<p>So I'm a senior and my list of colleges has many LACs. I like them on paper, but after talking to a few friends I'm not sure if it's a good fit for me. I am not American (russian) with an accent so I'm afraid I will not fit in. Also, do you know anything about these schools: Kenyon college, Uni of Rochester, Bucknell UNi, Macalester C, Villanova, Lafayette?</p>
<p>You need to give additional info…such as what the h… do you want? </p>
<p>Answer–all good</p>
<p>Let me clarify–please give more info such as stats and info</p>
<p>well i don’t think stats are the main point here, but I have 3.67 ugpa and 4.0 w gpa. 2050 on sat (630-740-680)
At firsts I liked Lacs because of their size and community feel, I thought it would be really nice to spend 4 years in a nice community where most people know each other and are closer than at big schools, small classes are also good. However, I’m afraid that if I don’t fit in (as i’m not the typical person who goes to LACs) and the small siza and usually rural location will keep me from finding my niche/friends… So I want to hear opinions… is it a good choice for a russian to go to a LAC? what is it really like? and any info you have)</p>
<p>Also I’ve read that LAcs can be awesome if it’s a good fit for a person. Well, how do I know if it’s a fit? I can’t visit every school since I live In cali, all my schools are in the midwest or east coast and I have school)</p>
<p>AnastasiaZ -</p>
<p>Don’t worry about being the only Russian and not fitting in. Sometimes it is actually easier to fit in at a smaller place because you will keep running into the same people over and over every day and will have more opportunities to get to know each other. Also, there are so many different LACs in this country that there is no one “typical person who goes to LACs”. Each place is different.</p>
<p>My friends’ daughter is at a small LAC in South Carolina. She found it in a college guidebook and really liked what it offered. She didn’t visit until she found out that she’d been accepted because she didn’t want to spend the money for the trip. She’s been very happy there. I think that you should apply to the schools that appeal to you now, and then visit them next April if you are accepted and the financial aid packages look good to you.</p>
<p>AnastasiaZ,
If you are looking for a generalization of lac vs others…lacs tend to be smaller and can be more quaint. I went to an lac and loved it! I knew I wasn’t a huge school type person. I feel I was able to get involved in many more activities and had many, many close friends. It was a great experience for me. There is a school out there for everyone, you just have to find your right fit. Maybe after you visit some schools, you will feel differently about lac’s or it may confirm the fact that it could be a great place for you.
You will start to realize what your interests are and what is going to work best for you. </p>
<p>I am sure you won’t have much of an issue “fitting in” because you can always find your “group” (persay) wherever you go.
Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>i wouldn’t worry too much about fit, at least not in the way that you describe it. Your biggest decision will be how campus centered you want your experience to be? Having done that it’s just a matter of researching the specific college. One thing I have found fun/useful, is conducting searches via the satellite function of googlemaps; you get an idea not only of the layout of the college, but, also a birdseye view of the surrounding community, region – the whole United States. I imagine you would get very different results from the campuses you’ve mentioned.</p>
<p>At least Russians look American. Think about all those poor Asian kids, fresh from China or Korea, with a thick Asian accent and the appearance to match it. Your Russian accent will pale in comparison, trust me. Plus, I have a Russian friend, and her accent isn’t bothersome at all.</p>
<p>I actually think you’ll like LACs better. Like somebody up there said, it’s friendlier and a lot more personal, thus presenting more opportunities to make friends, participate in activities etc etc.</p>
<p>LACs are a great fit for foreign students-they are more nurturing than mid-sided and large schools on average. That means its easier to get to know people, including the faculty, and the administration is more likely to be flexible and helpful. Often, because they are in small towns or rural locations, they tend to be inwardly focused, which means people stay on campus on the weekends and the schools work hard to bring events to campus-also a plus for a foreign student. It’s also easier to get involved-you don’t have to be a top notch musician/athlete/writer whatever to perform/play/write-because ECs on campus are generally more inclusive. One possible downside (noted by my S, whose room-mate is Chinese); Because more classes are discussion based, you need to be comfortable speaking in English, you have to stay on top of the reading because you will be expected to talk about what you read, and there is likely to be more writing in the humanities classes for assessment purposes. That can be very, very hard if you are less than fully fluent. Sounds like you are though, since you already live in CA.</p>
<p>Culture at a LAC does matter, though. Most of the info you need can be learned by reading the guidebooks. Visits can be deceptive if you are the type to be overly influenced by a single tour guide. Figure out how you feel about:</p>
<p>1) single sex vs. co-ed
2) urban/suburban/rural
3) weather/geographic location/local outdoor activities
4) your ECs and whether they are supported
5) is your major supported at the LAC
6) dominent culture-preppy, fratty, artsy, intellectual, quirky, jock (these are all stereotypes, and you’ll find everything at any given school, but one or two will usually predominate).</p>
<p>My impression of Macalester was based on its urban location compared to other LACs we saw. Lots of the seniors seem to live off campus (although that is still right in the neighborhood) and many students leave campus for activities in the city over the weekend. It’s also a very small, compact campus because its urban, and bitterly cold in the winter, so not especially oriented towards ‘outdooring’ or athletics. The kids are smart, the school attracts a sizable international student body, and it would be a great experience for many kids.</p>
<p>AnastasiaZ, of the schools you mention, Macalester is the one that stands out in my mind as a place where you could fit in beautifully (well, actually, I’m just less familiar with the others.)</p>
<p>Mac has a reputation for admitting relatively many international students. Most applicants must be aware of this. Many of them presumably find it an attractive feature. If anything, your Russian accent could be a social asset. It will give kids the impression that yes, they’ve finally left the bland American suburbs and have arrived at someplace more worldly. </p>
<p>Keep your sense of humor about it, say you are a Russian spy or something like that. Or tell them the Twin Cities winter is no problem for you, you are so used to visiting all your relatives in Siberia.</p>