<p>I'm an hs senior, and I need some advice. I have fallen in love with the curricula, locations, etc. of two colleges (I'm already accepted to one of them, results pending for the other), but I have one serious concern: their tiny size, as in <400 students. Both of these colleges offer unique, classical academic programs that are just perfect for me, and can't be found in other places, but I'm afraid I might not even be able to appreciate them if the social life is incredibly stifling. (as I fear it will be). To complicate things, I've also gotten into a perfectly-sized LAC that is replete with social and extracurricular opportunities, but lacks the kind of education that I want. My family, and common sense, are pushing me toward the "normal" college, but I can't convince myself to take the safe option and possibly end up wasting four years of my life, albeit in a comfortable and prestigious setting. So basically. . .I would love to hear from those familiar with TINY colleges, on any drawbacks and benefits of the small size that you can think of. Thank you.</p>
<p>it might be helpful if you name the schools</p>
<p>Yea don't be shy, what two schools?</p>
<p>What schools are these.</p>
<p>Hmm...maybe Deep Springs with it's 26 crazy smart students.</p>
<p>Deep springs is for guys only and the OP's name is Jane_Eyre.... I don't think so...</p>
<p>I suggest you go with your gut, which seems to be saying that the smaller colleges would be a better "fit". My son, a Freshman in college, is now in the process of reapplying to a few colleges where he was accepted last year, and which were the right "fit" for him, but during the decision process he lost sight of that important factor, and has spent 8 months at a larger university that had everything but the right "fit".</p>
<p>I would like to name the two schools. But, I am only looking for people's opinions of small colleges in general, and I don't want these to be tainted by their opinions of individual schools.
Also. . .how to put this; most people I have discussed these schools with are outright hostile to them. I suppose it's because of their nonstandard curricula, absence from the US News rankings, and strangely, religious affiliation, which many seem to find particularly repellent. This quote, from the thread "What role does college choice play in one's adult happiness?" sums up this common attitude:</p>
<p>"People should remember why universities exist- it's to provide an education, not the keys to a meaningful existence."</p>
<p>I couldn't disagree more. For me, the ideal education IS, at its essence, about the search for the good life, and I have already made choices about what constitutes that which will lead me to choose a school with a particular religious affiliation. So. . .if you are not horrified by that statement, are unconcerned with prestige, and have helpful advice about small, alternative colleges, pm me and we'll talk in more detail.</p>
<p>Also. . .please answer the original question I posted, if you can. Thanks.</p>
<p>Two tinies I <em>almost</em> applied to were Marlboro and Wells.</p>
<p>From my impression, both were very tightly nit, of course. I was more familiar with Marlboro and it seemed like a big home for everyone. Seemed like adjusting to college would be easier. Seemed like a nice, cute place, but it lacked anything even remotely state of the art, nothing was modern, nothing was even updated. Everything was very, well, junky. But I still liked it, I thought it was very "homey." I could see someone being very happy attending there.</p>
<p>I don't know if anyone here can really answer your question. It will really depend on you and how you fit into the small college. If you end up connecting with the other students and loving the program that you seem to want,then it will be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you don't connect with the other students and / or discover that you really don't like this program, then it will be the wrong choice. </p>
<p>However, a very comforting thought is to realize that this choice is not irrecovable. Which ever you choose, if you find that you are not happy you can transfer somewhere else. And yes, transferring is a pain, but it also means that you don't have to feel that there is no backing out on your decision. Ultimately, I would go with your heart, but that is just me.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses! They're very helpful. I do agree that I won't be able to know as much as I want about the colleges until after the decision is made, quite an annoying paradox. I'd still be very interested to hear from students or alumni of tiny schools about their personal experiences, if any are on this board.</p>
<p>Two colleges I can think of (I don't know if they're your choices) are St. John's College (s, Annapolis and Maryland) and Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, which tops out at about 80 students.</p>
<p>My friends at these schools love it there, and they too were initially concerned that the size would stifle them. If you're looking to dig deep, though, I can imagine that the small size limits distraction, you get to know your classmates and your professors super well, you can feel extremely comfortable and at home in the college instead of lost and overwhelmed.</p>
<p>That's, at least, the argument I imagine they'd make, but I do agree that it's really up to what you think is best for you.</p>
