UGA vs. Hendrix College: Big University vs. Small Liberal Arts

<p>My son got accepted to UGA (huge state university in a hopping town about 1.5 hours from Atlanta) where all we have to pay is about $10k for room, board, fees and books. The HOPE scholarship pays tuition. He also got accepted to Hendrix College (small LAC) in a tiny town 30 minutes from Little Rock; with scholarship money we'll end up paying @ $17k total.</p>

<p>He wants to maintain the close interaction with teachers and the repartee that he has become accustomed to in high school; doesn't want to be taught by "TAs" because he thinks that will be lacking in capability; and doesn't want to be in a class with 100+ kids in a lecture hall. He also has no interested in Greek life. Well, that means bye-bye UGA!</p>

<p>However... he knows people who go to UGA who love it. So here are my questions:</p>

<p>1) Will he feel somehow "left out" if he doesn't get involved in the drinking and partying hoopla accompanying UGA football season?
2) Do huge lecture classes really mean your education suffers?
3) Will the slim curricula, smaller student body which whom to interact, and lack of organizations and other opportunities, such as musical groups and other interest groups (he's interested in music and would play in the marching band if he went to UGA) at a small LAC start to grate on a student after awhile?
4) Is Hendrix worth the exra money?</p>

<p>THANKS FOR ANY EDUCATED OPINIONS AND VIEWPOINTS!!!</p>

<p>Is there any chance he could get into the honors program?</p>

<p>Have you looked Georgia College and State University? It isn't your usual CC school, but I've had several former students who went and loved it. It's Georgia's public LAC. It also has an honors program that is easier to get into than UGAs, but really well put together.</p>

<p>From The Princeton Review:</p>

<p>Hendrix College:</p>

<p>Academics:
"Hendrix College in Arkansas is strong in the humanities as well as the hard sciences. “The biggest and nicest buildings on campus are definitely the science buildings,” notes one student. “The study abroad program is amazing.” Internships and research opportunities are readily available. Scholarships are profuse. Many students receive “phenomenal aid that would be ridiculous to turn down.” “Academically, Hendrix is not a walk in the park.” “Some mandatory classes are pointless” but “dull or otherwise bad classes seem uncommon.” “Class sizes are small, which allows for enriching, intimate discussion.” The “courageously friendly” professors are “some of the best and most challenging around.” “Ninety percent of the professors are amazingly top notch,” estimates an American studies major. “Generally, they all push you to do well.” “One of Hendrix’s selling points is the personal relationships that students build with their professors,” adds a political science major. Be forewarned, “They know when you’re missing class or when you’re really struggling with the material or when you’re not even trying.” The administration here is “the same as anywhere you will go.” It’s “competent and keep the school running smoothly” but sometimes “out of touch with the desires of the students.” Decisions “seem uninformed or just plain random” now and then."</p>

<p>Student Body:
"“Hendrix is a cross between a hippie school and a nerd college.” It’s mostly “off-the-wall and very creative” “southern kids” “I don't think there really is a typical Hendrix student,” a junior tells us. “What unites us is our strong sense of individuality and our unerring desire to learn about each other.” “If you are different or have little quirks, you fit right in,” guarantees a senior. Most students say “it’s easy to float from group to group” but “cliques at Hendrix are very obvious.” There are “whiny upper-middleclass trustafarians.” There are “socially awkward people.” There are “granola kids” and “stoners.” “Most students lie somewhere on the spectrum from studious to party animal.” Gay students are “very out.” “The athletes sequester themselves.” “Race-wise, you have your choice of 12 flavors of vanilla.” “Despite what the administration wants prospective students to think, there are not a lot of minority students at Hendrix,” discloses a freshman. “Minorities seemed to be accepted into the social crowd,” though. Politically, the atmosphere is “heavily liberal.” “Hendrix is kind of like being in a time warp harkening back to the 60s and 70s.” Some students note a “slight dislike of conservatives.” “Their political beliefs are given little to no respect by a majority of the student body,” says a sophomore. Other students don’t see the problem. “I myself am a conservative Republican and I have many friends and have never felt unaccepted,” asserts a sophomore. “We just agree to disagree.”</p>

