<p>hey guys....im kind of in a dilemma about the type of college that I want to go to. I've always had it in my mind that I would go to a big university in either a urban or suburban area (i dont think i would be able to tolerate being isolated in any rural area). When I started looking at colleges, I never even really considered any liberal arts colleges b/c i thouight that they would be too small, and I had never really heard of any of them. Also, my mom has been preaching to me for a long time that small liberal arts colleges are "socially limiting" and that they do not have the great resources that large universities have (based on her experience at Trinity College). Due to these reasons, I have only talked to my parents and guidence counselors about large universities such as Penn, Columbia, Northwestern, Harvard, and Duke. Now though, I have heard more and more that for an undergraduate education, it would be extremely beneficial to go to a small liberal arts college over a large universities.
So, after that preface, here are my questions. Are there any small liberal arts colleges near or in cities? Are small liberal arts colleges really socially limiting and does their lack of rescoures compared to a large university have an impact on the educatoin you receive? If I am an outgoing kid, will I be bored at a liberal arts school with a very small number of undergrads? What schools would you recommend for me? (I live in new york, and my grades are good enough for me to apply to Penn, Columbia, Duke). This thread really isnt about which schools i CAN get into, but more aobut the nature of a liberal arts education compared to an education at a large university, and about which small schools fit the above criteria i specified (in or around city). I would apprecaite any feedback. Thanks!</p>
<p>hmm, haverford and swarthmore are in the philadelphia burbs, the claremont colleges are somewhat near LA I think, and Macalester is in the twin cities in Minnesota. Many big universities only allow grad students to really take advantage of their resources, so LACs can actually be better in terms of doing meaningful research as an undergraduate. I think you will be amazed by the social opportunities at a small college. I know there are only a couple thousand undergrads, but you wouldn't actually meet more people than that at a larger school. LACs still have clubs, parties, and all of the other outlets for social interaction that you're looking for. Most LAC students feel like they have too many activities to choose from, not that there is nothing to do on campus. Many people argue that the education at a liberal arts college is superior because of increased interaction between prof and student, so I really don't think you should worry about quality of education. I would encourage you to seriously look at liberal arts colleges for your higher education.</p>
<p>thanks a lot ferris, i'll def. look into liberal arts colleges- what are the best liberal arts colleges in adn around a city, but also in teh eastern part of the country (i live in new york, and I dont wnat to go that far out (east of chicago-st.louis)?
also...does anyone else have any input?</p>
<p>If you get in, go to Penn. You'll have a great social life and get an elite education.</p>
<p>If you want the best undergraduate liberal arts education at a small university, apply to the University of Chicago. 4000 undergrads, 4 to 1 teacher ratio, an emphasis on the classics, and a well rounded education for all undergraduates. It's not an easy college once you're there, but if you have a love of learning, and are willing to word HARD, U of C will prepare you well for graduate school, professional schools or a career.</p>
<p>Really, other than Swat, Haverford & Wellesley, the top northeastern LACs are typically very isolated. Macalester (St. Paul), Richmond, Occidental & the Claremont Colleges (suburban L.A.) are a few urban/suburban ideas outside of your stated geographic area.</p>
<p>Vandelay is exaclty right, if you really want to stay East and you are a boy as your name suggests the only ones in or near cities would be Haverford and Swarthmore, and kind of the University of Chicago (not technically an LAC, but similar)</p>
<p>i'm a HUGE supporter of LACs, and there are a bunch of top tier schools (and small universities) in the northeast that are within 1hour of a major city, such as:</p>
<p>Boston College (Boston)
Brandeis (Boston)
Connecticut College (Providence, Hartford, New Haven)
Haverford (Philly)
Holy Cross (Boston)
Lafayette (Philly)
Swarthmore (Philly)
Trinity (Hartford)
Tufts (Boston)
U. Rochester (Rochester)
Vassar (albany
Wesleyan University (hartford, new haven)</p>
<p>There are Wesleyan students who go to New York and Boston five or six times a semester; there are both Amtrak and Conrail lines direct from New Haven. And, Vassar is just a short drive from the train station in Poughkeepsie.</p>
<p>Vassar is way too isolated for a kid that wants to be near a city, Wesleyan is a stretch too. However, I would encourage brownieboy to consider such schools that are close enough to go into a city a few times a semester to satisfy your urban fix, but are typically campus-driven.</p>
