Question of Parents of Kids at SLACs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell works for some, but not for all. It is a very wealthy school. Very liberal.

Wrong again. Yes, it’s liberal. But it is not wealthy at all, especially when compared to other elite liberal arts colleges. Do your research before spouting off.

Grinnell College has the 5th largest endowment of all LACs.

Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Pomona, then Grinnell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will say my kid’s SLAC seems to put a ton of emphasis on the career center— they help with resume writing, mock interviews, networking events etc. I don’t remember anything like that at my Ivy (maybe it was just a “lower Ivy” though).

What is a lower Ivy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say my kid’s SLAC seems to put a ton of emphasis on the career center— they help with resume writing, mock interviews, networking events etc. I don’t remember anything like that at my Ivy (maybe it was just a “lower Ivy” though).

What is a lower Ivy?

Some consider any Ivy League school other than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton to be a "lower Ivy". In reality, there is no such designation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell works for some, but not for all. It is a very wealthy school. Very liberal.

Wrong again. Yes, it’s liberal. But it is not wealthy at all, especially when compared to other elite liberal arts colleges. Do your research before spouting off.

You are incorrect. Grinnell College is a wealthy LAC. Grinnell's endowment is almost at $3 billion--which is more than Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Tufts, or Georgetown.

Grinnell's Endowment Per Student is almost $2 million per student which places it as approximately the 10th highest among all US universities & colleges.

Grinnell College is a very wealthy school.

It's wealthy, but it's super woke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell works for some, but not for all. It is a very wealthy school. Very liberal.

Wrong again. Yes, it’s liberal. But it is not wealthy at all, especially when compared to other elite liberal arts colleges. Do your research before spouting off.

You are incorrect. Grinnell College is a wealthy LAC. Grinnell's endowment is almost at $3 billion--which is more than Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Tufts, or Georgetown.

Grinnell's Endowment Per Student is almost $2 million per student which places it as approximately the 10th highest among all US universities & colleges.

Grinnell College is a very wealthy school.

It's wealthy, but it's super woke.

You are 100% correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell works for some, but not for all. It is a very wealthy school. Very liberal.

Wrong again. Yes, it’s liberal. But it is not wealthy at all, especially when compared to other elite liberal arts colleges. Do your research before spouting off.

Hmmm, maybe you need to follow your own advice there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read through this thread. Why are the SLAC/LAC supporters so angry ? They come across as unhinged and militant.

Hm. As someone who read through the whole thread and has no personal connection to SLACs, I came to exactly the opposite conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read through this thread. Why are the SLAC/LAC supporters so angry ? They come across as unhinged and militant.

Really? I think it's the anti-LAC crowd that seems unhinged/militant. Why do they care so much that some students prefer a small college?

Not the PP to whom you're responding, but: I think the answer in many cases is that they get so worked up because they belive LACs are hotbeds of liberal politics, not just "liberal arts." My DC goes to a LAC which is, indeed, a hotbed of liberal beliefs, but how my DC's attendance there affects the anti-LAC militants or their kids is just beyond me.

I do think you are on to something. The only person I know in real life who hates SLACs is also a literally crazy MAGA person. I had not made the connection but I think you are right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never really paid attention to SLACs for my kid because of two concerns, but I wonder if they are justified.

1. My current junior is very undecided in terms of major or career path, and so it seems like a larger university would have more options once her direction becomes clearer. I'm certain she won't be interested in engineering, so there's no need for an engineering school. But generally speaking, it seems like larger schools would have a broader and deeper set of majors.

2. I'm wondering about the process of getting a job at graduation. I'm not questioning the quality of the schools. But large schools have tons of employers coming to campus for on-campus interviews. And it may even matter in terms of internships and that kind of thing, given that a large school with more infrastructure for career services would be beneficial. (I have an older kid (current sophomore) at a lower ivy and she has had a ton of summer internship interviews -- and I get the impressing that many of those firms have a list of schools they draw from.)

If your kid is at a SLAC, have you found the above to be challenging, or am I overthinking things?

OP: You are correct; you are not overthinking these concerns.

While you are spot-on correct in your thinking, those who attend the most elite LACs should have no problem finding employment opportunities--but I doubt that the list is very deep. However, a significant percentage of LAC students move on to grad school. Not sure whether or not this is a plan prior to entering college or just what develops during college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read through this thread. Why are the SLAC/LAC supporters so angry ? They come across as unhinged and militant.

Really? I think it's the anti-LAC crowd that seems unhinged/militant. Why do they care so much that some students prefer a small college?

Not the PP to whom you're responding, but: I think the answer in many cases is that they get so worked up because they belive LACs are hotbeds of liberal politics, not just "liberal arts." My DC goes to a LAC which is, indeed, a hotbed of liberal beliefs, but how my DC's attendance there affects the anti-LAC militants or their kids is just beyond me.

I do think you are on to something. The only person I know in real life who hates SLACs is also a literally crazy MAGA person. I had not made the connection but I think you are right.

WOW ! I suspect that you might have a bit too much time on your hands. A ridiculous "observation" such as this reflects more on the poster than it does the target.

We get it. You want to promote LACs by denigrating those whom you perceive to disagree with you. Getting old--and I doubt that you are helping your cause.

Why not take a more mature approach to presenting your views.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read through this thread. Why are the SLAC/LAC supporters so angry ? They come across as unhinged and militant.

Really? I think it's the anti-LAC crowd that seems unhinged/militant. Why do they care so much that some students prefer a small college?

