<p>Totaly agree about class size, it's largely overblown. At Cal for example, 3/4 of classes have less than 30 students, while only 7% have more than 100. As well, the amount of writing you will do as a social sciences or humanities major is already humongous. In sciences and engineering, you also have all the lab reports and class project writeups that you can handle.</p>
<p>Variety in class offerings, in activities but also in student body was important for me. </p>
<p>Maybe a top LAC might be a better choice than an average large university, but IMHO between a top big school and a top LAC, it's no contest. Perhaps it's a matter of personal fit.</p>
<p>Honestly, this discussion is really getting tiresome. It's making more heat than light, and it's not helping the original poster. The only reasonable thing I've read happens to be the concluding sentence from the last post. "Perhaps it's a matter of personal fit." That really sums it up. </p>
<p>Deciding between a large university or a top lac, there are trade-offs, and people value different things in life and learn differently. By you people saying that there is only one clear choice or one answer is being overly simplistic and narrow- it may be a better fit for you, but you have to phrase it in that context. Clearly, as top LACs have endowments/ undergrad student that rival the most prestigious universities, they must be doing something right to have such wealthy alumni!</p>
<p>And regarding science programs, large research universities may have plenty of labs and equipment, but you have to ask when are undergrads allowed near them? For example, when my friend from Columbia came to visit Haverford junior year, she was quite impressed that my roommate (a biophysics major) was given a key to the multi-million dollar nuclear magnetic resonator (sp?) machine, and for her bio class, she used an electron microscope and a fluorescent something or other microscope- sorry, I'm a lawyer. That type of access you don't have at large research universities unless you do summer research or only with senior level research seminars. </p>
<p>Of course you give up things by going to a LAC and that's obvious. However, students should be encouraged to look inside themselves and decide where there is best "personal fit".</p>
<p>In fairness to those on the Wesleyan waiting list (and in keeping with the intent of the Haverford honor code), you really should notify Wesleyan admissions that you will not attend their school. There is something a bit immoral about holding two admissions slots. The joy that you felt in being admitted off of the Haverford waiting list should help you to understand how someone may be "waiting" for your Wesleyan spot.</p>