I am starting this thread because I really want to know your input on making a decision such as Harvard vs. Williams or Cornell vs. Bowdoin or Duke vs. Amherst? For most, universities are of course popular in prestige and athletics becuase of their great accomplishments in and out of the classroom, on the fields, and much much more in their grad school enviroinment. But in terms of your preference of what you think provides a great UNDERGRAD education with all the necessities of a college atmosphere- great professors, extra help plus the environment- social scene, fan-based environment plus facilities- research, opportunities, where do you think would the best place to spend your 4 years?
I guess when you juxtapose these two categories side by side of LACs vs. UNIVERSITIES, where do you think it may best to go for. If you would like to narrow it down, personally I am interested in pre-med.
<p>My D really loved the idea of going to a uni- preferred Yale, ND, and Cornell. But then she did a 4-day visit at Bowdoin and absolutely fell head over heels in love with the school. She said the difference was that at the other schools, she felt like you were there for them (how could you benefit the school). At Bowdoin she felt like they were there for you (what can the admin and profs do to benefit the students). In the end, it is a very personal choice. If "fan-based environment" is a necessity for you, and you can't live without a great college football/BB team to support, than your college choices will be different than someone who can live without that. Keep your options open and do overnights at a variety of uni's and LAC's. Then you can decide what is best for you. (btw, my d is also hoping to go to med school)</p>
<p>I am a big fan of LAC's. When daughter applied to college (looking to do pre-med) of her 7 applications, 5 were LACs (but she also knew going into the process, that she did not want a really big school or a school where a lot of the teaching is done by TA's). </p>
<p>When she got accepted to both Williams and Amherst, I would have been more than happy for her to attend either one because I know she would have gotten a good education. </p>
<p>In the end, she did what Fountain Siren (hi E) did and got the best of both worlds at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what you're looking for. My top two choices eventually came down to Duke and Davidson. When it came to academics, research, and graduate school placement, Davidson easily trumped Duke in many respects. However, I simply did not like the small college environment (smaller than my high school), so I went with the university. However, I think if you don't mind the small size, LACs are an awesome (and often overlooked) option.</p>