I went to state school, kids going to LAC

[Anonymous]

As the title suggests, I went to my state flagship school and my kid will be starting at an LAC in the fall. I have been giving advice based on my college experience, but I recognize that their experience will be very different. What should I keep in mind in terms of differences? What will they experience that I did not?

[Anonymous]

What type of high school / prep school did your child attend ?

Most LACs resemble private boarding schools in most respects. LACs are somewhat like small towns--living in a tiny community where seemingly everyone knows your business.

Ours went to an elite prep boarding school and has shared that the idea of attending an LAC was of no interest as it would be too much like repeating boarding school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of high school / prep school did your child attend ?

Most LACs resemble private boarding schools in most respects. LACs are somewhat like small towns--living in a tiny community where seemingly everyone knows your business.

Ours went to an elite prep boarding school and has shared that the idea of attending an LAC was of no interest as it would be too much like repeating boarding school.

He went to a very large public school, so that environment will be different for him.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you feel comfortable identifying the LAC (or just include it in a list of 3 LACs which are similar), you should receive more detailed feedback.

Some parents get surprised by the dominate personality of particular LACs (especially those which are extremely liberal and intolerant of differing viewpoints).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What type of high school / prep school did your child attend ?

Most LACs resemble private boarding schools in most respects. LACs are somewhat like small towns--living in a tiny community where seemingly everyone knows your business.

Ours went to an elite prep boarding school and has shared that the idea of attending an LAC was of no interest as it would be too much like repeating boarding school.

He went to a very large public school, so that environment will be different for him.

Interesting switch.

LACs typically offer small classes and lots of intimacy among the LAC community of students & professors. Will experience a lack of privacy and a lack of opportunity to be anonymous when the urge hits. Can be difficult to deal with a romantic relationship break-up. Often there are social divides between athletes and NARPs (non-athlete regular person).

Positives are typically ease with which one can navigate both the campus and administrative matters.

Will see the same faces day after day. Many small schools have just one cafeteria which came be a serious negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the title suggests, I went to my state flagship school and my kid will be starting at an LAC in the fall. I have been giving advice based on my college experience, but I recognize that their experience will be very different. What should I keep in mind in terms of differences? What will they experience that I did not?

Prepare to be very impressed! We didn't experience an LAC ourselves and have been so blown away by our kid's experience. Small classes, no TAs, all professors know her name, lots of feedback on writing. It's awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the title suggests, I went to my state flagship school and my kid will be starting at an LAC in the fall. I have been giving advice based on my college experience, but I recognize that their experience will be very different. What should I keep in mind in terms of differences? What will they experience that I did not?

Assuming you gave advice during the selection process? Not sure there is a lot more you can share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the title suggests, I went to my state flagship school and my kid will be starting at an LAC in the fall. I have been giving advice based on my college experience, but I recognize that their experience will be very different. What should I keep in mind in terms of differences? What will they experience that I did not?

Prepare to be very impressed! We didn't experience an LAC ourselves and have been so blown away by our kid's experience. Small classes, no TAs, all professors know her name, lots of feedback on writing. It's awesome!

+1 Huge positive is the support and level of engagement they will receive. True that socially they'll want to take care not to burn bridges in such a close environment, but my DC loves feeling like they live in a friendly village.

[Anonymous]

I attended a R1 university and my dd is at a SLAC - it is an unbelievably positive experience compared to mine. My advice would be to have him take advantage of it all - the small classes, the opportunity to work closely with professors - indeed, to have coffee or dinner with them - and if it is a rich SLAC (like WASP schools), educate themself on the many, many resources available to them. For my dd, her SLAC is like a different world - she is a NYC kid and finds the natural beauty of the rural setting, easy access to hiking, skiing, etc, awesome. She loves the small town feel of it, the community engagement, how many parties, events, performances, etc., are happening on campus all the time. The professors and administration will bend over backwards to help the students achieve their goals - she expressed interest in a topic during office hours with one professor - by that afternoon, the professor had connected her with a professor (at another school) who was conducting research in that very rarified subject, who encouraged dd to apply for a fellowship.

[Anonymous]

OP, it is a different world. I was a commuter at A state, third-party tier university as was my husband. Our kid went to an Ivy. They were prepared though because they went to an elite private school. Lots of kids at LAC will be super rich and there will be less diversity than many publics. Also, your kid may be behind in writing.

[Anonymous]

Two of my kids are at SLACs. They attended a large, Title I, majority-minority high school. The transition was a little shocking and difficult at first but they both love it now. Many of their classmates attended NE boarding schools, and there is a significant amount of wealth and a high number of athletes. But they have found their people. They love the tight-knit community, the collaborative environment, small classes, and relationship with professors and faculty. My third child (a rising senior) now thinks they want to attend an SLAC too, based on their siblings' experience. The only thing we don't like is the price tag. Oh, and it hasn't been easy to find jobs on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of high school / prep school did your child attend ?

Most LACs resemble private boarding schools in most respects. LACs are somewhat like small towns--living in a tiny community where seemingly everyone knows your business.

Ours went to an elite prep boarding school and has shared that the idea of attending an LAC was of no interest as it would be too much like repeating boarding school.

The whole boarding school thing is just so weird.

[Anonymous]

I went to a Jesuit LAC while DC went to a large flagship. Felt a lot bigger and, I guess, had more of a large public school feel. Students at my school were mostly from Catholic/Jesuit high schools in that state and other states in the region, while I believe the majority of the students at the flagship are from public schools within the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of high school / prep school did your child attend ?

Most LACs resemble private boarding schools in most respects. LACs are somewhat like small towns--living in a tiny community where seemingly everyone knows your business.

Ours went to an elite prep boarding school and has shared that the idea of attending an LAC was of no interest as it would be too much like repeating boarding school.

You share this experience often in posts about LACs. You might consider where and when this anecdote would be helpful. Should you join a thread to point out that our own child decided against a choice that someone else has already made? (Especially when your kid had a rarified school experience different than the vast majority of teens today?) No, that's not helpful or appropriate.

Your insight might be helpful if a poster asks "where should my elite prep boarding school student apply?" It's not relevant to the vast majority of families considering (or already committed to!) liberal arts colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a Jesuit LAC while DC went to a large flagship. Felt a lot bigger and, I guess, had more of a large public school feel. Students at my school were mostly from Catholic/Jesuit high schools in that state and other states in the region, while I believe the majority of the students at the flagship are from public schools within the state.

People at the LAC were also mostly from large cities (where the larger Catholic/Jesuit high schools are --there would be several from the same larger private high schools), while the flagship has more people from rural parts of the state.