<p>I'm new to the whole idea of "liberal arts colleges" and I'm not sure that I have grasped the full concept of a LAC. I have a few questions...please don't laugh if the answers are blatantly obvious, haha.</p>
<p>What types of students go there? Do LACs tend to have more humanities-focused students than math or science? Why would anyone choose a LAC over an Ivy or a regular college? What are the advantages of going to a LAC? What are the disadvantages?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>OK, I'm not an expert at all but from what I've gathered through a myriad of hours spent (read: wasted) on CC:</p>
<p>The advantages of going to an LAC are a close relationship with the professors and generally a good placement into grad schools because of the close relationship (-> recs) and research which is open for undergrads.
in general, professors at LAC's focus rather on (undergrad) teaching than on research.</p>
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What types of students go there?
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All kinds, but generally people that want a good learning experience. If you want to avoid work and party all the time, it's much easier to do that at a large state school.</p>
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Do LACs tend to have more humanities-focused students than math or science?
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It depends. Harvey Mudd, for example, is in a virtual tie with Caltech for the greatest percentage of graduates who earn PhD's in Science and Tech related fields (and consequently, also at the top of the list of overal PhD producers). There are many other LAC's with strong math/science programs. There are also many that have a much stronger focus on the humanities. Keep in mind, however, that most LAC's don't have engineering programs, so they don't have that group of students.</p>
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What are the advantages of going to a LAC?
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Smaller classes. More seminar and discussion based classes, fewer large lectures. Faculty who are overall much more focused on teaching undergrads and also more accessible. No competition with grad students for research opportunities.</p>
<p>A small enrollment, usually 2000 or less, means the student body is tighter knit. It also means that the clubs and teams have plenty of room for people who want to try something new. Many LAC's don't have fraternities or sororities, which is good for people like me who don't like the Greek system. There are also LAC's which are single-sex, if you prefer that environment. </p>
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What are the disadvantages?
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Fewer "big name" professors. The most cutting-edge research is usually done at universities. Fewer available courses. No DI sports. "Tight knit" for some might be "suffocating" for others. If you do enjoy the Greek Life, the fact that many LAC's don't have frats or sororities is a bad thing.</p>
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Why would anyone choose a LAC over an Ivy or a regular college?
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It's definitely a personal decision. If the advantages of an LAC outweigh the disadvantages, an LAC is the way to go. Once you do more research on specific schools and start visiting, you will probably realize where your preferences lie. Personally, I was accepted to several LAC's and one larger university. When I overnighted at the university, I realized how much I preferred the smaller classes, lack of Greek life, and closer knit campuses at the LAC's. For others, the larger university would be the way to go.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses! I'm doing some research on a few LAC's I may be interested in applying to..</p>
<p>Professors at LACs care a lot about teaching, but for the top schools, they are also strong scholars and researchers. They would not get hired, continued, tenured and promoted if they did not have strong research, as measured by publications, grants, and the opinions of experts in their fields. Thus you get professors who are part of cutting-edge scholarly or arts work but are ALSO concerned about being a good teacher to undergraduates.</p>
<p>'cause you wanted to study liberal arts, and not business, accounting, nursing, para-legal studies, education, or allied health.</p>