<p>OK. I like LACs because they are nice, small schools focused on the students. But the problem with me attending one is that I dont know what type of job I can get with one. Not job necessarily, but... I guess my question would be what kind of fields do people from LACs usually go into. I dont know what i specifically want to do in the future, but i know i dont want to be a teacher or an engineer or scientist or a writer oranything like that. I imagine I would want to be in a business or company or maybe i would study law. I want to go to a LAC because i dont know what i specifically want to do, but I know I would want to be in a business or something like that. Is a LAC right for me or should i go to a university or some other type of college? Please help! I have been thinking about this for a while.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t</p>
<p>I went to and now work at a LAC. When parents ask what their child can do with a degree in a liberal studies discipline, I tell them without irony, “anything they want.” We have history majors who go on to med school, English students who go on to become attorneys, physicists who go on to earn MBAs. What all of our graduates have in common is that they’ve had time to find something they’re passionate about, they’ve discovered what their intellectual strengths are, and they’ve learned how to look at problems through a number of difference lenses. </p>
<p>What made me successful in my early career as a software engineer was that when other programmers got a problem, they could only see it as a set operation or a counting problem, etc. When I looked at the same problem, I could see it as a mathematical or technical problem, but I could also see it as a human problem - what are the origins of the problem and how do the users hope to use the solution. I could also see it as an economics problem - I have limited resources and have to determine how to allocate them. I could also see it as a political problem - changing the status quo shifts power within the organization and influences the behavior of my stakeholders. I could also see it as a biological problem - that units at a small scale will interact to form larger units that will themselves interact with an ecosystem of other programs and systems. I attribute that capability to my time at Rhodes.</p>
<p>In addition to helping me excel at a specific career by understanding problems better than my peers, it also equipped me to adapt to change. I’ve moved from software engineering to quality to institutional research to business intelligence to strategic management. </p>
<p>If you want deep intense instruction in one specific discipline from one specific perspective, that’s called a master’s degree. If you want a broad education that will equip you to do anything you want now or later, come get your bachelor’s degree at a LAC.</p>
<p>You need to figure out what you want to be in life.</p>
<p>Lynx, thank you for that extensive answer, but i have another one for you: If i go to and graduate from a LAC, what kind of job can I get with a bachelor from their? I mean, considering I am interested in working at a company or business, would they be interested in hiring me as an intern as opposed to hiring someone that went to a state business school or some university? What you said about LACs relly has me reconsidering going to one.</p>
<p>Here’s a list of some of the positions our class of 2010 had right out of Rhodes. About 60-65% of that class went on to work or service after graduation (the rest went straight to grad school)</p>
<p>Teacher
Farmer
Manager
Volunteer
Intern
Military Officer
Health Profession Technician
Professional Athlete
Administrator
Sailor
Counselor
Advisor
Coach
Server or bartender
Paralegal
PT Tech
Clerk
Researcher
Proofreader
Consultant
Business Owner
Wrangler
Analyst
Dispatcher
Scoutmaster
Producer
and many more</p>
<p>You can get the same job with a bachelor’s degree in any field from a LAC that you can with a bachelor’s degree in the same field from a big university.</p>
<p>There are valid reasons for choosing a LAC over a big university, and vice versa, but this isn’t one of them.</p>
<p>Well, annasdad, what are some valid reasons as to why I should pick a LAC over a university? I dont know much about them AT ALL , so im open to any new info about them and their differences to other colleges or univerisiries.</p>
<p>And Lynx, that looks very good. Im not in school yet, so I cant talk to my college counselor about any of this, but I think i need info about this stuff now so I can apply to programs that colleges may be having and maybe get some applications out the way. </p>
<p>In fact, I may be applying to a program at Swarthmore college, and i may be applying to the college itself, which is why I want to know so much about LACs. I appreciate the info you all are giving me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>But this is, however. It’s one thing to know how to do thing X. The world needs people who can make X happen. But we don’t promote X-technicians, because often all they know is how to do X. Someone who has gained an understanding of A through Z not only understands X, but understands where it fits in the whole spectrum, and is better equipped to know not just how to make it happen, but whether it’s appropriate for it to happen, whether it may cause other undesired consequences, and whether W or Y might be better alternatives. We identify those people, promote them, make them leaders and give them raises. They may not have direct lines to entry-level jobs the month that they graduate from college, but ten years later they’re prepared to go off in various new directions while the single-field technician may be stuck career-wise. If the only tool in your belt is a hammer, then all the world’s issues tend to look like nails. The liberal arts provide a more complete tool set.</p>
<p>Wow, very well said gadad</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Usually, the LACs have more of an undergraduate focus, and a smaller size (smaller classes, closer interaction with faculty), compared to Big Universities.</p>
<p>The disadvantages would be more limited selection of subjects and majors (though schools vary all over the place here), and few or no graduate level courses that advanced undergraduates may want to take. Smaller size may also make them less attractive to out of area recruiters (a traveling company recruiter may choose to visit Big University over Small School in order to see more potential intern or new graduate candidates per trip), so students may have to be more aggressive about looking for employers to apply to for internships or post-graduation jobs.</p>
<p>For a very undecided student, another option would be to take the lower division courses at a community college, then transfer to a state university to complete a bachelor’s degree. The advantage is that starting at a community college involves much less institutional and financial pressure to decide a major early – delayed choice of major may mean extra semesters at an inexpensive community college rather than extra semesters at an expensive four year school. However, the disadvantages would be lack of upper division courses that lower division students may want to take, and limited availability of courses for some majors.</p>
<p>gadad, I agree completely. I wasn’t talking comparing a liberal arts education to a more narrowly focused one, rather the venue. You can certainly get a liberal arts education at a big university, if you so desire. </p>
<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>However, you can study liberal arts at Big Universities. Indeed, Big Universities may have a greater selection of courses and subjects (tools) to choose from (add to your tool set).</p>
<p>Also, not all LACs ensure that their students take a broad liberal arts curriculum. For example, Amherst has what is called an “open curriculum” with no breadth requirements.</p>
<p>Did you mean to ask: “What kind of job can I get with a degree in the humanities or social sciences?”</p>
<p>[Student</a> Survey Reports « Office of Career Services « Princeton University](<a href=“Search Opportunities | Human Resources”>Search Opportunities | Human Resources)
[University</a> Enrollment Statistics « Office of the Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.princeton.edu/university_enrollment_sta/]University”>University Enrollment Statistics | Office of the Registrar)</p>
<p>At Princeton, the ratio of A.B.s granted to B.S.E.s granted is greater than 5:1. Accordingly (?), fewer than one-third of Princeton graduates have full-time employment at graduation time.</p>
<p>If “going into business” means “making a lot of money real fast,” you’re most likely going to be out of luck wherever you go.</p>
<p>And what percentage of Princeton grads are trying to get full-time employment immediately on graduating? </p>
<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>
<p>NYFinest, I think the terminology is tripping you up. The liberal arts comprise a wide range of disciplines: math/science, literature/art/language, social studies. You can study the liberal arts (and graduate with a BS or a BA) at a large or medium university or a small college. Most large and medium universities offer professional degrees as well, like business, engineering, nursing, architecture. They also offer graduate degrees in the liberal arts.</p>
<p>Because many – but not all – small colleges ONLY offer liberal arts degrees they are referred to as LACs – liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>So your question needs to be clarified: Do you mean why should I go to a small college versus a large or medium university? Or, why should I get a liberal arts degree versus a professional degree? </p>
<p>Swarthmore is one of the best colleges in America. You would get a wonderful education there. Whether you would be in a position to find the kind of job you desire after graduation would depend on how you spent your undergraduate years.</p>