her from getting as much out of her training for life as possible.

[calilatin]

Thank you for that. Just a little overprotective. Lately she's been having second thoughts about Wellesley as she feels she will lack a social life, become homesick and will have to spend the next 4 years competing with the very intelligent girls. At Berkeley (4 hrs away from home), she feels she have the typical fun college life. Ive heard that there are many parties and marijuana at Berkeley and that studying in the dorm can be difficult because of the loud music coming out of the rooms. My daughter refuses to look at college link websites to get opinions from other students as she wants to be able to form her own.

[miu]

I would think that one plus for Wellesley is that it is a womens college. She'll be able to really focus on her academics and not worry about competing for the cute boys in class. And without that competition for dates, she will be able to make better friends with her fellow students. I think that part of a successful college experience is the networking for later on. I feel that there will be many opportunities to meet boys at the mixers and other fine colleges in the area. And I found my social life a lot more satisfying once I left college and starting working and became an independent adult. But it really depends what your daughter's college goals are.

[goyguy]

Not only is Greater Boston "the world's largest college town," the world literally comes here to go to college. Highly selective institutions such as Wellesley College recruit, and attract, applicants from across the globe. Being "the only one," no matter what that's in reference to, is simply not an issue here. I can speak from close secondhand experience, having attended an international school in Japan. Kids who've graduated from there flock to this region to continue their education - we're talking not only European and Euro-American here, but also many Asian nationalities. No one's ever turned tail and run because there was no Little Sri Lanka or whatever in Boston. A significant majority of collegians is totally accepting of superficial differences in other people, rendering concerns of "cross-cultural" isolation irrelevant. But if your daughter's into Identity with a capital "I," there are undoubtedly networks of Chicano/a or Hispanic students for her to tap into.

Your observation of the lack of a visible Mexican presence is spot-on. When I was traveling elsewhere in the country recently, I landed on some cool music while station-surfing on my car radio. It was like Italian trattoria tunes (accordion and stringed instruments) mixed in with "oompah" marching-band horns, with singing in Spanish. My hosts laughed at my naivete and explained that I'd tuned into a Mexican station. Because nearly all of Boston's Spanish-speaking population originated in Caribbean nations, how was I to know better? We're simply too far from "the border" to draw very many folks from that country. The point is not that I liked that music a lot better than I like salsa, it's that cultural "backup" definitely wouldn't be found in Boston. Taco Bell, Corona and Dos Equis, and burritos are what passes for Mexican hereabouts for the most part. But that's where an "identity" network could function well.

Don't sell the Cali schools short, for they're all excellent, but try and push your daughter a bit farther from the nest if you can. BTW partying and loud music are staples of undergrad life wherever you go, as well as fire alarms in the wee hours of midwinter mornings and frat boys with bad intentions. Most colleges, probably including Wellesley, now offer "quiet halls" and substance-free housing which she could opt into. If she's a diligent and goal-oriented student, the distractions shouldn't be overwhelming.

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by calilatin

#1
04-22-2008, 07:34 PM
calilatin
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
5 posts, read 221 times
Reputation: 10



Should Latin Daughter attend Wellesley
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 extremely small 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

new england is nice, and if she has the chance, yes. Leaving home etc., is real hard. however nobody did say to grow up is easy. Go for it. Wellesley is a great school, and not all get in. anyway all the students will be in the same boat, from home, and ?

[Viralmd]

I don't think there's any down side to Wellesley. While I went to Mount Holyoke, so many of my friends went to Wellesley and are successful, confident, bright women. The questions you're asking need to be asked BEFORE applying to college. If Wellesley is her number one choice, go for it!

[charolastra00]

Regardless of whether she goes to Wellesley or Berkeley, she'll be competing with very intelligent girls.

I'm not a Latina but I *am* a Latin American studies major with a focus on Mexico (and will be studying in Oaxaca next semester!) and I think Boston's Mexican culture gets sold short. It *does* exist, just nothing like what you would find in California. There are several really good Mexican restaurants ranging from a sort of hole in the wall taqueria to really upscale dining. There's a good Dia de los Muertos celebration in JP as well.

Most of Boston Hispanic culture is based around Central America and the Caribbean so that's very visible, but it's not the only representation. Having worked in a local immigration nonprofit and go to a local school, I've come in contact with people from ALL over South and Central America. I wouldn't really be too worried.

[calilatin]

You are absolutely right Charolastra00! Thank you so much for your insight and may I say that I love how stated your point!

[calilatin]

Thank you GouGuy for putting things into perspective. Almost 85% percent of college students in Boston and surrounding areas come from parts of the world other than Massachusetts. I could see her forming closer friendships because of this! I appreciate your sense of humor and wisdom!