What is the attraction of big schools?

[Anonymous]

My child is young for his age. He just moved into a VERY small school. So far I am VERY happy with his decision. Nice kids, attentive staff, small classes. I great place to spread his wings at least for the first few years away from home. After that, he can do study abroad.

[Anonymous]

You really have to ask this? I think a better question would be "what's the attraction of small schools?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior. She says, "The bigger the better". She is at MCPS and has never sat in a class of 150 students. I have tried to explain bigger is not necessarily better but she will not hear of it. She want BIG -- Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama. And it seems a lot of her friends are the same way. It is interesting, I went to small school and hubby went to small state flagship. But hey, it's her life.

I went to a big school and I agree with your daughter - the bigger the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior. She says, "The bigger the better". She is at MCPS and has never sat in a class of 150 students. I have tried to explain bigger is not necessarily better but she will not hear of it. She want BIG -- Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama. And it seems a lot of her friends are the same way. It is interesting, I went to small school and hubby went to small state flagship. But hey, it's her life.

These are not very good schools, so I'm sorry, but I'm not too impressed with her thought process.

Wow, what an insightful comment. Btw, I am not too impressed with your snobbery. You must be miserable to be around.

perhaps, but those are still not very good schools.

What's your point? People apply to schools that meet their stats. If she were applying to small schools, they proabably wouldn't impress someone like you either. And they're not nearly as exciting!

[Anonymous]

Kid is attending The Ohio State U and she LOVES IT.....Once she saw what a large school has to offer there was no turning back. Unlimited resources to get involved. She only considered large state schools. In the beginning of the process, she considered some smaller schools including Privates, and she just did not like the idea of being so limited. Even decent sized schools such as BU do not have a lot of school spirit that she saw at some of the state schools she visited.

[Anonymous]

Ohio St. acceptance rate around 61%. Most people go where they can get in I guess.

[Anonymous]

Such a dumb thread. What’s better, pizza or hamburgers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Such a dumb thread. What’s better, pizza or hamburgers?

OP didn't ask which is "better." She asked what's the attraction? Some decent answers have been given.

[Anonymous]

After attending a HS with about 450 total students and less than 100 in my graduating class, I was more than ready to jsut be a face in the crowd. It was quite freeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Ohio St. acceptance rate around 61%. Most people go where they can get in I guess.

Not sure where you got that figure, .but how many can go on a full ride ? and yes you are an Idiot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Ohio St. acceptance rate around 61%. Most people go where they can get in I guess.

Not sure where you got that figure, .but how many can go on a full ride ? and yes you are an Idiot!

I got it from here: http://www.acceptancerate.com/schools/ohio-state-university-main-campus

Not sure why the venom? I never suggested it is not a very fine school, what with all the tail-gate parties and lots of school spirit and stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Ohio St. acceptance rate around 61%. Most people go where they can get in I guess.

Not sure where you got that figure, .but how many can go on a full ride ? and yes you are an Idiot!

I got it from here: http://www.acceptancerate.com/schools/ohio-state-university-main-campus

Not sure why the venom? I never suggested it is not a very fine school, what with all the tail-gate parties and lots of school spirit and stuff.

Because you came across as very demeaning and as a snob. The original poster was asking about big school vs small school and I was just simply answering with her experience....Not everyone wants to attend Harvard or even GW, etc... Everyone has their reasons. But the end of the day is all about fit which can be define in many ways. FYI, last I looked OSU was ranked 54 in the nation and their business school was ranked 14. Not to shabby! and for a little more perspective, schools such as OSU, Florida, Maryland, etc have a incredible alumni network with an incredible and infectious sense of pride. Not just in their local communities but all over the world. But by the end of day, it will come down to her and she makes out of this opportunity. This goes for everyone here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Permission to reinvent yourself without people you knew from high school questioning why you’re evolving.

Lots of options, easy to pivot when interests change.

Easier to be anonymous and not have everyone knowing your business. I went to a school of 4500 and we knew withing hours when people screwed up...and that was before social media.

On the contrary, if you go to a large in-state college, it is nearly impossible to reinvent yourself as 20-50 of your high school classmates will be there with you. And if you go to a large out of state college, chances are that many people are hanging out with their high school friends.

I’m having a hard time believing that almost 5,000 kids knew someone’s business within minutes. My dd has about 600 in her grade in HS and still hasn’t met at least a quarter of them by senior year.

My experience is that, in most situations, people end up with a universe of people that ends up staying about the same size.

I've lived in all sorts of places, of all sizes, and I think the only real difference in the way I actually lived has been the result of whether I could walk to shops or whether I had to drive. Otherwise, I always end up going to roughly the same number of shops and restuarants,, knowing roughly the same number of people, and running to people I know on the street with roughly the same frequency.

[Anonymous]

Cost OP. That's all most people can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Such a dumb thread. What’s better, pizza or hamburgers?

OP didn't ask which is "better." She asked what's the attraction? Some decent answers have been given.

This big school small school topic is covered ad nauseum here and it never really gets anywhere. Sure, fine, some people make (mostly obvious) observations but in the end they either like pizza or hamburger and so will the OP. Want to know the attraction of a big school? Go see one. You’ll either dig it or you won’t. It’s largely a very personal, emotional response. I say pizza, by the way. And small schools, though a big time football game is pretty damn awesome.