<p>i didnt know that tufts was considered to be an LAC? also, i havent heard many good things about U of C in terms of social life- i know that its in Chicago and everything, but i've heard that most of the kids that attend there are "nerds" and that it is where "fun goes to die" so idk how much I would like it there. </p>
<p>Question: another poster on this thread said that if i get into Penn, I should def. go. If i get into Penn and, lets say, Swarthmore, what do you think the better choice would be? Penn is an ivy, which obviously is a big plus, but should i be swayed to Swarthmore b/c of the whole idea that a LAC gives you the best undergrad education?</p>
<p>It depends on what you are looking for. I wouldn't necessarily go to Penn for a close-knit community. OTOH, if you are looking for a big-box approach to certain specialties, like Business, Engineering, Anthropology, Communications, Pre-Med and a few others, you can do a lot worse than Penn.</p>
<p>Hey Brownieboy:</p>
<p>Tufts is not an LAC, but it is a very small research university. As a result, it has a LAC-feel. It was, decades ago, a LAC and it has retained that feel even as it had expanded itself to become a research university. In a sense, a school like Tufts has the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>ferrisbueller:</p>
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<p>I would encourage brownieboy to consider such schools that are close enough to go into a city a few times a semester to satisfy your urban fix, but are typically campus-driven.<</p>
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<p>This comes up a lot. All I can say is that it fits Wesleyan to a tee:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=304413%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=304413</a></p>
<p>But, also Swarthmore, haverford, Vassar, Pomona, Oberlin and Macalester, just keeping it to co-ed LACs.</p>
<p>johnweseley- im really interested in politics/government/history so I would want to go to a school thats pretty good in those areas.</p>
<p>thanks a lot for all of ur help (everyone that has posted)....but this had made me think of whether it would be better to gain the prestige of going to an ivy league (or any top tier university), or to get a more "focused" undergrad education....any thoughts?</p>
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<p>johnweseley- im really interested in politics/government/history so I would want to go to a school thats pretty good in those areas.<</p>
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<p>that's a pretty standard liberal arts mix. I wouldn't fault any of the LACs mentioned thus far in those areas. As far as Wes is concerned, Economics is one of the most popular majors and there is also the College of Social Studies which is an extremely rigorous interdisciplinary program consisting of Government, History and Economics tutorials:
<a href="http://www.wesleyan.edu/css/program_description.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.wesleyan.edu/css/program_description.html</a></p>
<p>I think you should look for schools (many which were already mentioned) that are either small universities focused on undergraduates (Dartmouth, Tufts, etc.) or LACs. As Johnwesley said, your prospective academic interests are commiserate with those kinds of schools. </p>
<p>The only thing is that most LACs are buried in the middle of nowhere...</p>
<p>yea i think a school like tufts would be ideal for my specifications. dartmouth, not so much. ive been to hanover before numerous times and tehre is literally nothing to do there. it is a beautiful school, but i cant imagine myself staying in the middle of new hampshire for 4 years. </p>
<p>i was just thinking though...that if i really do want a solid liberal arts education, the best LACS are relatively isolated (amherst, williams). does anyone know really if it is that bad? i am just assuming that it would be annoying to be in a college that is relativley isolated, but does anybody know what it is acutally like to go to one of those schools? anybody visited? heard from friends? etc?</p>
<p>did I hear "where fun comes to die?"</p>
<p>As a current UChicago student, I feel the need to point out that the term originated not from Barron's or Fiske or the Princeton Review college guides, but from among our own. It's our phrase, we coined it, and it's stayed with us ever since.</p>
<p>Rather than take it at face value, consider it as insight as to the kind of sense of humor that's prevalent here.</p>
<p>brownieboy, Re your comment about isolation and top LACs: Amherst is in a small town populated by thousands of college students. It is not isolated at all. Swarthmore is a suburb of Philadelphia. Pomona in Los Angeles. Wesleyan also in a small town and reasonably close to New York. Your name would suggest that you are male, but if not, there's Barnard and Smith.</p>
<p>Williamstown is a pristine New England village in profoundly beautiful natural surroundings. Most of the students who go to Williams love the environment, the insularity, the sense of community and the campus focus. There's plenty to do. It is not, however, for everyone. Try to visit and draw your own conclusion.</p>