Reply to Should LACs no longer be considered the model of excellence?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Should LACs no longer be considered the model of excellence?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I'm 10:14. Thanks for clarifying you were referring to top universities; I was myself confused on that matter.

I think the challenge for all of us is that none of us can make broad generalizing remarks about the incredible diversity of colleges that are out there without being grossly inaccurate. I could lambaste Harvard for not providing a comparable education to Williams and generalize it to all LACs vs elite universities. But that's not fair, or characteristic, to those universities that do focus on their undergraduates, like Princeton. Even if I were to attend graduate school at Harvard, that doesn't entitle me to have personal experience about their undergraduate program; I simply don't have the personal experience to try to characterize them. I have no affiliations with Harvard as of now, so I would find it rather presumptuous to make any assumptions about them as an LAC grad. I could say the same for the state universities I described before- I know I should not let hearsay define those institutions. The only students who can really talk about differences are those who transfer from one to another, and even then, how characteristic are their views, when they may only be part of one major of dozens that are available?

Really, I just wanted to share my experience at a top LAC, one that I feel incredibly fortunate to have attended, and one which I don't think is accurately depicted by your comments. Is it the best choice for everyone? No, obviously not. Is it always better than the Ivies and elite universities? No. Is it identical to other top LACs? No. Did I have a transforming, robust experience? Absolutely.

I think one great thing about the American model of education is that there are so many great types of schools out there. Many of those fortunate enough to attend places like Exeter and Andover don't need that same system in college. They've amassed the critical thinking skills, seminar preparation, and in-depth writing that LACs and many top universities prepare their graduates for. The reality, however, is that the a good number of students do not come from places like those elite boarding schools, but rather underfunded, understaffed public schools which limit possibility for exploration. To me, attending an LAC felt like the opportunity that I never could find in high school, and that it was so starkly different was the whole appeal! Of course, I could see how someone from elite boarding schools would not find the LACs appealing. And there's the opposite scenario too- some like the larger, busier nature of high school and want that to a greater extent at a university. And the top LACs are saturated with kids from elite boarding schools- kids who could have easily gone to a larger U but liked their high school experience and wanted to continue it. And let's not forget the kids who don't have the resources to make it to an LAC, and end up enrolling at the local state U. As you rightfully pointed out, if one is determined and focused, one can find an intellectually fulfilling atmosphere at any decent college in the nation. No one is wrong! And I encourage those who think their way or the highway to realize that. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics