I am from a town of 200,000 people and a high school of 3,000. I have never lived anywhere else so I have no experience in a small town or an urban city. I also do not know if I would fit in well at a college smaller than my high school but I am scared to be swallowed up into a giant university. If any of you come from a similar background or have experienced going OOS to a totally new environment please let me know what it was like/if you would do it again.
Personnaly, I live in a huge town and I’m in a high school of 3000 people too ! Live in a giant city is amazing ! You have a lot to do, meet people from all over the world … And being in a huge university is amazing too, you will meet ton of friends ! Good luck !
You are in a position in which you can begin to choose what would be right for you. Where you come from shouldn’t change what would be ideal for you.
With respect to small colleges, their size and undergraduate focus is a wholly intentional part of their structure. The students who choose them often have a sense that this is exactly what they want; this can be true whether they are coming from a home-schooled environment or a large high school such as yours.
Regarding the size comparison to your high school specifically, be aware that in college you would take classes and socialize with students from the entire school, in effect magnifying the options common in high schools.
There are pros and cons to large and small schools. It really doesn’t depend on what kind of high school you attended or where you have lived. It depends on what you value most in your educational environment over the next 4 years. Two different people coming out of the same school and neighborhood (and family), may choose very differently and for equally good reasons.
A few examples (certainly not all) of the differences:
Large school/big city: (Often state schools epitomize this kind of environment)
-more choices of classes and majors, and more research opportunities
-more diversity in the student body and in the population living outside the school
-easier to escape from school, lots of housing/eating/socializing options away from campus
-more internships and part-time job opportunities off campus
-more privacy on campus (you can be anonymous if you want to be)
-more large lectures
-access to graduate level courses and getting to know grad students
-something for everyone
-often there are frats and sororities
Small school/small town: (Many LACs share these characteristics)
-close personal relationships with faculty, smaller classes from the very beginning
-a tight-knit student body, usually with a strong culture
-no or less competition from grad students for faculty time and research opportunities
-less competition for important campus roles: You can be on the sports teams, in the play etc…rather than just watch
-administration and faculty that tends to be more flexible and personalized, easier to go talk to
-school is the center of the universe for both students and faculty (who tend to live nearby)
-frats and sororities are less common
These are, of course, descriptions of the extremes: Most schools fall in the middle. You can also have small schools in big cities or big schools that dominate their towns. Other factors like what part of the country they are in, how far from home, the specific culture, the weather, a special major or program - can have a big impact on how large or small, comfortable or not, a school feels to you.
There are arguments for going somewhere that has a lot of the factors in the environment that you are used to and others for choosing something that is completely different so you can experience a new way of living. Again, very personal choice as to which is better.
Just from our family experience, we had one who went the large research university route and another who went for a LAC. Both equally happy with their choices. Both had wonderful experiences. Both entirely different people despite having grown up in the same town, same size high schools, etc…
Large Universities often have small programs designed to mimic the experience of a small college. Same applies to colleges within the University - nursing, kinesiology, even engineering - especially within a specialization/department are often smaller or have tremendous support systems so you won’t get lost. Check carefully as you start the search.