<p>Interesting thread. My personal experience was the same. Fled small(ish) NE prep school in VERY small town for the warm and urban atmosphere of Nashville, TN (didn’t hurt that my parents went to school there too), but it was the cold and snow that drove me south (and I was raised in DC, not florida :), so it wasn’t that foreign to me). Now my daughter who is at a small (400 kids 6-12th grade) BS in even a smaller town (population less than 100, no businesses that I can tell) wants to flee for the larger urban schools too. No interest at all in LAC’s, even those in big cities. We raised her in downtown Atlanta, so she is familiar and comfortable with the amenities of city life and really thinks that she’s been robbed the past 4 years of something critical. I wish she would think harder, but alas. Its her first real adult decision.</p>
<p>I got curious about how many kids from son’s school went to LAC vs Large U. His school (Cate) is on the small side, with 265 students. Looking at matriculation data from last 5 years, about 35% went to an LAC. </p>
<p>Then, I thought I would compare this to a large BS. Looking at Exeter matriculation data from 2010-2012, approximately 26% went to an LAC. </p>
<p>From my small data set, seems like kids starting at a smaller school to begin with are somewhat more likely to go to an LAC for college. But the trend at both is definitely to head to a larger school.</p>
<p>And yet another interesting statistic: according to USA Today, LACs only account for 3% of all college graduates.</p>
<p>[Liberal</a> arts colleges: Are they the right choice for you? | USA TODAY College](<a href=“USA Today Educate - Teacher & Student Resources & Guides”>USA Today Educate - Teacher & Student Resources & Guides)</p>
<p>So actually, boarding school students attend LACs in far higher numbers than the general college-bound population.</p>
<p>There are different types of large universities. I think this study’s been cited on CC before, but it’s interesting to read: [Where</a> do the children of professors attend college?](<a href=“http://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecoedu/v25y2006i2p201-210.html]Where”>Where do the children of professors attend college?). In short, faculty at Research Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges are much more likely than the general population to send their children to Liberal Arts Colleges and Research Universities. </p>
<p>Either type can be a fine choice. It depends on the student. Some people like the sort of close-knit communities found at good LACs. Vanderbilt or Haverford? UCLA or Pomona? That depends on where you want to live, what you want to study, and where you get in.</p>
<p>GMTplus7 and I had been corresponding via PM, and he recommended a book that I read and really liked. The data is a bit dated, but it was a great peek inside the admission office at a selective LAC.</p>
<p>[The</a> Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College: Jacques Steinberg: 9780142003084: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Gatekeepers-Admissions-Process-Premier/dp/0142003085]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Gatekeepers-Admissions-Process-Premier/dp/0142003085)</p>
<p>I second 7D’s recommendation. I actually picked this book up, thinking it was a “how-to” book and was initially disappointed because that is not what it is. But within a few pages I was sucked into the stories of the applicants and the counselors. It reads like a novel. I soon found myself really caring about what happened to all of these people. The most pleasant surprise of all, however, was that by the time I finished, I felt I had learned more about the admission process than would have been the case had it indeed been a “how to” book.</p>
<p>You know what, I really didn’t care what happened to that one kid from Staten Island.</p>
<p>FWIW, I think that any “how-to” book is going to be pretty much worthless as each kid is so different…you have to run with what that kid brings to the table.</p>
<p>@Sevendad</p>
<p>Thank you for recommending a great book. Just placed an order for its kindle version.</p>
<p>After visiting Dalhousie University last week with expatSon, it’s now the front-runner. He’s decided that he wants big(ger) and urban.</p>
<p>Am also an expat Canuck. Niece and nephew both are recent Dal graduates and both are currently very gainfully employed in TO. They had an amazing experience there and LOVED living in Halifax (or Hali as they call it).</p>
<p>Closing the loop - expatSon decided last night; he’ll be starting at Dal in the fall of 2014.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son and thanks for checking back in!</p>