Beware of Small Liberal Arts Colleges if you're not on a sport

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Dc is at a SLAC and the social scene is stifling. Wish she had wound up at a bigger school.

I think these are anti-slac troll posts.

+1

If your kid doesn't like the school, they should transfer. We know many non-athlete kids who are having an amazing time at a SLAC - the only whiners are the parents on this forum.

I’m not convinced they are actually parents. Or if they are, God help their poor kids because they are insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at a NESCAC and don't want to get specific because I think it's the same everywhere.But a warning to those of you looking at colleges that if you're not on a team or in a singing group or theatre group, your social life will be trying to find those few others on campus who aren't affiliated with a big team or club. The club activities are not steady enough to create any kind of real bond. And the teams are so exclusionary -- they eat together and party together. It sucks. We were attracted to these schools because of their size, but they wind up feeling like high school, only less mingling.

You sound overly invested in your child's social life. Are you a helicopter parent or the teen her/himself?

[Anonymous]

It might just be people trying to get others to not accept offers at the SLACS because of the small number of spaces offered. So, don't always believe what you read on the net.

[Anonymous]

Football and lax are different than swimming and track in how they interact and party at these schools. I don't get why tiny SLACs still have football teams. At some point it will probably be a liability issue $$ and more will stop (did people read that Heisman CTE article in the Post?).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might just be people trying to get others to not accept offers at the SLACS because of the small number of spaces offered. So, don't always believe what you read on the net.

That’s a reasonable thought. These nutty threads always kick up around the time EA decisions come in.

[Anonymous]

The lax bros from Maryland and from Long Island are even more visible in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Dc is at a SLAC and the social scene is stifling. Wish she had wound up at a bigger school.

I think these are anti-slac troll posts.

They are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Child is a non-athlete at a NESCAC school and is having the time of their life. They have made friends during Freshman orientation trips, Outing Club trips, club sports, music and several academic clubs. They are also hoping to live in a College House next year (this college's answer to no Greek Life).

So your kid is in a music group. Did you read OP’s post?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at a NESCAC and don't want to get specific because I think it's the same everywhere.But a warning to those of you looking at colleges that if you're not on a team or in a singing group or theatre group, your social life will be trying to find those few others on campus who aren't affiliated with a big team or club. The club activities are not steady enough to create any kind of real bond. And the teams are so exclusionary -- they eat together and party together. It sucks. We were attracted to these schools because of their size, but they wind up feeling like high school, only less mingling.

I think this is wrong. SLACs offer so much entertainment and clubs, etc. I have to say this is OP's child's issues with the new school. A SLAC, like a University, can offer only so much. If the kid doesn't bite, that's not the fault of the institution - and I say that as someone who attended a small SLAC and huge university for law school, married to a slac husband, with Slac and University children.

[Anonymous]

Do kids complain to their parents about this stuff in a lot of depth? I too wonder about the post. I also think college is often what you make of it. There are rare exceptions but the kid should be able to find some good people!

[Anonymous]

https://williamsrecord.com/161/opinions/bridging-the-athlete-and-non-athlete-divide-calling-for-more-conversation/
There seem to be a few articles on this topic if you do a Google search. But this divide is not created by the students but is there because of how athletics works at these schools.

[Anonymous]

“We are at a NESAC”? Did you enroll with your kid???

[Anonymous]

your experience may not be relevant. private colleges didn't think title ix applied to them (it was taken to court) so there wasn't a women's hockey team, etc at all these schools for a long time.

also, women contribute to outperform men, more so than in 1995 or whatever when we were in school. so if a school is 60/40 leaning women, this impacts more than women. there are an N number of athletes, not a %. so more men are on teams. also, the smaller the school that fields a lot of teams, the bigger the issue.

also, this is dependent on schools.

https://xfactoradmissions.com/basic-guide-to-college-admissions/total-ncaa-athletes-at-the-top-colleges#

Williams, Bowdoin, Haverford .. an issue. Less so at places like Vassar.

You guys don't have to use data like, "this was not my experience at a slac. thus, can't be a problem at any slacs". there's data and recently reported stories by students themselves in school publications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might just be people trying to get others to not accept offers at the SLACS because of the small number of spaces offered. So, don't always believe what you read on the net.

It’s definitely something that is discussed online. I think SLACs offer tons of good opportunities. But BIPOC, non-wealthy, and/or non-athletes have described not fitting in some of these schools. So it’s definitely a consideration for those of us researching them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“We are at a NESAC”? Did you enroll with your kid???

Too funny and apparently too true!