LACs are overrated.

[Anonymous]

Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

Rent free

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

You'll be back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to look at the date this thread began, and yep — it's that same old 2021 thread that some weird LAC-hater keeps reviving.

Once again! Different schools are great for different kids. Big universities are ideal for some undergraduates. And for many others, LACs are kind of the platonic ideal of college: small classes taught by dedicated professors, and a community where you won't get lost in a sea of students.

And I don't just mean the Amhersts and Pomonas, but even a lot of LACs slightly lower on US News's rankings can be terrific for the right undergraduate. I've had colleagues and friends who went to places like Beliot, Knox, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, etc. who are very smart, even-keeled, happy adults who've had great career tracks. (Some but not all did grad school.)

I guess by making this comment, I'm keeping this thread alive even more. But jeez, quit the axe-grinding.

I’m assuming the anti-LAC posts are either an algorithm or some underpaid content farmer trying to dream up pot stirring content (like many of the posts on DCUM the follow the “I think [idiotic opinion]. Discuss.” formula. I can’t imagine actual functioning adults caring enough about other parents’ college choices to create a thread about it.

i think it’s the reverse. an LAC troll creating threads when people do not give two shits about LACs

Then why do you engage? Are you so insecure that you can't handle the thought that you made a bad decision? Your kid will be fine at Towson.

I am not going to bother trying to figure out who is talking to who. But I live near Towson. It's a perfectly fine regional state university that launches many of its graduates into competent and successful lives. And the kids seem normal and happy. Which is more than I can say for some of the "fancy" schools, including my own alma mater.

-- double Ivy grad.

It makes sense. They also didn't pay $90k for a school that the layman and most employers do not know nor care about.

Not to drag this out any more that it needs to be, but this has always seemed like a pretty weird criticism of SLACs. Does John Q know what Wash U is or Rice (outside of St. Louis and Houston)? No, most people don’t know most schools unless they have a sports team of note or are one of the evil 8. Does a west coast employer who knows those schools really not know what Middlebury or Haverford or Bucknell is? If so they’re pretty bad at their job. I’m not in the Williams is just as good as Harvard camp. Apples and oranges. But the general SLAC slander is pretty weak.

Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening.

Exactomundo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do some people seem to want LACs to flag or fail? What harm are they doing?

We have too many useless colleges in this country offering too many useless majors. Half of the SLACs would close in the near future anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to look at the date this thread began, and yep — it's that same old 2021 thread that some weird LAC-hater keeps reviving.

Once again! Different schools are great for different kids. Big universities are ideal for some undergraduates. And for many others, LACs are kind of the platonic ideal of college: small classes taught by dedicated professors, and a community where you won't get lost in a sea of students.

And I don't just mean the Amhersts and Pomonas, but even a lot of LACs slightly lower on US News's rankings can be terrific for the right undergraduate. I've had colleagues and friends who went to places like Beliot, Knox, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, etc. who are very smart, even-keeled, happy adults who've had great career tracks. (Some but not all did grad school.)

I guess by making this comment, I'm keeping this thread alive even more. But jeez, quit the axe-grinding.

I’m assuming the anti-LAC posts are either an algorithm or some underpaid content farmer trying to dream up pot stirring content (like many of the posts on DCUM the follow the “I think [idiotic opinion]. Discuss.” formula. I can’t imagine actual functioning adults caring enough about other parents’ college choices to create a thread about it.

i think it’s the reverse. an LAC troll creating threads when people do not give two shits about LACs

Then why do you engage? Are you so insecure that you can't handle the thought that you made a bad decision? Your kid will be fine at Towson.

I am not going to bother trying to figure out who is talking to who. But I live near Towson. It's a perfectly fine regional state university that launches many of its graduates into competent and successful lives. And the kids seem normal and happy. Which is more than I can say for some of the "fancy" schools, including my own alma mater.

-- double Ivy grad.

It makes sense. They also didn't pay $90k for a school that the layman and most employers do not know nor care about.

Not to drag this out any more that it needs to be, but this has always seemed like a pretty weird criticism of SLACs. Does John Q know what Wash U is or Rice (outside of St. Louis and Houston)? No, most people don’t know most schools unless they have a sports team of note or are one of the evil 8. Does a west coast employer who knows those schools really not know what Middlebury or Haverford or Bucknell is? If so they’re pretty bad at their job. I’m not in the Williams is just as good as Harvard camp. Apples and oranges. But the general SLAC slander is pretty weak.

Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening.

This is wild. So any person who says something positive about their Alma mater/where DC attends is fibbing/engaging in boosterism unless your first Gen Asian parents have heard of it? I get that there are only like 15 schools that matter to the very vocal unhinged NoVa Asian moms on this board. I don’t get why you have to create/jump into LAC threads to piss on them. Especially when you really don’t know what you’re talking about because you’ve never cared to look closely at those schools (maybe the two “most prestigious” tops.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to look at the date this thread began, and yep — it's that same old 2021 thread that some weird LAC-hater keeps reviving.

Once again! Different schools are great for different kids. Big universities are ideal for some undergraduates. And for many others, LACs are kind of the platonic ideal of college: small classes taught by dedicated professors, and a community where you won't get lost in a sea of students.

And I don't just mean the Amhersts and Pomonas, but even a lot of LACs slightly lower on US News's rankings can be terrific for the right undergraduate. I've had colleagues and friends who went to places like Beliot, Knox, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, etc. who are very smart, even-keeled, happy adults who've had great career tracks. (Some but not all did grad school.)

I guess by making this comment, I'm keeping this thread alive even more. But jeez, quit the axe-grinding.

I’m assuming the anti-LAC posts are either an algorithm or some underpaid content farmer trying to dream up pot stirring content (like many of the posts on DCUM the follow the “I think [idiotic opinion]. Discuss.” formula. I can’t imagine actual functioning adults caring enough about other parents’ college choices to create a thread about it.

i think it’s the reverse. an LAC troll creating threads when people do not give two shits about LACs

Then why do you engage? Are you so insecure that you can't handle the thought that you made a bad decision? Your kid will be fine at Towson.

I am not going to bother trying to figure out who is talking to who. But I live near Towson. It's a perfectly fine regional state university that launches many of its graduates into competent and successful lives. And the kids seem normal and happy. Which is more than I can say for some of the "fancy" schools, including my own alma mater.

-- double Ivy grad.

It makes sense. They also didn't pay $90k for a school that the layman and most employers do not know nor care about.

Not to drag this out any more that it needs to be, but this has always seemed like a pretty weird criticism of SLACs. Does John Q know what Wash U is or Rice (outside of St. Louis and Houston)? No, most people don’t know most schools unless they have a sports team of note or are one of the evil 8. Does a west coast employer who knows those schools really not know what Middlebury or Haverford or Bucknell is? If so they’re pretty bad at their job. I’m not in the Williams is just as good as Harvard camp. Apples and oranges. But the general SLAC slander is pretty weak.

Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening.

This is wild. So any person who says something positive about their Alma mater/where DC attends is fibbing/engaging in boosterism unless your first Gen Asian parents have heard of it? I get that there are only like 15 schools that matter to the very vocal unhinged NoVa Asian moms on this board. I don’t get why you have to create/jump into LAC threads to piss on them. Especially when you really don’t know what you’re talking about because you’ve never cared to look closely at those schools (maybe the two “most prestigious” tops.).

Why automatically assume asian mom? Are you stereotyping/biased? Maybe it was a white mom, Hispanic mom etc.

Bunch of hypocrites who say they love acceptance and tolerance but sure seem to dislike/discriminate against asians on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to look at the date this thread began, and yep — it's that same old 2021 thread that some weird LAC-hater keeps reviving.

Once again! Different schools are great for different kids. Big universities are ideal for some undergraduates. And for many others, LACs are kind of the platonic ideal of college: small classes taught by dedicated professors, and a community where you won't get lost in a sea of students.

And I don't just mean the Amhersts and Pomonas, but even a lot of LACs slightly lower on US News's rankings can be terrific for the right undergraduate. I've had colleagues and friends who went to places like Beliot, Knox, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, etc. who are very smart, even-keeled, happy adults who've had great career tracks. (Some but not all did grad school.)

I guess by making this comment, I'm keeping this thread alive even more. But jeez, quit the axe-grinding.

