How are SLACs easier to navigate relative to big state schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

I loved my time there but now, when I take my son on college tours, I see what I missed out on.

The students don’t call it the Big Red Machine for nothing.

Cornell is bigger than UVA. So this isn't surprising. And whether you "missed out on" something is in the eyes of the beholder. One of my kids insisted on attending an SLAC and loved it; my other kids would have jumped off a bridge first. It totally depends on the kid.

My hunch is that you know your kid can't get into a school of Cornell's caliber, so you're preparing yourself now.

Lol don’t bet any money based on your lame hunches; I went to Cornell and I have a kid at a top SLAC who chose it over Cornell. I loved Cornell because of the friends I made, but it was a very impersonal experience when it came to anything administrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been over the president’s house more than once for receptions. Knows his dogs, etc.

For the holiday formal, the faculty serve the kids their meal.

When a class is full or you may not meet the eligibility criteria, the kid writes to the prof and usually can get in.

International students who stay on campus over breaks are invited to faculty homes for the holiday.

Etc etc

Sounds lovely, what school?

I went to a SLAC and so have 2 of our kids. I agree that getting to know faculty is a major advantage for students at SLACs, but having the profs serve the holiday dinner sounds cringe-y.

I see why you might think that, but it is not done from a sense of entitlement or being spoiled. I am sure that the faculty who volunteer (some deans do too) are just good sports. It is a very folksy community (not slick or snarky). The students stand on chairs and sing the 12 Days or Christmas (and there are non-Christian songs as well). To buy tickets, they have to tent on the quad overnight with their friends. it is one of many traditions (like Mountain Day and Storm the Arch) that my DD cherished.

Please pass the vomit bag. Thanks.

I mean, c'mon. This is so over the top.

You are EXACTLY the type of person my kid hoped to avoid.

So that worked out well. 👍

Yea, we never would have met. No worries. My kids didn't look at second tier colleges.

Why so nasty? If the idea of SLACs makes you this angry there must be something bad going on in your life you should probably attend to instead of spewing unnecessary vitriol on the internet over an issue that should be of so little influence over your life.

I have a kid who went to one and loved it. Not Juniata, mind you -- a better one -- but still. So try again.

I'm just saying that both kinds of schools have pluses and minuses.

No, you were just trying to imply that your kid is superior to that of the PP.

Which is pretty pathetic on your part.

Well, I mean, academically I have no doubt that my kid WAS superior to PP. I'd never send a kid to a second tier private school. If they can't get into a top private, I'd send them to a state school. Just saying.

And I really don't think that, generally speaking, second tier private schools are superior to good state schools. Take Juniata, for example. Its six year (not four year) graduation rate is only 76 percent. JMU, widely considered a Virginia second tier public, has a six year graduation rate of 82 percent. A school is only as good as its graduation rate. If Juniata is so wonderful and nurturing and easy to navigate, and JMU is large and impersonal etc etc., why are more students sticking it out at JMU and actually graduating?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

I loved my time there but now, when I take my son on college tours, I see what I missed out on.

The students don’t call it the Big Red Machine for nothing.

Cornell is bigger than UVA. So this isn't surprising. And whether you "missed out on" something is in the eyes of the beholder. One of my kids insisted on attending an SLAC and loved it; my other kids would have jumped off a bridge first. It totally depends on the kid.

My hunch is that you know your kid can't get into a school of Cornell's caliber, so you're preparing yourself now.

UVA has a somewhat higher enrollment.

Not when grad students are counted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

I loved my time there but now, when I take my son on college tours, I see what I missed out on.

The students don’t call it the Big Red Machine for nothing.

Cornell is bigger than UVA. So this isn't surprising. And whether you "missed out on" something is in the eyes of the beholder. One of my kids insisted on attending an SLAC and loved it; my other kids would have jumped off a bridge first. It totally depends on the kid.

My hunch is that you know your kid can't get into a school of Cornell's caliber, so you're preparing yourself now.

Lol don’t bet any money based on your lame hunches; I went to Cornell and I have a kid at a top SLAC who chose it over Cornell. I loved Cornell because of the friends I made, but it was a very impersonal experience when it came to anything administrative.

Legacy admit rejected by all the other Ivies, no doubt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been over the president’s house more than once for receptions. Knows his dogs, etc.

For the holiday formal, the faculty serve the kids their meal.

When a class is full or you may not meet the eligibility criteria, the kid writes to the prof and usually can get in.

International students who stay on campus over breaks are invited to faculty homes for the holiday.

Etc etc

Sounds lovely, what school?

