<p>That wasn’t my son’s experience, though I could see the point for some on a social level. [In fact, I was also sick and tired of my 35000 student university after four years.]</p>
<p>But academically absolutely not. For my son, the intellectual stimulus only became greater as he progressed. I think he could have done another four years and still have been challenged academically. </p>
<p>LACs, like universities, vary widely in academic rigor, but the most demanding LACs equal the academic experience of the most academically distinguished universities. Whether or not they exceed really depends on fit. A student will do best where the teaching style fits his/her learning style and where s/he is socially happy.</p>
<p>Wow. This thread is fascinating. While I attended a mid-size university in close proximity to a major city, LACs were front and center as our DC did their initial college searches. DD chose a small, rural LAC after multiple visits. She will graduate this spring. She chose it because she did not want more of the same, almost viewing the entire college experience in the way one might view study abroad. Go to a different part of the country, with a varied culture, different political inclinations, and expand your point of view. She has enhanced her college experience by pursuing opportunities both on and off campus. It works for her.</p>
<p>No matter where one goes to school, some things will be more built into the experience, others might require more effort to access. If a student can anticipate how a particular school operates, they choose and enter their college experience front-loaded to optimize their experience. Some students choose a large uni for research opportunities or access to a wider range of courses. Others choose large as a way to hide and minimize accountability. Some choose LACs for opportunities to collaborate deeply with their professors and have more access to campus leadership opportunities, others choose them as a way to accommodate a more shy temperament or a wish to “swim in a smaller pond”. All I can think about is what a privilege it is to have a choice, make it and then get the most out of it. If an alternative choice works for someone else, I couldn’t be happier for them. Our household doesn’t spend a minute justifying one versus another. It’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.</p>
<p>As someone with twins at a research uni and an LAC that is one-quarter of the size of the research uni, I couldn’t agree more. No point in making categorical one-is-better-than-the-other statements.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl - The LAC your kid is at is close to a lot of other schools, and I believe she could take courses at other schools if she wants, I think it makes a big difference.</p>
<p>My impression of the extrovert/introvert at the LAC/Huge U is quite different. I would say that for the introverts that just want to blend into the woodwork, the HugeU is a better option because you can. It’s pretty hare to go unnoticed in a class of 15 kids at a LAC. Professors will expect participation in a class like that vs a TA expecting the same level of participation in a class of 300 kids.</p>
<p>It all comes down to what is the better fit for your child. My DD is very much an extrovert–not sure of the exact letters but scored about as high as possible on the E scale. She has zero interest in a big school. Our son, very much an introvert has zero interest in a big school. They won’t even go look at them interest level. It’s not who they are.</p>
<p>those that feel that there is the same amount of activities at a small rural LAC compared to a large U are fooling themselves. If you chose a LAC, fine, but no need to come here and defend every little aspect. It is what it is.</p>
<p>mncollegemom- Please stop the attacks. My post was very general and referred to the many differences between schools and things to do. I DO not hate your state and visit quite often for business and pleasure. I believe Sewanee, a school of which I am quite fond, lacks in things to do for some students. Quite a drinking culture has developed as a result. The difference between my posts and yours is that I am able to look through a broader lens and not just clamp my teeth down on single examples and insist that they apply to all. Sorry this is so difficult for you to understand.</p>
<p>I’m interested in the personality type angle. D is more on the introverted side, but very active in school leadership, sports etc. She is looking at smaller schools, but found the tiny LAC (<1200 by our personal definition) too small. HS is 1500 and in that smallish environment she really blossomed. Perfect world she’d like a little bigger than that and definitely not Marlboro and Warm Springs small.
S (HS freshman) is the kid who could sell ice to the Eskimo. He has been advocating for himself and working the system to meet his needs since he came out of the womb. He’s the kid who will cold call anyone to find out the infomation that he wants, has formed 2 bands, likes to go around the neighborhood for all those fundraisers that we’ve discussed on other threads and is oftern recruited by sister for moral support when selling those God forsaken coupon cards for sports. He figures out what he wants and where he wants to go, and arranges how he will get there. He bikes and busses all over town. He would likely hate to be at a small LAC in the middle of Iowa or Minnesota. I can’t even picture him there in my mind. I can see him thriving at our state flagship with 40,000 that D refused to apply to. He’s always in meeting with teachers and arranging projects and homework when he’ll miss for his sport.
D goes to her room to regroup, decompress and have quiet time (also watches “Say Yes to the Dress” as I have mentioned before). S drums or talks to relax and actually sleeps better with loud music playing while sisters says, “can’t you just make him stop!!!?”
The bottom line . . . they are just really different and while they will make their way no matter where they end up, they are naturally drawn to different environments and have different ways of interacting with the world.</p>
<p>saintfan—see this is the issue I have with the bashing of the LAC’s. I can very much see your son in any number of LAC in Minnesota and Iowa BECAUSE of what he likes to do. I think there is a preconceived notion that is VERY misguided that there is nothing to do “in the middle of Minnesota or Iowa”. I could name (well I won’t because of privacy) any number of kids at these LAC that are JUST like your son, forming bands and now have professional careers doing exactly that. His type of personality would be very much embraced by the culture at the LAC. Now, if he wants a school with 40,000 kids than he wants a school with 40,000 kids but that doesn’t mean that a school of 2500 kids won’t have opportunities for him.</p>
<p>Just a little interesting fact–National Public Radio has it’s roots in the tiny town of Collegeville, MN, home to St. John’s University…and MPR still operates out of that original studio…</p>
<p>Not bashing midwest LACs - D has applied to 2 of them and I would be very happy to see her attend. S is more likely to be looking at schools based on his sport in addition to other academic and social needs. He is the “if you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzley” “go big or go home” kid. In this case, with the national champions in our back yard, a landlocked DIII just does not fit the bill for him. He’s several years out, so we’ll see, but that’s not the talk I’m hearing from him right now.</p>
<p>I don’t think you want to be talking about football in your mission to shove the MN LACS down our throats with so many SEC folks on the forum. It doesn’t help your case. Football and LAC don’t belong in the same sentence.</p>
<p>Can’t we all just concede that no one category of institution is right for every student; that stereotypes of institutions (impersonal huge uncaring university vs. small caring LAC) have limited value in predicting the fit for any given student; and that not everyone has to like or approve of everyone else’s choices?</p>
<p>Ok, I’ll try an anology. A high-quality LAC is like Trader’s Joe, well-edited selection of products (classes/professors/students) that still fully satisfies consumers’ requirements though 20% size of superized super market (Publix, Meijirs, Super-Wallmart Foods, etc). Both sell groceries, but size alone doesn’t make it better.</p>
<p>Regarding that nugget “not enough classes at LAC; so many classes at Big U”, well at our flagship UIUC, plenty of kids have serious problems gaining access to classes, and some even can’t access their desired major after a year in General Studies. Even w/a very high 94% freshman retention rate, only 65% of students can graduate in 4-years. For LACs w/comparable retention rates, the 4-year graduation rates are far higher.</p>
<p>To carry your Trader Joe’s analogy out a bit further . . .
However, some times you go and find out that you can get 4 formulations of evening primrose oil but they don’t carry ibuprofen anymore (lots of gender studies offerings but not enough basic chem sections), or that the Thai chili sauce that you like is back-ordered in the warehouse (one specialist at LAC on sabatical the semesters you need that class), or they don’t open until 9am when you need milk, coffee and “personal” items at 6am (evening class schedule doesn’t have right offerings around work schedule), or like DH - shopping there just creeps you out for some seemingly irrational reason (kid says grass was too perfect or girls carried the wrong bags).</p>