I’m assuming the anti-LAC posts are either an algorithm or some underpaid content farmer trying to dream up pot stirring content (like many of the posts on DCUM the follow the “I think [idiotic opinion]. Discuss.” formula. I can’t imagine actual functioning adults caring enough about other parents’ college choices to create a thread about it.

i think it’s the reverse. an LAC troll creating threads when people do not give two shits about LACs

Then why do you engage? Are you so insecure that you can't handle the thought that you made a bad decision? Your kid will be fine at Towson.

I am not going to bother trying to figure out who is talking to who. But I live near Towson. It's a perfectly fine regional state university that launches many of its graduates into competent and successful lives. And the kids seem normal and happy. Which is more than I can say for some of the "fancy" schools, including my own alma mater.

-- double Ivy grad.

It makes sense. They also didn't pay $90k for a school that the layman and most employers do not know nor care about.

Not to drag this out any more that it needs to be, but this has always seemed like a pretty weird criticism of SLACs. Does John Q know what Wash U is or Rice (outside of St. Louis and Houston)? No, most people don’t know most schools unless they have a sports team of note or are one of the evil 8. Does a west coast employer who knows those schools really not know what Middlebury or Haverford or Bucknell is? If so they’re pretty bad at their job. I’m not in the Williams is just as good as Harvard camp. Apples and oranges. But the general SLAC slander is pretty weak.

Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening.

This is wild. So any person who says something positive about their Alma mater/where DC attends is fibbing/engaging in boosterism unless your first Gen Asian parents have heard of it? I get that there are only like 15 schools that matter to the very vocal unhinged NoVa Asian moms on this board. I don’t get why you have to create/jump into LAC threads to piss on them. Especially when you really don’t know what you’re talking about because you’ve never cared to look closely at those schools (maybe the two “most prestigious” tops.).

Why automatically assume asian mom? Are you stereotyping/biased? Maybe it was a white mom, Hispanic mom etc.

Bunch of hypocrites who say they love acceptance and tolerance but sure seem to dislike/discriminate against asians on this forum.

Srsly? The PP was clearly Asian.

[Anonymous]

The good LACs produce better critical thinkers and communicators. These skills will leapfrog technical / mechanical skills in the age of AI. Of course, many LACs have strayed far from their core mission, but a serious student immersed in western canon including lots of philosophy and equipped with scientific thinking will out-compete a technical major in management roles over the long run. Of course, the overall size of the "PMC" (professional managerial class) will decline dramatically, but if you want to swim there, it's a great bet. Increasingly I think we'll see "physical trade" (nursing, ag, hospitality, engineering) schools and really serious liberal arts-type schools doing really well, with the middle falling off drastically. Also, LAC a great way to medicine for serious students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

For Christ's sakes, this is a thread called "LACs are overrated" so, of course people with ACTUAL experience with them are going to chime in to say they are not. What is wrong with that?

...then of course, there are people like you who say LAC boosters are "obsessed," the only people who seem to be obsessed with LACs are the people like you who have some sort of beef with them, for God knows what reason, and like to post about it. I guess to raise our hackles. Whatever.

You can go on bashing them, but why? What do you get out of it? I think anyone who has attended one will say they are not for everyone. Move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to look at the date this thread began, and yep — it's that same old 2021 thread that some weird LAC-hater keeps reviving.

Once again! Different schools are great for different kids. Big universities are ideal for some undergraduates. And for many others, LACs are kind of the platonic ideal of college: small classes taught by dedicated professors, and a community where you won't get lost in a sea of students.

And I don't just mean the Amhersts and Pomonas, but even a lot of LACs slightly lower on US News's rankings can be terrific for the right undergraduate. I've had colleagues and friends who went to places like Beliot, Knox, Whitman, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, etc. who are very smart, even-keeled, happy adults who've had great career tracks. (Some but not all did grad school.)

I guess by making this comment, I'm keeping this thread alive even more. But jeez, quit the axe-grinding.

I’m assuming the anti-LAC posts are either an algorithm or some underpaid content farmer trying to dream up pot stirring content (like many of the posts on DCUM the follow the “I think [idiotic opinion]. Discuss.” formula. I can’t imagine actual functioning adults caring enough about other parents’ college choices to create a thread about it.

i think it’s the reverse. an LAC troll creating threads when people do not give two shits about LACs

Then why do you engage? Are you so insecure that you can't handle the thought that you made a bad decision? Your kid will be fine at Towson.

