<p>I've heard many things about them, from being places of concentrated academia, to having no core curriculum. My main concern is that a college such as Williams, Amherst, or Swarthmore will consist of a bunch of waspy type sheltered kids... in otherwords, no diversity. Could this be true?</p>
<p>nope</p>
<p>thats not any less/more true at a LAC</p>
<p>Look, WASPs are prevalent everywhere. Do not worry about that. You're going to have that same problem wherever you go in the Northeast. Find schools that match your academic interests and where you'll be comfortable and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>But some schools do have more diversity than others, and it that's important to you it's worth checking out.</p>
<p>if u want diversity. i think a little is great! but no a whole lot. just enough.</p>
<p>actually wasps aren't prevalent anywhere. no elite school will have a majority white upper class student body, at least not now. that's the worst thing for their image, which is why they recruit minorities, low income, etc.</p>
<p>filmxoxo17 - Unless you draw the line for "upper class" at a super-high income level, your statement above is just plain wrong.</p>
<p>You are correct about elite LACs recruiting minorities (less correct about their recruiting low income students however)but that does not mean that they get them to apply or attend, nor does it mean that they've made much of a dent in the white, upper-middle class majorities at their schools.</p>
<p>I guess I was making the distinction between Upper class and Upper Middle class.</p>
<p>Liberal arts school generally haver MORE visible diversity and culture to them if you look at the right ones.</p>
<p>That comment about the northeast is not neccesarily true.</p>
<p>If you look at Ahmerst, Williams, Smith, or Wellesley, you'll that that's not the case.</p>
<p>LAC's, just like Universites are not all the same; you can't make general sweeping statements.</p>
<p>Liberal Arts schools, or any college looking for diversity, recruit URM's or under represented minorities. Contrary to popular belief, to be considered an under represented minority you do not have to Black, Hispanic, or Native American. An under represented minority is anyone that does not fit the profile of majority of the student body geographically, socially, economically, racially, and/or ethnically. At nearly all elite schools the student body consists of those who are white, middle to upper class, and have parents that are college educated.</p>
<p>as a post above says, I don't think you can generalize the type of students that go to LAC in terms of socio/economic or other background factors. Most are very diverse.</p>
<p>the point of LAC is to give you a broad based education and, in essence, teach you how to "think" analytically and to express yourself in order to address any subject and to be intellectually resilient, rather than to master one particular discipline. The premise, I suppose is enforced by today's constant change where today's skill maybe useless in 5-10-15 years. the goal of a LAC is typically to give you the foundation for lifelong learning and to allow you to explore the various possibilities of life, rather than college being the means to a specific job/discipline.</p>
<p>The real beauty of the LAC is that it is completely undergrad orientated. Unlike a university, there are no grad schools at a college and thus no pool of grad students to serve as TA, research aids, etc. If a prof needs help, needs an aid, needs research done, etc. you are who they turn to.</p>
<p>The downside to LAC is that, obviously, there may be a limit on majors and if you're not in to it, most LAC are small schools. That, however can be countered if you pick a school that is near others and many having "sister" relationships with other nearby schools so as to share resources etc.</p>
<p>I also think the trend in grad schools, be it med, law etc., is to look for the well rounded individuals, not simply the "classic pre-med" or pre-law/poli sci student. Med schools for example are expanding their views to consider the ethical and other considerations of the practice of medicine, such that a philosphy major with the right credentials is getting as good a shot at admission as a biology or other more traditional pre-med major.</p>
<p>Bottomline, from the right school, can't go wrong IMO with a LAC degree.</p>
<p>If you want to escape the NE prep scene but still attend a premier LAC, check out Pomona on the west coast....waaaaaay more layed back with academics to match any east coast school. Plus we have nicer weather.</p>