<p>I've known a couple of people who went to tiny places like Shimer and St. John's, liked it for awhile, but then transferred (both to U Chicago) because they felt too restricted and limited. The small places can be too intensive. It is hard to get away from your work, your fellow students, etc. Fewer outlets. You are also around faculty more than you would be at a "normal" school. That can be good, but it can also be limiting. You might have faculty at your dinner table every night, even on nights when you would rather hang with a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds. However, you seem to have thought this through and you should follow your heart. The bigger colleges will always be there later. I think that you should try the tiny college. It sounds right for you.</p>
<p>My son is a sophmore at a TINY college. My husband and I both went to a large state university. So I've spent some time thinking about the differences in those two experiences. My son's academic experience for his first 2 years seems more like what I experienced in my last 2 years of college once I had declared my major and was then part of a small department. In other words he was able to develop more personal relationships with his teachers from day one where my first 2 years were spent being lectured to - with not much give and take. Socially there wasn't much interaction between the students in my early classes either. We went in, listened to the lecture, took our notes and went off to study. My social life in my first 2 years of college centered around the people I knew from my dorm which doesn't seem much different from what my son is experiencing at this point. It wasn't until my junior/senior years that I began to develop friendships with people in my classes. </p>
<p>A friend of mine who went to a small art school said her experience was that alot of students were coming and going doing internships and stuff and I think that's true of my son's school as well. The student body is in flux alot of the time and there's different people around each semester.</p>
<p>My son's school is geographically isolated and I think that contributes more to a stifling feel than the size of the college. Whereas my school was near a large city and that became part of my college experience both socially and academically.</p>
<p>Hopes this help. If you've got specific questions I can try to answer them from my/my son's personal experience.</p>
<p>My son looked seriously at St. John's in Md (about the size of his HS) but ultimately chose P'ton instead. He came from a small public magnet HS and wanted a small college. He loves classics and history and reading from original works, but when it came down to the actual decision, he looked hard at the course offerings and realized that the larger school had so many more courses that it would be worth it to be a part of a larger community for these choices. He has not found it too large and is happy with his decision. But since he just truly loves learning for the sake of learning, he probably would be happy almost anywhere. I think you'll find the same thing - if you feel like it's a fit, it will probably work out okay for you. Remember, there isn't just one "right" college for every person, there really are many. Also, college is a time for being able to explore academically and learn about things that may have no "value" in your career but that fascinate you personally.</p>
<p>......<em>bump</em></p>
<p>my daughter goes to Bennington (about 650 students) and really likes it. She wanted a tight knit, friendly atmosphere and has found it. She has several close friends and many others that she does things with. She still meets new people at parties (usually someone she might have seen around, but doesn't know). I think for some the dating scene can become stifling, or even embarrassing, but many people either date outside of the school, or have long term relationships. Many people choose to go abroad at some point, and they also get off campus for two months during their Field Work Term in the winter. It seems that rather than get sick of everyone and the campus, most people are really glad to get back to all of their friends. She has two friends who transferred after the first year because they were worried that they were missing something by not going to a bigger school. Both of those people have come back. It is important to know yourself and where you feel you will be happiest. I agree with you that college is about much more than just academics or a job, it is a time to grow up and get to know yourself. A time to learn how to think.</p>
<p>haverford...</p>
<p>I went to a small prep school (60 in my class) and then to a large university. I did find at the university that social life came to revolve around a few dozen friends, many of whom I keep contact with years later. You can probably find a few dozen friends in a school of 400 just as easily as a school of 2,000 or 20,000. In that respect a small college may be no different. Perhaps you are concerned because the schools are in rural locations with not much around in the way of external activities. Can visit the schools again or contact some current students to help you get a better idea regarding social factors? (Although it sounds like you have all the info you need.)</p>
<p>If you have doubts about attending a smaller school, be careful if the school is not accredited. You probably won't be able to transfer credits if you change your mind. I say this because I know of a small school in this situation, (it is on my HS Jr S's list), so you may want to check with the school.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>