I am not going to bother trying to figure out who is talking to who. But I live near Towson. It's a perfectly fine regional state university that launches many of its graduates into competent and successful lives. And the kids seem normal and happy. Which is more than I can say for some of the "fancy" schools, including my own alma mater.

-- double Ivy grad.

It makes sense. They also didn't pay $90k for a school that the layman and most employers do not know nor care about.

Not to drag this out any more that it needs to be, but this has always seemed like a pretty weird criticism of SLACs. Does John Q know what Wash U is or Rice (outside of St. Louis and Houston)? No, most people don’t know most schools unless they have a sports team of note or are one of the evil 8. Does a west coast employer who knows those schools really not know what Middlebury or Haverford or Bucknell is? If so they’re pretty bad at their job. I’m not in the Williams is just as good as Harvard camp. Apples and oranges. But the general SLAC slander is pretty weak.

Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening.

This is wild. So any person who says something positive about their Alma mater/where DC attends is fibbing/engaging in boosterism unless your first Gen Asian parents have heard of it? I get that there are only like 15 schools that matter to the very vocal unhinged NoVa Asian moms on this board. I don’t get why you have to create/jump into LAC threads to piss on them. Especially when you really don’t know what you’re talking about because you’ve never cared to look closely at those schools (maybe the two “most prestigious” tops.).

Why automatically assume asian mom? Are you stereotyping/biased? Maybe it was a white mom, Hispanic mom etc.

Bunch of hypocrites who say they love acceptance and tolerance but sure seem to dislike/discriminate against asians on this forum.

"Makes it easier to make stuff up and brag about an unknown SLACs than GMU or JMU. Besides, it has the added benefit of having fewer Asians to compete against (except for maybe a couple).

You know the saying, if more than 20% Asians are in a particular class, drop the class since A is not happening."


Do you agree with this post? Please answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

For Christ's sakes, this is a thread called "LACs are overrated" so, of course people with ACTUAL experience with them are going to chime in to say they are not. What is wrong with that?

...then of course, there are people like you who say LAC boosters are "obsessed," the only people who seem to be obsessed with LACs are the people like you who have some sort of beef with them, for God knows what reason, and like to post about it. I guess to raise our hackles. Whatever.

You can go on bashing them, but why? What do you get out of it? I think anyone who has attended one will say they are not for everyone. Move on.

Stop incessantly posting about LACs - LACs are only a small part of the entire Universities/colleges but they take up disproportional amount of posts in these C and U Discussions.

Another annoyance - stop posting incessantly about changing everything into "per student" figure. We know LACs are small so need to shub that fact down our throats every time some recognition or award is mentioned in this section. Talk about insecurity geez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good lord LAC boosters and their obsession with these small schools is insufferable. Seeing myself out now, yikes ...

For Christ's sakes, this is a thread called "LACs are overrated" so, of course people with ACTUAL experience with them are going to chime in to say they are not. What is wrong with that?

...then of course, there are people like you who say LAC boosters are "obsessed," the only people who seem to be obsessed with LACs are the people like you who have some sort of beef with them, for God knows what reason, and like to post about it. I guess to raise our hackles. Whatever.

You can go on bashing them, but why? What do you get out of it? I think anyone who has attended one will say they are not for everyone. Move on.

Stop incessantly posting about LACs - LACs are only a small part of the entire Universities/colleges but they take up disproportional amount of posts in these C and U Discussions.

Another annoyance - stop posting incessantly about changing everything into "per student" figure. We know LACs are small so need to shub that fact down our throats every time some recognition or award is mentioned in this section. Talk about insecurity geez.

Funny, nobody says this about the incessant number of posts related to admission to the “T20.” I didn’t realize these schools were realistically such a large part of every family’s college application experience that the vile fixation was actually in service of the common good. My spouse went to a highly ranked SLAC and my NARP DC1 goes to another. DC2 who is a high school senior will likely follow to a highly ranked SLAC ranking SLAC as an athlete. I assure you there is no insecurity in that bunch whether you’ve heard of their schools or not.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of most of these tiny Podunk lacs with worthless majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never heard of most of these tiny Podunk lacs with worthless majors.

Don’t say that publicly to influential people, unless you want them to think you are a dolt. You can say that to people in your milieu though.