Clark University and Endicott College (Boston, Springfield: middle-class, co-op, dorms)

[rranger]

Originally Posted by sunsetwest

Hi all,

We are beginning the college search and Clark University and Endicott College come up as contenders. I have read and gotten great insight and advice from city-data for years, so here are some questions:

1. How is the college and town relationship...is it friendly for the most part?
2. What is the town's "vibe;" that feeling of being there that only comes from being a part of the community or living near the community for a while? It's subjective of course, but is also not something that surveys or rankings can really pin down.
3. We're from the Sacramento, CA suburbs, so our kiddo is used to very different weather. Climate zones can only tell you so much when you're not living in the environment. Clark U. and Endicott have different climates too...so when do the daffodils start to bloom in Worcester and Beverly?
4. Anyone willing to share their experiences with the university/college on their own are welcome too!

Thanks in advance

1. As you probably know, these are two completely different kinds of schools in two very different locations. One is in a gritty part of a medium-sized city (Clark) and the other is in an absolutely beautiful location in Beverly Farms on the North Shore oceanfront (Endicott). Additionally, Clark has significantly higher academic standards and clout (in my view, anyway). Both of these schools would provide a very different experience, but at least Clark has Holy Cross and Worcester Poly Tech nearby. Endicott has none of the above.

2. Worcester is the second largest city in New England, but you'd never know it. It's kind of boring, though it has great cultural institutions (a great museum, Mechanics Hall - with the best acoustics in the US, etc.). For a New England city that is roughly the same size, Providence is much more interesting and fun, again in my view. Beverly is a small relatively inconsequential town adjacent to Salem and Magnolia in Manchester. Salem is fun, but your kid would need to go to Boston or Cambridge to have a true college experience.

3. In terms of the weather, Worcester can be brutal in the winter, with significantly more snow than the coast. So, if your kid likes snow, they'd be very happy. Daffodils come at the end of March to early April, but at least they won't be consumed by wildfires!

4. While I could tell you about my college experiences in three places, only Boston would be relevant here. And the attractions of Boston for a typical college student are obvious and well-documented everywhere.

I'm curious how you arrived at these two college choices, three thousand miles from home. Neither of them are places I would travel that far to attend.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Remy11

Are those online rankings correct tho? It’s saying WPI has a 60% acceptance rate and Northeastern is only 20% (I feel super smart right now for getting into Northeastern lol!) I would’ve guessed WPI would be way lower and Northeastern would be higher.

I wouldn’t say Endicott and Clark are perceived as drastically different schools from an academic perspective. I always thought Holy Cross and WPI were the high-ranking Worcester schools and Clark, Worcester State, and Assumption were more middle of the road like Endicott.

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Northeastern has come up like gangbusters in the last decade. It didn't even make my safety school list when I applied to college in 2006 because it was ranked under 100 (I know, I know) but it has jumped up to be competitive with BU, BC and Brandeis. It's just under on rankings.

In the past 25 years, Northeastern worked hard to transform itself from a blue collar, commuter alternative to BU, BC to the school it is today. In 1996, the new President of the school started the transformation by focusing on one thing: it's US News ranking. By raising it's profile, it could attract better students and many of those would pay it's now increasing tuition. You can see the story here.

As for acceptance rate, if a school can increase applications (like NU), it can reject more applicants and lower it's acceptance rate. Schools love to tout that number but what really matters is their yield rate - how many accept the offer. The higher it is shows that the school was a top choice.

Endicott has a pretty campus in a suburban area. Endicott always seemed like a lower tier option for students that could afford to pay the tuition. Clark seemed to have a higher profile but it also could be considered a lower tier school. Now both are solid schools and draw mostly from eastern MA and New England. If the OP's child is interested in a bucolic New England campus setting, then consider Endicott. If they want a more urban situation, then Clark.

My daughter just graduated from Assumption in Worcester. It's a solid school as well in the suburban part of Worcester but only a short ride from Shrewsbury St. and Union Station. The schools in Worcester work cooperatively on some programs and activities.

[Remy11]

Endicott actually has three colleges nearby as well: Gordon College, Salem State, and Montserrat College.

I can only speak for Endicott as an actual student, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either college. I value my time at EC and I know my brother's friends very much enjoyed their time at CU. I think both are great schools that have served their students well.

[msRB311]

Echoing that northeastern has changed a lot. When I applied to college in 96 it seemed like it was everyone’s safety school. Not the case today.

I was just throwing the acceptance rates out there. It seems like Clark is a more challenging school to get into than endicott. I’m not saying any of that matters in terms of how people turn out but there are perhaps better students who are more serious about academics at Clark than at endicott.

[GeoffD]

Has Endicott actually been able to shake their history as a 2 year girls finishing school? A Fawn Liebowicz dies in a kiln explosion experience. It was that until the mid-1990s. I’d worry that it would be tough applying to a graduate school from there. Clark has always been a place with some academic chops.

[bizcuit]

I went to Clark, but in the '80s, so I'm sure things are very different these days. That said, Clark was always very integrated with the community, while still maintaining a true campus. When I went there, the neighborhood was pretty gritty and there was some amount of crime that you had to be aware of, but I never personally had a problem and didn't have any friends who ran into problems either. Lots of people (myself included) eventually moved on to off-campus housing and, one of the advantages of being in the neighborhood we were was that there were lots of affordable apartments around. I imagine that may no longer be the case, but don't really know.

The downtown and other areas of the city are (or, at least, were) very accessible via the bus system. Getting to downtown just an easy ride down Main Street.

The university itself is very well-regarded and highly competitive. Small enough to have many intimate class options, but big enough to have lots of options overall.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Clark is definitely a step above. Not among the most selective in the state, but still fairly competitive compared to the average school in the country. It's ranked 103 in the country by US News, but Endicott doesn't rank nationally at all.

But doesn't US News only rank universities (not colleges)?

[Remy11]

I'm seeing it as #23 (out of 176) under Regional Universities North.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges...t-college-2148

Also, it became a 4-year college in 1987 (not the mid-nineties) as someone else stated. Men were allowed to enroll starting in 1994, but it's been a 4-year school for almost 35 years.

As others stated, I agree that it really comes down to the type of atmosphere the OP's student is looking for.

[bostongymjunkie]

It also depends on what they intend to study. General rankings don't always reflect program-specific strengths and weaknesses.

[Lampert]

Clark is a fully urban campus in the middle of the (technically) 2nd largest city in New England. Endicott is not an urban campus (I think they have a gate at the main entrance) in an outer suburb of Boston.
I think the vibe couldn't be different.
I don't know how much interaction the different colleges have but Worcester has a few colleges so maybe there is that too to consider.