<p>I was accepted to both so far, and I like Macalester much more. However, my aunt and uncle (who is an American, i'm not) told me that Mac doesnt even compare to Syracuse, that I shouldn't even think about going to M.
I feel like no one in my country (in E Europe) thinks that small colleges are worthy. They think that if a college isn't in NY or a major city, it's bad. If it's small, and doesn't have the word University in it, it's bad.
I it's very annoying, what I can I do about it? How do I persuage them that a small school in MN is better than a big uni in NY. Or am i wrong, and Syracuse is really better?</p>
<p>Check the stats on Collegeboard…</p>
<p>Macalester is a top 30 liberal arts college; Syracuse is a top 100 (but not as competitive) research university. </p>
<p>Take a look at the average stats of accepted students to either one. What do you think? </p>
<p>Also- Macalester is in a major city…more of a city than Syracuse.</p>
<p>Your family might appreciate the commitment to internationalism of Macalester.</p>
<p>(haha I was rejected yesterday from Macalester)</p>
<p>As skeete suggested, you could give them some facts:</p>
<p>Average SAT score
Syracuse 1070-1270
Macalester 1270-1450</p>
<p>2008 acceptance rate
Syracuse 53.5%
Macalester 41.1%</p>
<p>Six-year graduation rate
Syracuse 80%
Macalester 87%</p>
<p>So Macalester is more selective and has generally more high-achieving students. In addition, fewer students leave or transfer out of Macalester.</p>
<p>OMG Macaclaster is much better for an undergrad. Syracuse is a big box place unless you are in grad school. And St Paul is way cooler than Syracuse. And if you like sports, you can always watch the golden gophers instead of the Big Orange. Tell them unless you play basketball, Macalaster will be a bigger help getting you where you want to go in life at this stage.</p>
<p>Also- Macalester isn’t a party school- it has a small faculty-student ratio; with professors who care about each student and will get to know your name. It also has a much better endowment per student: $373302 compared to $69289 from Syracuse (I calculated it with USNWR data).</p>
<p>Macalester is a much better school than Syracuse. Plus you will probably fit in better since you’re an international.</p>
<p>I agree with all the posters above that overall undergrad education is much stronger at Mac than at Syracuse. The one caveat I’d consider is SU’s Newhouse School of Communications, which has a very hands on approach and an excellent track record placing students into communications industry jobs. But if you’re just looking for a general liberal arts education, go with Mac.</p>
<p>wow, I am so mad now… got an email from my uncle, who says '</p>
<p>“Its very dangerous to go and end up in a small liberal art college
it will be NO connections no links to the graduate school”</p>
<p>it´s not linked to any good graduate sclool in this state</p>
<p>if at least you go to syracose uni after one year of liberal art(and generally
liberal art not a proper education) at least you would able from the second year
to apply to business school
in your bloody macalester you will be stuck for rest of your life with no link
or connections to higher proper education</p>
<p>Seriously, what can I say to that? He will now tell all that to my parents and I’m just desperate…</p>
<p>show this to your uncle, have him look up #38:</p>
<p><a href=“WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights”>WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights;
<p>then have him find Syracuse</p>
<p>then show him how many liberal arts schools are in the top 50</p>
<p>then have him find Syracuse…</p>
<p>then show your uncle this:</p>
<p>[REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>
<p>and have him count the number of LAC in the rankings</p>
<p>then have him find Syracuse</p>
<p>And then show him this one, where Macalester and a bazillion other LACs are on the list, Syracuse is not:</p>
<p><a href=“More "science-y" Liberal Arts Colleges? - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>More "science-y" Liberal Arts Colleges? - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
<p>% freshmen in top 10% of HS class:
Mac 66%
'Cuse 39%</p>
<p>% freshmen in top 25% of HS class
Mac 96%
'Cuse 74%</p>
<p>% freshman with SAT CR score 700+
Mac 44%
'Cuse 5%</p>
<p>% freshmen with SAT Math score 700+
Mac 35%
'Cuse 12% </p>
<p>Student-faculty ratio
Mac 10:1
'Cuse 15:1</p>
<p>PA score (reputation among its peer institutions)
Mac 3.9
'Cuse 3.3</p>
<p>Bottom line: Macalester has better students, better faculty, smaller classes, more individualized attention from faculty, and is a better pipeline to top graduate and professional schools. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know beans about higher education in the U.S.</p>
<p>Syracuse is excellent if going to their communications school; but for sciences it’s much better to go to Macalester- especially if you have an interest in graduate school- with top LAC’s they might not be as much of a household name; but are much better for people with an intent to continue their education in graduate schools- be it law, engineering, business (probably through economics), or medicine…</p>
<p>It is frustrating that many of the LACs don’t have the name recognition to the general public even though they are among the best colleges in the country. When my son was first admitted to swarthmore it drove me crazy that 80% or the people I told about his acceptance had never heard of it before. Why have people heard of SU? They have a good basketball team. Nothing to do with their quality as an undergraduate institution. You also might want to show your family a map and make it clear to them how far Syracuse is from NY City. Many people assume that when you say something is in “New York” that it is close to NYC. Syracuse is 5-51/2 hours outside of NYC in the middle of farmland (I live an hour from Syracuse, in an even smaller town, so I know).</p>