My daughter is wanting to apply to Carleton and it is her top choice. This frightens me as it is a liberal arts college and I am afraid that when she gets out of collegw she may not find a decent job. She want to appl yo medical school afterwards, but if she is successful in that path then I want her to have a stable fallback. She is leaning towards a biology major, but she is also applying to Rice with a biomedical engineering major in mind. I feel that she will have a better path if she chooses to go to rice if she does happen to get in there. I guess I’m just worried about the idea that she wont have a job when she gets out of college as I read a lot of liberal college graduates have. Any words of wisdom or comfort?
Sorry for my spelling mistakes I am in a rush
Have you looked into Carleton? There are tons of options for premed students, and Carleton is an excellent school. The good thing about liberal arts schools is that it allows students to pursue their tracks - premed, bio, etc. - with flexibility to take other classes and experiment so that if that doesn’t work out she has more adaptability within the job market.
Don’t confuse a Liberal Arts college with a Liberal Arts degree. You can graduate from a Liberal Arts college with a degree in anything (I know, I have a BS in Math/Computer Science from a Liberal Arts college). Search out articles on the skills employers are seeking in graduates. Sure, they want engineers. But they are also looking for strong written and oral communications, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and creativity. Liberal Arts schools excel at teaching these “softer” skills. (And if you search some more, you’ll find numerous articles on how medical schools are looking for so much more than just bio/biochem majors). If your daughter is interested in the sciences, look at the research opportunities available at a school like Carleton. You may be shocked to see the kind of research students at some of these smaller Liberal Arts schools are doing. A Liberal Arts school - especially one the caliber of Carleton - will provide a strong education in her major, as well as a broad spectrum of exposure to other disciplines that will serve her well throughout her career. I have made many transitions throughout my career, and the Liberal Arts background - especially the skills I acquired in my minor in Communications - have been invaluable to me.