I went to a SLAC and so have 2 of our kids. I agree that getting to know faculty is a major advantage for students at SLACs, but having the profs serve the holiday dinner sounds cringe-y.

I see why you might think that, but it is not done from a sense of entitlement or being spoiled. I am sure that the faculty who volunteer (some deans do too) are just good sports. It is a very folksy community (not slick or snarky). The students stand on chairs and sing the 12 Days or Christmas (and there are non-Christian songs as well). To buy tickets, they have to tent on the quad overnight with their friends. it is one of many traditions (like Mountain Day and Storm the Arch) that my DD cherished.

Please pass the vomit bag. Thanks.

I mean, c'mon. This is so over the top.

You are EXACTLY the type of person my kid hoped to avoid.

So that worked out well. 👍

Yea, we never would have met. No worries. My kids didn't look at second tier colleges.

Why so nasty? If the idea of SLACs makes you this angry there must be something bad going on in your life you should probably attend to instead of spewing unnecessary vitriol on the internet over an issue that should be of so little influence over your life.

I have a kid who went to one and loved it. Not Juniata, mind you -- a better one -- but still. So try again.

I'm just saying that both kinds of schools have pluses and minuses.

No, you were just trying to imply that your kid is superior to that of the PP.

Which is pretty pathetic on your part.

Well, I mean, academically I have no doubt that my kid WAS superior to PP. I'd never send a kid to a second tier private school. If they can't get into a top private, I'd send them to a state school. Just saying.

And I really don't think that, generally speaking, second tier private schools are superior to good state schools. Take Juniata, for example. Its six year (not four year) graduation rate is only 76 percent. JMU, widely considered a Virginia second tier public, has a six year graduation rate of 82 percent. A school is only as good as its graduation rate. If Juniata is so wonderful and nurturing and easy to navigate, and JMU is large and impersonal etc etc., why are more students sticking it out at JMU and actually graduating?

If you were so secure and superior, you would have no need to try to put yourself above others on an anonymous website.

It seems as if you missed the part about being pathetic, in the prior post.

This all started when another poster simply asked what school was being described.

No pissing contest was needed. You are a sorry soul and I will have nothing more to do with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been over the president’s house more than once for receptions. Knows his dogs, etc.

For the holiday formal, the faculty serve the kids their meal.

When a class is full or you may not meet the eligibility criteria, the kid writes to the prof and usually can get in.

International students who stay on campus over breaks are invited to faculty homes for the holiday.

Etc etc

Sounds lovely, what school?

I went to a SLAC and so have 2 of our kids. I agree that getting to know faculty is a major advantage for students at SLACs, but having the profs serve the holiday dinner sounds cringe-y.

I see why you might think that, but it is not done from a sense of entitlement or being spoiled. I am sure that the faculty who volunteer (some deans do too) are just good sports. It is a very folksy community (not slick or snarky). The students stand on chairs and sing the 12 Days or Christmas (and there are non-Christian songs as well). To buy tickets, they have to tent on the quad overnight with their friends. it is one of many traditions (like Mountain Day and Storm the Arch) that my DD cherished.

Please pass the vomit bag. Thanks.

I mean, c'mon. This is so over the top.

You are EXACTLY the type of person my kid hoped to avoid.

So that worked out well. 👍

Yea, we never would have met. No worries. My kids didn't look at second tier colleges.

Why so nasty? If the idea of SLACs makes you this angry there must be something bad going on in your life you should probably attend to instead of spewing unnecessary vitriol on the internet over an issue that should be of so little influence over your life.

I have a kid who went to one and loved it. Not Juniata, mind you -- a better one -- but still. So try again.

I'm just saying that both kinds of schools have pluses and minuses.

No, you were just trying to imply that your kid is superior to that of the PP.

Which is pretty pathetic on your part.

Well, I mean, academically I have no doubt that my kid WAS superior to PP. I'd never send a kid to a second tier private school. If they can't get into a top private, I'd send them to a state school. Just saying.

And I really don't think that, generally speaking, second tier private schools are superior to good state schools. Take Juniata, for example. Its six year (not four year) graduation rate is only 76 percent. JMU, widely considered a Virginia second tier public, has a six year graduation rate of 82 percent. A school is only as good as its graduation rate. If Juniata is so wonderful and nurturing and easy to navigate, and JMU is large and impersonal etc etc., why are more students sticking it out at JMU and actually graduating?

If you were so secure and superior, you would have no need to try to put yourself above others on an anonymous website.

It seems as if you missed the part about being pathetic, in the prior post.

This all started when another poster simply asked what school was being described.

No pissing contest was needed. You are a sorry soul and I will have nothing more to do with you.

Thanks for your non-answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

I loved my time there but now, when I take my son on college tours, I see what I missed out on.

The students don’t call it the Big Red Machine for nothing.

Cornell is bigger than UVA. So this isn't surprising. And whether you "missed out on" something is in the eyes of the beholder. One of my kids insisted on attending an SLAC and loved it; my other kids would have jumped off a bridge first. It totally depends on the kid.

My hunch is that you know your kid can't get into a school of Cornell's caliber, so you're preparing yourself now.

UVA has a somewhat higher enrollment.

Not when grad students are counted.

UVA is still a bit bigger.

UVA Fall 2021 Enrollment: 26,026 total; 17,299 undergraduate
Cornell Fall 2021 Enrollment: 25,582 total; 15,503 undergraduate

https://ira.virginia.edu/university-stats-facts/enrollment
https://www.cornell.edu/about/facts.cfm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been over the president’s house more than once for receptions. Knows his dogs, etc.

For the holiday formal, the faculty serve the kids their meal.

When a class is full or you may not meet the eligibility criteria, the kid writes to the prof and usually can get in.

International students who stay on campus over breaks are invited to faculty homes for the holiday.

Etc etc

Sounds lovely, what school?

I went to a SLAC and so have 2 of our kids. I agree that getting to know faculty is a major advantage for students at SLACs, but having the profs serve the holiday dinner sounds cringe-y.

I see why you might think that, but it is not done from a sense of entitlement or being spoiled. I am sure that the faculty who volunteer (some deans do too) are just good sports. It is a very folksy community (not slick or snarky). The students stand on chairs and sing the 12 Days or Christmas (and there are non-Christian songs as well). To buy tickets, they have to tent on the quad overnight with their friends. it is one of many traditions (like Mountain Day and Storm the Arch) that my DD cherished.

Please pass the vomit bag. Thanks.

I mean, c'mon. This is so over the top.

You are EXACTLY the type of person my kid hoped to avoid.

So that worked out well. 👍

Yea, we never would have met. No worries. My kids didn't look at second tier colleges.

Why so nasty? If the idea of SLACs makes you this angry there must be something bad going on in your life you should probably attend to instead of spewing unnecessary vitriol on the internet over an issue that should be of so little influence over your life.

I have a kid who went to one and loved it. Not Juniata, mind you -- a better one -- but still. So try again.

I'm just saying that both kinds of schools have pluses and minuses.

No, you were just trying to imply that your kid is superior to that of the PP.

Which is pretty pathetic on your part.

Well, I mean, academically I have no doubt that my kid WAS superior to PP. I'd never send a kid to a second tier private school. If they can't get into a top private, I'd send them to a state school. Just saying.

And I really don't think that, generally speaking, second tier private schools are superior to good state schools. Take Juniata, for example. Its six year (not four year) graduation rate is only 76 percent. JMU, widely considered a Virginia second tier public, has a six year graduation rate of 82 percent. A school is only as good as its graduation rate. If Juniata is so wonderful and nurturing and easy to navigate, and JMU is large and impersonal etc etc., why are more students sticking it out at JMU and actually graduating?

Sure, it depends on the school and your goals. Juanita is #20 per capita for producing future biology Ph.D.s. That's ahead of University of Chicago (#21), Princeton (#24), Stanford (#25), Duke (#30), etc. James Madison isn't to be seen in the top 50.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been over the president’s house more than once for receptions. Knows his dogs, etc.

For the holiday formal, the faculty serve the kids their meal.

When a class is full or you may not meet the eligibility criteria, the kid writes to the prof and usually can get in.

International students who stay on campus over breaks are invited to faculty homes for the holiday.

Etc etc

Sounds lovely, what school?

I went to a SLAC and so have 2 of our kids. I agree that getting to know faculty is a major advantage for students at SLACs, but having the profs serve the holiday dinner sounds cringe-y.

I see why you might think that, but it is not done from a sense of entitlement or being spoiled. I am sure that the faculty who volunteer (some deans do too) are just good sports. It is a very folksy community (not slick or snarky). The students stand on chairs and sing the 12 Days or Christmas (and there are non-Christian songs as well). To buy tickets, they have to tent on the quad overnight with their friends. it is one of many traditions (like Mountain Day and Storm the Arch) that my DD cherished.

Please pass the vomit bag. Thanks.

I mean, c'mon. This is so over the top.

You are EXACTLY the type of person my kid hoped to avoid.

So that worked out well. 👍

Yea, we never would have met. No worries. My kids didn't look at second tier colleges.

