This is an interesting article on why some LACs are struggling with enrollment, most LACs lag R1s on yield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key take away from the article:

"These institutions are not in crisis—their academic programs remain strong, their campuses are well-maintained, and their graduates do well."

Well that's one takeaway but hardly the main one. The main one is that outside of a few hyper selective ones with big endowments, most LACs are struggling with enrollment. But the ones that are struggling are often the ones that can offer you more merit aid. Also, LACs across the board lag R1s in yield rate increases.

It doesn't say any such thing because it didn't look at anything outside of the top universities.

[Anonymous]

Interesting article. Thx for pointing out this OP.

It does seem like there’s more buzz toward bigger schools. Seems like medium size is theseeet spot for most.

[Anonymous]

I meant sweet spot for most!

[Anonymous]

Why would a struggling LAC offer significant merit aid? Full tuition is a net negative on a school; only wealthy ones can afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would a struggling LAC offer significant merit aid? Full tuition is a net negative on a school; only wealthy ones can afford it.

To incent a stronger student to commit?

Most selective LACs like Pomona don’t offer much or any merit aid, but struggling Scripps does.

[Anonymous]

Most of the LACs just need to accept that integration of pre professional resources is important to families. Why don’t the Claremont schools have pipelines to Hollywood? To aerospace? To tech?

Why doesn’t Williams have a program with the local department of public health? Or a major conservation organization in western mass? Or rural healthcare?

All of these lacs have alum and students mass applying and scrambling for internship and job opportunities. Many major universities give them out like candy. You have to actually integrate your college into daily life rather than keeping these students sheltered.

[Anonymous]

The application growth graph was interesting, and surprising. The green, yellow, red “traffic lights” graph.

[Anonymous]

Not at all surprising that top tier LACs are doing better than lower tier LACs. The value proposition for Oberlin or Kenyon is weak.

Plenty of people are going to choose a state flagship over a second tier LAC, this makes great sense just from a financial perspective, which the article doesn’t really emphasize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at all surprising that top tier LACs are doing better than lower tier LACs. The value proposition for Oberlin or Kenyon is weak.

Plenty of people are going to choose a state flagship over a second tier LAC, this makes great sense just from a financial perspective, which the article doesn’t really emphasize.

Except that 2nd-tier LACs like Kenyon, Oxy, Macalester, etc. do offer merit aid of around $25K per year, which brings them in line with OOS public schools for those who want/need more scaffolding and smaller classes in their college experience. My DD is ADHD inattentive and chose a small LAC over an OOS public flagship for that reason. Both would have tuition of around $45K/year but she felt she'd struggle more in a large place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the LACs just need to accept that integration of pre professional resources is important to families. Why don’t the Claremont schools have pipelines to Hollywood? To aerospace? To tech?

Mudd has pipelines to aerospace and tech. Always has! Also has pipelines to grad schools. Many Mudd grads become professors. Mudd costs a lot but is worth it.

(Source, I went there)

[Anonymous]

I think LACs should start offering lower prices to high stats kids to make it more attractive to attend. My high stats kid doesn't want to go to a small LAC, but he might if he got a half-ride for having high GPA/SAT over 1500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This trend is due to STEM being pushed in grade school and high school. Now that is slowly reversing, so the tide will turn again.

is it reversing tho?

Comp Sci is, but don't think that's the case with engineering or other STEM areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not at all surprising that top tier LACs are doing better than lower tier LACs. The value proposition for Oberlin or Kenyon is weak.

Plenty of people are going to choose a state flagship over a second tier LAC, this makes great sense just from a financial perspective, which the article doesn’t really emphasize.

Except that 2nd-tier LACs like Kenyon, Oxy, Macalester, etc. do offer merit aid of around $25K per year, which brings them in line with OOS public schools for those who want/need more scaffolding and smaller classes in their college experience. My DD is ADHD inattentive and chose a small LAC over an OOS public flagship for that reason. Both would have tuition of around $45K/year but she felt she'd struggle more in a large place.

TCOA at those schools is ~$93k compared to $27-35k for most flagships (or $42k for UVA) and most kids are not going to get $50k merit.

If your kid needed a LAC for personal reasons, ok, but that’s not the calculation most people are making.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think LACs should start offering lower prices to high stats kids to make it more attractive to attend. My high stats kid doesn't want to go to a small LAC, but he might if he got a half-ride for having high GPA/SAT over 1500.

The less wealthy LACs can't afford to do that. The most wealthy LACs don't need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the LACs just need to accept that integration of pre professional resources is important to families. Why don’t the Claremont schools have pipelines to Hollywood? To aerospace? To tech?

Mudd has pipelines to aerospace and tech. Always has! Also has pipelines to grad schools. Many Mudd grads become professors. Mudd costs a lot but is worth it.

(Source, I went there)

But it doesn’t have guaranteed hire pipelines like state schools do. The connections are because alum work there, not collaborations with the college itself