What makes an LAC "good"

[Anonymous]

How do you distinguish between the LACs when they're all similar, especially amongst WASP schools? They all have small class sizes, pretty campuses, and strong academics. DD is interested in a math/history double major, but the schools and offerings are so so similar that it seems like we are just splitting hairs deciding.

[Anonymous]

Visiting the schools in person and feeling the vibe is really the best way to distinguish between them. And if they are indistinguishable to your kid, great! No need to worry.

[Anonymous]

It's about good fit, not good or not by some objective standard.

[Anonymous]

High test scores, sub 40% admit rate minimum (or maximum?), low TO %, healthy endowment/student, esteem, repute, historical prestige/age, possibly also campus aesthetic and building age

[Anonymous]

These comments on some popular LACs appeared in another forum in 2020:

Bates. Egalitarian founding principles still appear in student culture. Huge Fulbright producer in recent years. Former-mill-town Lewiston can be overlooked or embraced.

Colby. Classic LAC size. Relatively new president has added dynamism. Prominent and popular environmental studies programs. Central campus fairly far from Waterville. Winter cold suitable for the adventurous.

Middlebury. NESCAC in Grandma Moses country. Views of Adirondacks from Bicentennial Hall. Academically notable for environmental studies, languages, economics. Recent vandalism not inconsistent with an entitled segment among the student body.

Colgate. Beautiful campus, appealing small village. Beyond its popular social sciences programs, offers interesting course choices in physical sciences and humanities. Division I sports and residential Greek organizations.

Vassar. English major and performing arts veneer laid over a generally intellectual liberal arts college. New science building supports continuing academic ambitions.

Williams. Intellectually capable, academically engaged students. Noteworthy athletic presence. Excellent for visual arts. Perhaps too many economics majors. Mountains form backdrop that impressed Thoreau.

Amherst. Strong programs in areas such as literature and government, to name just two. Sufficienty deep to have changed its mascot. Consortium benefits, though with associated gender imbalances. Campus itself, excepting the new science building, might fall short of its rarefied academic rating.

Hamilton. Legacy of having been two colleges of complementary characteristics and emphases manifests in enhanced academic, social, architectural and spatial dimensions and balance. Beautiful campus, access to suburban amenities, proximity to Adirondacks. A writers’ college, for those who wish to enhance this skill.

[Anonymous]

I will note that Amherst is not a good choice for "literature" if you want to do creative writing. They have a visiting professor directing the program and have very few resources.

[Anonymous]

That's fine he's got ChatGPT just like the rest of us now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's fine he's got ChatGPT just like the rest of us now.

You seem to go around saying this. Is that your role here, such as it is? As introduced, the comments first appeared in 2020, before AI was capable of approaching human writing skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Visiting the schools in person and feeling the vibe is really the best way to distinguish between them. And if they are indistinguishable to your kid, great! No need to worry.

Totally agree. They are all good, that is the model. So choose the one that suits you best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will note that Amherst is not a good choice for "literature" if you want to do creative writing. They have a visiting professor directing the program and have very few resources.

For creative writing, Hamilton would be my suggestion from the schools above.

[Anonymous]

If you would like survey-based information from the Princeton Review, this site, "Their Students Love These Colleges," may be of interest:

https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/?rankings=their-students-love-these-colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Visiting the schools in person and feeling the vibe is really the best way to distinguish between them. And if they are indistinguishable to your kid, great! No need to worry.

We visited 5 East coast lacs. Each felt distinct, and DC had a clear preference after visiting that did not align with his initial ranking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will note that Amherst is not a good choice for "literature" if you want to do creative writing. They have a visiting professor directing the program and have very few resources.

For creative writing, Hamilton would be my suggestion from the schools above.

For a "writer's college,' the faculty quality is poor.

[Anonymous]

Good, prospective writers should embrace being poor in all respects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Visiting the schools in person and feeling the vibe is really the best way to distinguish between them. And if they are indistinguishable to your kid, great! No need to worry.

We visited 5 East coast lacs. Each felt distinct, and DC had a clear preference after visiting that did not align with his initial ranking.

Agree. My kid visited three and had a clear favorite (Wesleyan), which they attend now and love.