<p>Well, my question is not why I should choose a LAC over a large university. </p>
<p>The pros and cons are already clear.</p>
<p>My question is how does one choose the 'right' LAC?</p>
<p>There are so many of them, and its really hard to discern the differences between one another. They all offer similar courses (obviously liberal arts), and all of the colleges seem to be well rounded overall. </p>
<p>Also, how reliable are the acceptance rates of LACs? Most college books say they are around 30%, but are the chances of getting into Davidson really same as getting into Pitzer college?</p>
<p>1) First and foremost, figure out what matters to you: Urban vs. rural, what part of the county and/or how close to home do you want to be, frats or no frats, co-ed or single sex, religious affiliations, weather, distribution requirements or not, size of intro classes-and how often do freshmen get the classes they want, does it have depth and/or breadth in the academic area you want to major in, can you double major or major and minor, do they offer the EC(s) you care most about, are you guaranteed on campus housing, do many people commute, how diverse is the population and does that matter to you, liberal or conservative, and finally-can you afford it?</p>
<p>2) Research CC's postings: Name the school and 'culture' and see what comes up. Search for School A vs. School B postings so you can see how two schools you might be interested in compare. </p>
<p>3) Go on-line and read the school's student newspapers for an unvarnished look at what the students like and dislike about the school, and get a sense of what's happening on campus. </p>
<p>4) If you can visit, that's a plus. Talk to alums. Trust your gut but don't over-react to 'random noise' like a single person's opinion.</p>