Kid one is at the Big State U. It is highly ranked and well funded (out right rich), especially in his major. He had a hard time justifying going to a LAC. The soft issues also lined up with the Big State U for him: he had friends there, and he could pursue his nonacademic passions there (sports and music.). When he got into a small honors program that was perfect for him, and then got a little $, it sealed the deal. He is happy and thriving. We do wonder if would have grown more as a person if he had gone somewhere with a different culture and climate where he knew no one----there is educational value in going somewhere new. We also wonder f it would have been easier for him to find a mentor. He has found research ops, but no mentor, at least not yet.
Kid two will likely end up at a LAC. On paper he looks a lot like his brother. Same stats, same high school classes. But personalities are different. Kid two will likely study a social science and not a hard science. Kid two would like to play his sport in college. He is good enough for lower D1, not Big State U, but plenty good for a LAC. Kid two would benefit from a smaller environment. He is not as adept at lobbying for himself, and while he is socially much smarter than Kid 1, he will do better in a smaller, less chaotic place. He will also appreciate the emphasis on teaching at a LAC and the ability to switch majors and experiment and study abroad.
D could have lived at home and gone to a couple great state schools. Those would have been cheaper than the out-of-state LAC she’s attending. However, to live outside the home at other in-state schools she got into, not cheaper than the LAC she’s attending is. Maybe not exactly what you are asking for but we did have cheaper, higher or equal ranking option that she gave up for an LAC (also well-ranked but honestly, I don’t know how to compare national university and national LAC rankings.)
For us, it was all about fit… a luxury yes, but one she’s earned. D is a Socratic learner with a habit of collecting mentors and forming close, long-term bonds with teachers. The LAC model with discussion based, small classes not only is how she learns best but how she is the most emotionally balanced. On top of that, she spent her last two years of high school taking almost all college classes for duel credit at the local community college. She didn’t love the lecture based format and the silence of her peers but it was much better than her traditional high school options. Had she continued on to our state school, she’d have started the equivalent of a junior with her GE’s completed. She was not ready to dive into a major she was already unsure about and it could have meant her graduating at 19. No, we wanted her to spend the full 4 years learning the way she’s been hungry to learn since she was a tot. She’s really happy, found a major she’s truly passionate about (through a GE class no less,) and very close to not only her professors but to others who she met through other avenues.
Talk to me in 3 years when my son is deciding between colleges. I’m sure I’ll have a very different experience to share. That boy sorta screams big, public university in ways that have nothing to do with ability. I’m not anti-public school… I just think it’s not for all and if you aren’t hurting the child or family by paying a bit extra for fit, then it should be considered.
You don’t have to attend a LAC to be taught by professors.
D attended a directional university, ( where she had excellent profs, and she had practically as much attention in upper division courses as her sister did at a LAC. She also took her upper division courses in a college within the univ) She did not want to attend a school that was smaller and less diverse than her high school. The state flagship, while an excellent university, and one that is often mentioned on CC, is also three times the size of the directional university.
Your D’s school seems to be universally beloved and is often the choice of people who wanted an LAC but are full pay “tweeners”. Our neighbor who wanted Hampshire and the like went to Fairhaven and loved it.
Post #34, parental pressure probably was the reason. Being on CC didn’t help, plus Wellesley had a free application. I just want to make sure there was no regrets later on. I did the same with kid #2, urging her to apply to more private schools for choices but she gave up after doing so many essays.
“I believe the opening question is why would a family choose to send their student to a lower ranking LAC when they have the option of a very highly ranked and sought after flagship at their disposal not the other way around.”
Simply because specific LAC fits the kid better…which is not obvious at all for outsiders…And again, not everybody checks the ranking at all, it just not on the list of criteria…
Studies have shown that university professors are far more likely to send their children to liberal arts colleges than large universities because they appreciate the educational value of small classes and personalized attention from full-time faculty that LAC’s provide. That doesn’t mean, of course, that they are right (or affordable) for every kid.
Late edit to add:
The above list would be used to compare a large, public. selective uni like UCLA to a small, private, “lower” ranked college like Univ of Santa Clara.
However, it obviously depends on the student and the schools involved, since not all public or private schools fit their common stereotypes, and not all students are better suited for one versus the other.
I get asked this question a lot from people… “why didn’t you just go to ASU or U of A? you could have paid less”
My rationale:
Not every person wants to go to a big public school.
Some smaller private schools may have stronger programs than the state flagships (this was the case with my school).
As @saintfan pointed out in #1, the smaller school may offer a better fit.
Yes, I ultimately paid a bit more… I agree, it looks dumb on paper, but I think we can agree that what you want out of college may not be the same as what I want out of college.
@Hunt Agree. That’s a great way to put it too - luxuries. Nobody needs to pay more for college, but in some cases that extra cost may be justified.
If you had the choice of staying at a Hilton for $150/night in a nice area, vs Howard Johnson for $60/night in a mediocre area, which would you prefer? (assuming you could comfortably afford both)
“Why is this the one situation in which people are continually perplexed as to why other people would spend money for luxuries?”
While I am not ascribing this to anyone on this thread necessarily, I think the fixation in general is partly aroused by envy, perhaps even unconscious.
Otherwise, on the surface the question of publics vs. privates sounds like a logical question, but only until one scratches the surface to uncover the many aspects and dimensions of value. I think some people haven’t thought of that.
Agree with above–people buy more expensive items when cheaper alternatives are available all the time. Most outsiders don’t question those choices as much as they question spending more on a college education when they percieve that a cheaper alternative would be just as good. Frankly, for me, “just as good” isn’t always the case. Kids are different and have different needs, talents, and interests.
Flagship is 40,000 students. Huge lecture classes and TAs. Also, D receives disability services and I didn’t get a warm, fuzzy, it’s going to flow well feeling from their disabilities office. Having said that, it’s difficult to pass up the $0 cost!
DD2 is a freshman at a small LAC. She got in everywhere she applied (with one waitlist), including the public flagship university, 20 minutes from our home. Beyond price - the LAC is less money - she has a personal education provided by professors whose main job is to teach, not publish, get grants, or mentor grad students. She is thriving there. Would she do well at the public university? Of course she would. The LAC has a seriously great science program and already has provided her with opportunities she likely wouldn’t have at the flagship U: an elected position, travel abroad grant for summer study, continuous professional counseling for grad school and job opportunities, and eventually, excellent, well-written grad school recommendations. We knew we made a good decision but now we know we made a great decision. And yes, I went to my home state’s flagship and thought my kids would do same.