<p>Campus Life:
"“Hendrix is one of those schools where you have to really study and work hard.” Nevertheless, social life is very active. “On warm days, the pecan grove in the center of campus is bustling with people just hanging out.” “There are always activities going on which students can attend for free.” Virtually everyone is “active in at least one organization.” Many are “very involved” in theater productions. Ultimate Frisbee is pretty big. A decent percentage of students plays intercollegiate sports but “those who don’t couldn’t care less.” There’s no frat or sorority scene and students here say that’s “a good thing.” “On the weekends there is a pretty strong drinking culture” and there are occasionally “big” campus wide parties and “some awesome theme parties.” “The food is very good.” However, the residence halls are “a universal source of concern.” “Housing is a difficult process here” and the dorms are “cramped.” Also, the Internet connection can be “truly abysmal.” As for the surrounding town of Conway, “There’s not much to do” and “there aren’t really any bars except the VFW.” As a result, “most people hardly ever leave” the “breathtaking” campus. When they do depart, they usually head “a mere” 30 minutes away to the somewhat urban environs of Little Rock. “Outdoorsy” activities are also available. “There is a lot of nature in the surrounding area but no one seems to want to go there.”</p>

<p>University Of Georgia</p>

<p>Academics:
"How enthusiastic are UGA students about their school? One typical undergrad assures us that “UGA is the type of school you see in the movies. The sun is always shining and everyone is always having a great time.” It’s not all about fun and sun at this top-caliber state university, however; on the contrary, UGA is “dedicated to research and the advancement of education” in order to create “a place where a student interested in any field can fit in and thrive.” Business, journalism pharmacy, veterinary science, political science, premedical sciences, psychology, you name it, UGA has it and likely does a pretty good job teaching it. Students in many disciplines benefit from “a ton of emphasis placed on internships” as well as an alumni network that is “pretty well connected and willing to help people just starting out.” And while navigating the school’s academic rigors can be a tough go at first, students assure us that “When you finally declare a major and get into your particular college, that is when you form the bonds with your professors and fellow students.” Those hoping to party more than study can rest assured that “UGA can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it.” Those hoping to game the system swear by The Key, “an essential tool for class registration” controlled by the SGA. “It is a list of professors and the percentage of grades (A, B, C, etc.) each gives. I know many students who pick teachers by the key.”</p>

<p>Student Body:
"Despite the fact that “UGA is stereotyped as being a bunch of white, suburban, middle-class kids,” most of whom “are strongly affiliated with Greek life,” “dress the same, and are clones,” the truth is that “with the huge student body comes a wide range of individuals who come from all different walks of life. If somebody can’t find somewhere where they fit in at UGA, they would have a hard time doing so anywhere.” Students report that “the black population is growing” and that “people come from many parts of Georgia,” not predominantly from the Atlanta area (again, despite the stereotype). It is probably true, however, that “the typical student at UGA is very into sports and has a lot of school spirit. They also like to party and get trashed. However, there are a lot of students who couldn’t care less about the football and don’t drink. I have to say that all the students get along quite well.” Students detect a difference among denizens of the North Campus (trendy) and South Campus (ag students, math and science kids, “usually white, from rural Georgia… in Carhartts, boots, t-shirts, tennis shoes and jeans”). The newly added East Campus is home to arts students."</p>

<p>Campus Life:
"UGA is “so big that there is never nothing to do,” undergrads tell us, adding that “Nothing compares to Georgia football, downtown Athens, the sorority and fraternity scene, the campus, and the staff. Georgia has it all.” “For fun, most people head downtown” to explore Athens, “a great college town filled with little hole-in-the-wall shops and restaurants as well as every kind of bar imaginable. Saturdays in Athens are like no other place on Earth. It’s incredible how much this town loves their Dawgs,” especially during football season. “Football is like a religion here,” students insist, noting that “tailgating is insane, but classy.” (Do students hold their pinkies out while downing their beers? Sadly, our respondent failed to elaborate.) There “is a lot of partying” here, “but most students know how to balance play with education and maintain good grades.” Undergrads also point out that “There’s a lot to do outdoors around here, like kayaking or hiking.”"</p>

<p>Thanks for the info from Princeton Review. I guess it's all a matter of visiting each school and getting a feel for the atmosphere -- and whether it's worth the extra $7k to go to Hendrix vs. the free tuition at UGA.</p>