<p>I grew up in a big city (Kiev, if that tells you anything) and used to a big-city atmosphere (I don't like NY though, it is too big and ditry for me). on the other hand i went to a (in kiev) school where there were 30 of us together in one class since 1st grade and we're all really close, so that makes me think i'll be better off at a LAC. I also have only lived in USA for 2 years and have accent which stops me from talking to people I don't know.. But big u have some advantages also- they are better-known, offer more classes, there are more people(idk if it is good or not) and they seem to be more fun...
so any suggestions? I'm really torn between small lacs and big u(</p>
<p>I think you need to visit some schools to see what feels better to you. Also, you might look at small to midsized university, schools with populations around 5000-7000 students.</p>
<p>My daughters share your opinion of NYC, but they haven't seen it with me. There are parts that are usually clean, and aren't as crowded, but they aren't in the heart of Manhattan. In terms of big versus small visiting other schools is the best. Only you will know what you will prefer. Once you have an idea we can point you at schools that match your preferences. In those visits also consider:</p>
<p>How local is the student body? Is the school a commuter school where few students remain on campus, a suitcase school where many students go home on weekends, or a true residential campus? The first two can save you some money at the cost of a "lesser" college experience. The first two are also more typical of an urban school, the other a rural one.</p>
<p>How isolated is the school? A rural school has more limited access to activities outside the school, but often goes out of its way to provide on campus activities. However many rural school have a significant reputation for drinking by the men.</p>
<p>How diverse is the student body? How likely is it you will get to know people with different ideas and interests? Given your background you might prefer a school with a relatively large international component.</p>
<p>What are the schools academic strengths, and what are your academic interests? How much will you value your academic experience at the school?</p>
<p>How well do the clubs and other school organizations address your non-academic preferences? Do you love the outdoors, or prefer an urban environment?</p>
<p>What does the appearance of the students suggest about their values and interests and how do you feel about what that suggests? Are you more comfortable with nerds, preppies, jocks, red necks, ...?</p>
<p>Is the visual appearance of the campus important to you? Do you prefer Gothic, red brick, neoclassical, modern steel and glass, or eclectic? Do you want extensive landscaping, or a compact size? Is the student center relaxing, intimate, overwhelming, exciting, fun?</p>
<p>What is the food like? Many campuses are noted for horrible food, some for wonderful food.</p>
<p>Anastasia, you need to visit both types of schools and see how you feel. Small LACs may seem too confining, both in terms of student numbers and type of students. Also, a lot of LACs are in rural locations, especially coming from Kiev! We live in a city, and my daughter thought she wanted small LAC, so we visited Swarthmore last summer. She thought it was too rural and isolated - and Swarthmore is only 20 min. by train from Philadelphia! The immediate surroundings are rural, compared to a big city. She is rethinking her preferences now. I would suggest to visit schools around Boston (much cleaner than New York), Chicago, Baltimore. Mid sized universities are a good option, you will find diversity and large international contingent there, while most of your classes will still be small.</p>
<p>us<em>uk</em>mom</p>
<p>AnastasiaZ's description indicates she is in California, and if she is a recent immigrant from the Ukraine, savings may be limited. Going to Boston, Baltimore, or Chicago may be impractical. Still there are a variety of schools she can check out near LA and the Bay area.</p>
<p>As to your daughter, untill the 20th century there was the widespread belief that cities were a source of corruption, or at any rate of distractions from studies, so most of the prestigious schools in the US were founded outside of cities, whether LACs or big state schools. (Penn State is not in an urban area.) In some cases the schools were not far from the city, and are now well inside of cities or their suburbs. Also a few prestigious schools were founded in cities from the beginning. Your daughter might be a candidate for say: Barnard, Macalester, Occidental, Tufts, Wellesley, Rhodes, Rice, Trinity College, Lafayette, Brown, Chicago, or Yale. (Not all of which are LACs.)</p>
<p>If she thought Swarthmore was too rural, I'd like to see her reaction to Williams, Bucknell, or Dickinson.</p>
<p>money isn't a problem but it is true that I probably wont go to Boston to just visit colleges
and I don't want to go to college in California - i hate when it's hot and it's too far from Europe</p>
<p>Summers are typically cooler, and less humid, in Northern California than they are anywhere on the East Coast. And the flights to Europe aren't that more expensive, or that much lengthier, than flights from the East Coast.</p>
<p>Are there any LACs or universities nearish your home? Even if they are not ones you are interested in, a tour might help clarify some things for you in term of differences that size makes. For instance, I'd like to walk 5 minutes from my dorm to classes (LAC), bigger places may have more to do on campus for the weekend (U), I'd like to feel a part of a community (LAC), I don't like a lot of people knowing my business (U), etc. Walk around the colleges and start forming an idea in your head for what the differences are and how you want to evaluate your criteria. There are pros and cons to each and it is a really personal decision. You also may be a person who could do fine at both.</p>
<p>where is it easier to make friends?</p>
<p>Well I suppose it depends on you. The easy answer is LACs because you'll recognize people from your classes at your dining halls, in the library, etc. For example, if you know that 2 people from your chemistry class are on the floor above you, it is easy to approach them when you need something clarified.</p>
<p>If you are comfortable being proactive forming study groups, making a point of getting some one's cell number, walking into a club meeting not sure if you will know anyone - then you will find your place at in a larger setting. For some one who is shy it might be a little intimidating or take a little longer.</p>
<p>
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where is it easier to make friends?
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</p>
<p>That's an extremely difficult question to predict. In a larger school, there are likely to be a great diversity of "types" of people, the difficulty will be finding "your" people in a large community. In a smaller school, it will be a tighter community and therefore it might be easier to make friends IF you have picked a college where you fit in well with the general culture of the school. Mind you, these are generalizations and there are always exceptions to the rule.</p>
<p>Here is an interesting analogy that a student posted on CC several years ago:</p>
<p>I spent half my college career at each: Bryn Mawr College (with lots of classes at Haverford & Swarthmore) and Harvard College. Here's the best way I've come up with of explaining the difference as far as the student experience:</p>
<p>A good LAC is like a formal sit-down restaurant. Helpful waiters lead you to a booth, bring you the menu and explain the options available. There are several choices for each course, and each one will be nicely prepared and brought directly to your table. It's very safe and cosy, and you're unlikely to be surprised or disappointed by anything you order. But if you want something that's not on that menu -- or if you don't like the people you're seated with -- you're just out of luck.</p>
<p>A good university is like the midnight buffet on a cruise ship. There are literally thousands of choices, from sushi to enchiladas to chocolate truffles, and if you want something you don't see on the buffet, you can ask them to whip some up for you. You can sit wherever you like, with whoever you like, and change seats several times if you want. You can return to the buffet to try different things multiple times. However, it's your job to pick the food you want and your responsibility to bring it to your table. There are helpful staff members available to give you a hand if you need one, but you have to get up and find them and ask them questions. If you just sit at your table and wait, you're going to starve.</p>
<p>So there's no way to say which is better for you without knowing your personality. I felt stifled and bored at an LAC, and I had a much better time constantly trying out new things at a university. Conversely, I had friends at Bryn Mawr who loved the feeling of being taken care of and knowing everyone, and would have been totally lost and lonely at a university.</p>
<p>x-posted w/twomules</p>