@Sweetgum Mary Baldwin’s online offerings and programs geared for older students, high school students and male undergraduates happened because trustees had concerns about the ability of their traditional undergraduate women’s college model to survive long-term with what has historically been a small endowment. While MBU received a large gift from an alumna several years ago, many alumnae appear to be unhappy with the changes, which can impact their giving going forward if they don’t come around. LAC’s with insufficient endowments are at greater risk of not being able to sustain strong programs and tenured faculty.
This is not to say that Mary Baldwin isn’t the right place for your D, but just a caution that especially if she is looking for merit aid, she wants to be certain the school can offer that for all four years. As a parent, I’d be looking at the financial health of any small LAC.
http://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-check-a-colleges-financial-health-127908
https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Understanding-Endowments-White-Paper.pdf