Why so nasty? If the idea of SLACs makes you this angry there must be something bad going on in your life you should probably attend to instead of spewing unnecessary vitriol on the internet over an issue that should be of so little influence over your life.

I have a kid who went to one and loved it. Not Juniata, mind you -- a better one -- but still. So try again.

I'm just saying that both kinds of schools have pluses and minuses.

No, you were just trying to imply that your kid is superior to that of the PP.

Which is pretty pathetic on your part.

Well, I mean, academically I have no doubt that my kid WAS superior to PP. I'd never send a kid to a second tier private school. If they can't get into a top private, I'd send them to a state school. Just saying.

And I really don't think that, generally speaking, second tier private schools are superior to good state schools. Take Juniata, for example. Its six year (not four year) graduation rate is only 76 percent. JMU, widely considered a Virginia second tier public, has a six year graduation rate of 82 percent. A school is only as good as its graduation rate. If Juniata is so wonderful and nurturing and easy to navigate, and JMU is large and impersonal etc etc., why are more students sticking it out at JMU and actually graduating?

Sure, it depends on the school and your goals. Juanita is #20 per capita for producing future biology Ph.D.s. That's ahead of University of Chicago (#21), Princeton (#24), Stanford (#25), Duke (#30), etc. James Madison isn't to be seen in the top 50.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-phd-programs

Well, from the standpoint of this parent the primary "goal" of attending college is to actually graduate first. And apparently students who are graduating from schools like Princeton, Stanford, and yes JMU in greater numbers than second tier liberal arts colleges are deciding to do different (and probably more lucrative) things than pursuing PhDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

To the OP, if you're still reading this thread after its derailment: Regarding the bold in this post, it emphasizes one benefit of a smaller school like a SLAC. My DC at a SLAC says that if a student misses even one class and has not been in touch to say they're sick etc., the professors notice and will contact the student. With most college classes meeting only once or twice a week, missing one class potentially means missing a lot of instructional content, and in DC's field there are many group projects and presentations etc. in class time. And the classes, even freshman year, are small enough that the professors know immediately when a student is not there. The profs are not micromanaging the students, but want to ensure student well-being.

I'd add that this may be the case too in larger schools and in smaller classes in people's majors when they become upperclassmen, etc. I'm not saying that no professor or TA in any large university would fail to notice a student's absence or repeated absences. Just noting that smaller colleges where professors know the students better are probably likelier to get involved sooner.

Different situation, but: DC's college also has been very accommodating of one student who does not wish to return home to visit or live, ever, due to reasons I won't go into here. The college has rules about not staying on campus over summer or breaks unless you're working for the college or doing research for a prof etc.--but when the student's advisor learned about the situation, the college also quickly found this student a legit job on campus, puts him up in dorms, will let him move into his fall housing early, etc. A large university might do the same, of course, but it was definitely a very direct and quick process for this student to be heard and helped at this smaller college. Just an example for you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell and it might as well have been a huge state school. So many classes were taught by TAs, I barely saw an advisor and so much self-advocacy was necessary. I could have vanished in the middle of my first semester and no school employee would have noticed…until the tuition went unpaid.

To the OP, if you're still reading this thread after its derailment: Regarding the bold in this post, it emphasizes one benefit of a smaller school like a SLAC. My DC at a SLAC says that if a student misses even one class and has not been in touch to say they're sick etc., the professors notice and will contact the student. With most college classes meeting only once or twice a week, missing one class potentially means missing a lot of instructional content, and in DC's field there are many group projects and presentations etc. in class time. And the classes, even freshman year, are small enough that the professors know immediately when a student is not there. The profs are not micromanaging the students, but want to ensure student well-being.

I'd add that this may be the case too in larger schools and in smaller classes in people's majors when they become upperclassmen, etc. I'm not saying that no professor or TA in any large university would fail to notice a student's absence or repeated absences. Just noting that smaller colleges where professors know the students better are probably likelier to get involved sooner.

Different situation, but: DC's college also has been very accommodating of one student who does not wish to return home to visit or live, ever, due to reasons I won't go into here. The college has rules about not staying on campus over summer or breaks unless you're working for the college or doing research for a prof etc.--but when the student's advisor learned about the situation, the college also quickly found this student a legit job on campus, puts him up in dorms, will let him move into his fall housing early, etc. A large university might do the same, of course, but it was definitely a very direct and quick process for this student to be heard and helped at this smaller college. Just an example for you, OP.

Again, so what? Kids in most SLACs are not graduating at rates that are any higher than most of the better big state schools. Look it up. All of this talk about nurturing and caring and personal attention counts for nothing if in the end it has no impact on graduation rates.