
Thomas College. Husson University. (Two in Maine that I have some experience with.) Anyplace with a sub 70% graduation rate. I'm with OP--they're taking advantage of kids/families who don't know the college landscape and they are a ridiculous waste of money. |
They have to pay people and operate facilities just like every other business. |
The smaller schools on the list are very attractive given all the benefits of being at a smaller school, including not being taught by TAs. |
+1 the real scam is any college being $60K+ ^ +1 Plot twist: OP is really the one being scammed but perhaps it is ok because she has the $ for the taking? |
I went to what you all probably think is a bottom tier college on a ginormous scholarship. Wasn’t a scam. Just brought the cost way way way down. Didn’t want the big state school. Got great teaching, attention from really awesome professors. Went on to grad school at an Ivy League and became a professor myself- at a large state school.
So I guess it works? My kids will definitely consider being big fish in small ponds if they are so inclined. DCUM is so status obsessed it’s shocking sometimes. |
Plus, there are stellar tenure track/tenured faculty at every school and at LACs faculty have to give more agency to undergraduates than at a larger university. So while the faculty may be less likely to have the big money research grants than at an R1, they still need to be research-productive and thus undergraduates are more likely to take on meaningful roles in faculty research without having to compete with master's/PhD students/post-docs. |
This. Or, as in my case a lower ranked LAC gave me merit aid sufficient to cover all of tuition and then some. I then parlayed my high GPA and high GRE score into a large fellowship at grad school. Then from there onto a six figure job and am retiring in my late fifties. It is completely possible to do very well out of a small, lower-ranked liberal arts college. I now hire multiple people every year who are from a variety of institutions — everything from Ivy League schools to SLAC’s to state schools. |
but you went on to grad school. And it's ironic you did not want big state school experience, but then ended up teaching at one. |
Gives me hope given all this snobbery. My DC has merit scholarships at smaller regional schools (wants that type of environment) that bring the cost to low 20s. May go on to get a masters and the lower price definitely helps. |
right, so more bamboozling |
+1 |
Just list the school. I actually think more often than not, someone prefaces a comment like this and then say the school…and it’s not that bad (if defined purely by USNews rankings). |
No, a liberal arts college based in Arkansas. Worked with them years ago where they were generous with hosting refugee students - beyond generous. Always have a fond feeling about the school. |
Right? I've had a similar career path, including the Ivy. I had opportunities at that small school that I would have never gotten at the state school. I'm always amused when folks cleave on to their T5 LAC degree as if they have nothing else going for them in life. |
Yes, because very few folks with BAs as their terminal degrees end up teaching at the university level. Why is it ironic? IDK if the PP is first gen, but a SLAC can help mitigate the sense of impostordom some have and boost their confidence. |