<p>Ok-did a tour (first one) of a “research university” yesterday and a few things stood out in comparison of the LAC tours we have done:</p>
<p>From the tour guide-who was fantastic, one of the best we have had</p>
<p>“If you go in during office hours, introduce yourself, sit in the front row and ask at least one question every class your professor will start to recognize you and if you ask for help they will usually help, otherwise the TA’s are usually around”
vs.
LAC tour "the professors get to know your name really quickly, they are always available for help. If they are not around, any of the prof’s are more than happy to answer questions and help. Just poke your head in their office. TA’s, we don’t have TA’s that teach, there are some that are lab assistants though.</p>
<p>From the admissions counselor after being asked how many kids that start school there right out of high school finish in 4 years and how hard is it to get into classes:</p>
<p>“Well, we know that everyone likes to tout their graduation rates but you know, a lot of kids here do a study abroad, internships, etc. and that sets them back, but if you look at our 6 year graduation rate, it’s great. As far as classes go, well, the gen ed’s are pretty easy to get into because there are usually about 300 kids or more in those and they are just lecture halls, once you get into your major, if you aren’t in one of the popular majors, it’s pretty easy. If you are in a popular major, it’s best if you bring in as many credits to start so you have a higher standing to sign up for classes…then meanders off into med-school placement rates, which is actually lower than any other school we’ve looked at but still not horrible”</p>
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<p>LAC–the core classes are structured so there are enough seats for everyone. You might not get the exact prof or time you want but you will get in. Every once in a while you run into a scheduling issue, not so much that there aren’t openings but sometimes the class times conflict with other classes in your schedule. We try to work with you the best we can, some kids end up taking an independent study during the semester if we can’t.</p>