Reply to What makes a classroom education elite?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Transplant to DC from Western Europe with kids in middle school. I am trying to learn more about college/university life in the US since it is so different from back home.

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about elite schools and the various opportunities they offer outside the classroom, especially professionally. But what I am trying to understand, since I’ll be paying for an education, is [b]what is it about the classroom experience at these schools that provides kids with an elite education? [/b]If economics, for example, is taught from the same textbook at Princeton vs Penn State, what makes the Princeton classroom experience elite?[/quote]

In answer to your specific question highlighted above, [b]it is the caliber of students and the expectations of the professors that differentiate the classroom experiences among colleges and universities.[/b]

For caliber of students, the US News college/university rankings is an excellent resource.

Nevertheless, an intelligent, motivated, hard-working student can get a solid education at hundreds of colleges and universities in the USA. But, just like athletics, one typically maximizes his/her potential by competing with/working alongside the best students.

Among universities, many public (state supported) universities offer honors colleges and honors classes to the top incoming students. Elite private universities often offer small class sizes full of talented students who are hard-working achievers.[/quote]

Continuing:

Some prefer small, intimate learning environments found at LACs, while others prefer the greater number of opportunities and options found at larger schools (National Universities). Schools with larger enrollments provide a more options and greater diversity with respect to perspectives, courses, majors, research opportunities, and social opportunities which some find to be invigorating while others may find it to be a bit overwhelming during their first year. Smaller schools typically make the transition from high school to college easier than the transition to a large university. [/quote]

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