<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>I'm not going to lie: when I decided to attend Penn State for engineering, my decision was cost-based. Simply put, it promised a solid education at a great price. But I couldn't help but wonder--what was I missing at the pricier, "liberal arts" schools? Society venerates skills like communication and a global perspective, which the liberal arts surely promote, but at what point do these vague ideals and cold hard cash intersect? </p>
<p>Let's say, for example, that you've been accepted into a small, prestigious liberal arts college for engineering, price tag 60K. Or you can have the state-school equivalent, also a good education, for less than half the price. Can you justify the extra cost? Thoughts on this issue in general? Just something I've been mulling over lately--I'd love to hear your opinions.</p>
<p>Way less than half the price in a lot of cases, actually. I think that getting an education at a state school makes you more rounded as a person, similar to getting an education at a public high school compared to a private high school. If you want to gain a global perspective, you’d be far better off volunteering or living overseas for a period of time.</p>
<p>Hi AeroMike,</p>
<p>I’m very interested by your response. Particularly, what exactly do you mean when you say that going to a state school makes you more rounded as a person? Compared to a liberal arts school?</p>
<p>Consider that the student body at most private schools, especially those that don’t give much financial aid, will be richer than at most state schools. It’s my opinion that many of these students have a pretty narrow world view, as do many kids, but together as a whole I think the state school’s students come from a wider range of backgrounds.</p>
<p>A lot of people from affluent families have a hard time doing much for themselves, since so many rich parents spoil their kids. It’s amazing to me how many people can’t cook, repair their house or vehicles, setup their computers or electrical equipment, or even clean their house. Why? They’ve always been able to afford to have other people do it for them.</p>
<p>But I don’t think any school you go to or family you come from will inherently give you a well rounded perspective on the world. You need to experience it (the world) for that. It’s just like riding a bicycle, or starting a fire. You can talk about it forever in a classroom setting, but you can’t really acquire the skills until you experience it.</p>
<p>The important thing is to go out and experience the world. Take a cross-country motorcycle trip without stopping at a single chain hotel. Go hiking for weeks without using any electronics. Volunteer in a poor country to teach kids basic math, science, and English while living with the people there. Participate in a soup kitchen or Habitats for Humanity. Enter in a marathon or set some other extraordinary athletic goal for yourself. Go hunting and eat your kill. Read a lot of books. Attend as many kinds of religious service as you can. That’s how you learn about the world, not going to a classroom. It doesn’t matter if you attend an LAC or a state school. It’s what happens outside the classroom that will make you into a rounded person.</p>
<p>What a well-thought out reply. Thanks for your willingness to engage in some deliberative discourse.</p>