<p>I wouldn’t consider 3k students “mid-size”. They’re both small schools (heck, they’re both less than 1/2 the size that my hs was). </p>
<p>Barring financial concerns, let him choose. HE has to spend 4-ish years there, not you. </p>
<p>My son attended a very small LAC for 2 years, then dropped out. Finished his education at a public college with probably around 5500 students. (I’m too lazy to look it up right now).</p>
<p>Two mistakes: (1) I mistakenly assumed that that the LAC would have a stronger support system for my son – that if he started to falter, someone would intervene. That wasn’t the case. There was no hand holding going on – and he was worse off (not better off) when he failed to complete a course because there was no real way to make it up. Smaller school = fewer alternatives when things don’t go according to plan. </p>
<p>(2) Son was also looking for a college that would be “like” his small high school – but in hindsight that was probably the worst possible rationale. We chose a college for the 17 year old who was applying, not for the 20 year old he would become. So 2 years down the line, he had grown too big for the nest and had nowhere to go but out. Worked out fine over time-- but it was quite a lot of money for what essentially turned out to be a community-college level education. (Enough credits to transfer to another college and graduate within 4 years overall … but obviously that is not what we had in mind when we started).</p>
<p>Based on what you have posted, I’d say go with the larger school – your son’s instincts are probably leading him in the right direction. </p>