Not the PP to whom you're responding, but: I think the answer in many cases is that they get so worked up because they belive LACs are hotbeds of liberal politics, not just "liberal arts." My DC goes to a LAC which is, indeed, a hotbed of liberal beliefs, but how my DC's attendance there affects the anti-LAC militants or their kids is just beyond me.

I do think you are on to something. The only person I know in real life who hates SLACs is also a literally crazy MAGA person. I had not made the connection but I think you are right.

WOW ! I suspect that you might have a bit too much time on your hands. A ridiculous "observation" such as this reflects more on the poster than it does the target.

We get it. You want to promote LACs by denigrating those whom you perceive to disagree with you. Getting old--and I doubt that you are helping your cause.

Why not take a more mature approach to presenting your views.

Interesting how insanely heated and paranoid your response is. You aren’t doing a lot to dissuade me from the position that people who hate SLACs are pretty unhinged and probably MAGA. I don’t have a personal connection to them, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never really paid attention to SLACs for my kid because of two concerns, but I wonder if they are justified.

1. My current junior is very undecided in terms of major or career path, and so it seems like a larger university would have more options once her direction becomes clearer. I'm certain she won't be interested in engineering, so there's no need for an engineering school. But generally speaking, it seems like larger schools would have a broader and deeper set of majors.

2. I'm wondering about the process of getting a job at graduation. I'm not questioning the quality of the schools. But large schools have tons of employers coming to campus for on-campus interviews. And it may even matter in terms of internships and that kind of thing, given that a large school with more infrastructure for career services would be beneficial. (I have an older kid (current sophomore) at a lower ivy and she has had a ton of summer internship interviews -- and I get the impressing that many of those firms have a list of schools they draw from.)

If your kid is at a SLAC, have you found the above to be challenging, or am I overthinking things?

OP: You are correct; you are not overthinking these concerns.

While you are spot-on correct in your thinking, those who attend the most elite LACs should have no problem finding employment opportunities--but I doubt that the list is very deep. However, a significant percentage of LAC students move on to grad school. Not sure whether or not this is a plan prior to entering college or just what develops during college.

And I think that the list does not go very deep in part due to size of student body and due to remote locations as well as to lack of specialization.

A liberal arts degree prepares one for graduate study in the liberal arts or in a professional school (law school or medical school) more than for immediate immersion in the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read through this thread. Why are the SLAC/LAC supporters so angry ? They come across as unhinged and militant.

Really? I think it's the anti-LAC crowd that seems unhinged/militant. Why do they care so much that some students prefer a small college?

Not the PP to whom you're responding, but: I think the answer in many cases is that they get so worked up because they belive LACs are hotbeds of liberal politics, not just "liberal arts." My DC goes to a LAC which is, indeed, a hotbed of liberal beliefs, but how my DC's attendance there affects the anti-LAC militants or their kids is just beyond me.

I do think you are on to something. The only person I know in real life who hates SLACs is also a literally crazy MAGA person. I had not made the connection but I think you are right.

WOW ! I suspect that you might have a bit too much time on your hands. A ridiculous "observation" such as this reflects more on the poster than it does the target.

We get it. You want to promote LACs by denigrating those whom you perceive to disagree with you. Getting old--and I doubt that you are helping your cause.

Why not take a more mature approach to presenting your views.

Interesting how insanely heated and paranoid your response is. You aren’t doing a lot to dissuade me from the position that people who hate SLACs are pretty unhinged and probably MAGA. I don’t have a personal connection to them, either.

Okay. Sure. Very persuasive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never really paid attention to SLACs for my kid because of two concerns, but I wonder if they are justified.

1. My current junior is very undecided in terms of major or career path, and so it seems like a larger university would have more options once her direction becomes clearer. I'm certain she won't be interested in engineering, so there's no need for an engineering school. But generally speaking, it seems like larger schools would have a broader and deeper set of majors.

2. I'm wondering about the process of getting a job at graduation. I'm not questioning the quality of the schools. But large schools have tons of employers coming to campus for on-campus interviews. And it may even matter in terms of internships and that kind of thing, given that a large school with more infrastructure for career services would be beneficial. (I have an older kid (current sophomore) at a lower ivy and she has had a ton of summer internship interviews -- and I get the impressing that many of those firms have a list of schools they draw from.)

If your kid is at a SLAC, have you found the above to be challenging, or am I overthinking things?

OP: You are correct; you are not overthinking these concerns.

While you are spot-on correct in your thinking, those who attend the most elite LACs should have no problem finding employment opportunities--but I doubt that the list is very deep. However, a significant percentage of LAC students move on to grad school. Not sure whether or not this is a plan prior to entering college or just what develops during college.

And I think that the list does not go very deep in part due to size of student body and due to remote locations as well as to lack of specialization.

A liberal arts degree prepares one for graduate study in the liberal arts or in a professional school (law school or medical school) more than for immediate immersion in the workforce.

It is college not trade school, so that makes sense.

But seriously, many employers hire LA majors. Not every job needs specialized college courses—in fact most probability don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say my kid’s SLAC seems to put a ton of emphasis on the career center— they help with resume writing, mock interviews, networking events etc. I don’t remember anything like that at my Ivy (maybe it was just a “lower Ivy” though).

What is a lower Ivy?

Some consider any Ivy League school other than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton to be a "lower Ivy". In reality, there is no such designation.

"Lower Ivy" is a delusion that exists only in the fevered imaginations of DCUM strivers