Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:33
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DC attends a university known for STEM, especially engineering. However, she is a humanities major and receiving what I consider a fabulous education. The liberal arts colleges in many "tech" schools are often excellent and have a wide breadth of majors and class choices, as opposed to small schools that have much narrower offerings. I attended a SLAC myself and the difference between the opportunities her school has offered and my own experience is night and day. I highly recommend a larger university for liberal arts majors.
So you think liberal arts colleges are useless?
You are swimming against the consensus here on DCUM. Most believe that an elite SLAC provides a better undergraduate experience.
What do you mean by elite SLAC?
Elite SLAC such as Bucknell
Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:19
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:But not if the STEM kids are required to take "STEM for poets" courses before taking the real STEM courses, which is why they don't. So why should humanities majors have to take "humanities for STEM majors" before getting to the real humanities coursesAnonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Well I guess only St. John’s or a theological seminary would suit you, then. I hope your student, however, will survive a few classes with people who have perspectives and goals that differ from hers. The world would likely be in better shape if the econ kids and the STEM kids had studied philosophy and literature.
It’s a stupid comparison. It’s not like intro English classes read Dr. Seuss. The humanities are not linear. A student with exceptional skills can write an exceptional paper even in an intro composition course.
Also, not that you asked, but literature courses in college were nothing like I expected, as a kid interested in literature. There was very little connection to anything we’d done in AP English in HS. It was hugely theory based and reading theory. Look through course catalogues for departments that interest you.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:10
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
W&M?
Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:09
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
But not if the STEM kids are required to take "STEM for poets" courses before taking the real STEM courses, which is why they don't. So why should humanities majors have to take "humanities for STEM majors" before getting to the real humanities coursesAnonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Well I guess only St. John’s or a theological seminary would suit you, then. I hope your student, however, will survive a few classes with people who have perspectives and goals that differ from hers. The world would likely be in better shape if the econ kids and the STEM kids had studied philosophy and literature.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:08
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
He’ll be fine. English classrooms were in the basement at both my undergrad and grad schools but it doesn’t matter—still the strongest programs in the country. There’s nothing interesting to show on the tour, however. If the geology department has a cool display of rocks, that is where the tour will go.
The reality is few kids are majoring in humanities and peers will be in STEM. It doesn’t mean those peers won’t also be strong in humanities or have other interests.
The reality is few kids are majoring in humanities and peers will be in STEM. It doesn’t mean those peers won’t also be strong in humanities or have other interests.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 11:07
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
St. Johns, Reed, Swarthmore, and the others on the list:Anonymous wrote:DS and I originally were looking at liberal arts colleges but every single one we've toured-Williams, Pomona, Carleton, Swarthmore-has overemphasized STEM and Science research. Our Pomona tour spent more time talking about a pre-med's lab opportunities than student life; they even took us through the math and physics building, but didn't take us anywhere near the humanities buildings! We want a humanities oriented school and at this point, DS is looking towards Yale because of the lack of representation of the humanities during these tours. Anyone else going through something similar?
https://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html
Anonymous
02/12/2025 10:39
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Well I guess only St. John’s or a theological seminary would suit you, then. I hope your student, however, will survive a few classes with people who have perspectives and goals that differ from hers. The world would likely be in better shape if the econ kids and the STEM kids had studied philosophy and literature.
No, how about a school without an excessive core and with more humanities students? Call me crazy, but then you get to take humanities courses with other kids who are actually interested in the humanities. STEM kids having to take science classes with kids who have no interest and/or background in science is a major buzzkill. The same is true when a humanities kid has to be surrounded by STEM, Econ, and preprofessional types in their “beginner” humanities classes. Lame. They should be given a tuition reduction just for having to deal with it and serve as unofficial TAs.
Sure, find a school with more humanities than econ students if you can, and if you need to have the classrooms cleansed of novices, avoid all schools with core requirements. Sounds like you have your own marching orders. BTW a first year student who has read enough Aristotle and Spinoza to serve as an unofficial TA is a very rare breed and would probably be a perfect fit for St. John’s.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 09:46
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Well I guess only St. John’s or a theological seminary would suit you, then. I hope your student, however, will survive a few classes with people who have perspectives and goals that differ from hers. The world would likely be in better shape if the econ kids and the STEM kids had studied philosophy and literature.
No, how about a school without an excessive core and with more humanities students? Call me crazy, but then you get to take humanities courses with other kids who are actually interested in the humanities. STEM kids having to take science classes with kids who have no interest and/or background in science is a major buzzkill. The same is true when a humanities kid has to be surrounded by STEM, Econ, and preprofessional types in their “beginner” humanities classes. Lame. They should be given a tuition reduction just for having to deal with it and serve as unofficial TAs.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 07:53
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Well I guess only St. John’s or a theological seminary would suit you, then. I hope your student, however, will survive a few classes with people who have perspectives and goals that differ from hers. The world would likely be in better shape if the econ kids and the STEM kids had studied philosophy and literature.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 07:38
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Univ of Chicago’s required core curriculum is intense and reminds me of philosophy classes I took in college. In one semester the first year, our daughter read Aristotle, Plato, St. Augustine, Durkheim, Arendt, and Freud. I’m sure I’ve forgotten many. https://college.uchicago.edu/academics/core-curriculum
A humanities kid having to take core classes with a bunch of Econ majors (30% of Chicago students major in Econ) and STEM kids sounds like a living hell to me…
Anonymous
02/12/2025 05:20
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:You're not going to find much. People these days want trade schools rather than higher education.
College is not a country club for rich people anymore especially when it costs $$$
Wake the F up.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 04:30
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Also - Carleton, Colgate, Haverford
Note that the OP named Carleton among the schools visited that were disappointing.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 03:32
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DC attends a university known for STEM, especially engineering. However, she is a humanities major and receiving what I consider a fabulous education. The liberal arts colleges in many "tech" schools are often excellent and have a wide breadth of majors and class choices, as opposed to small schools that have much narrower offerings. I attended a SLAC myself and the difference between the opportunities her school has offered and my own experience is night and day. I highly recommend a larger university for liberal arts majors.
So you think liberal arts colleges are useless?
You are swimming against the consensus here on DCUM. Most believe that an elite SLAC provides a better undergraduate experience.
I’m not making any argument at all, I was asking a comprehension question.
There’s very few- WASP, Bowdoin, Wellesley, Carleton, and Mudd
But Harvey Mudd is very STEM. And Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, and Wellesley will all have a sizable number of pre-professional students.
I think if you're really fixated on humanities, the best options are universities with core curriculums like Chicago and Columbia. The higher level class options in literature, history, philosophy and so on at liberal arts colleges are far too limited.
Uchicago and Columbia are both insanely more pre professional than any LAC that isn’t named Bucknell or cmc.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 02:11
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DC attends a university known for STEM, especially engineering. However, she is a humanities major and receiving what I consider a fabulous education. The liberal arts colleges in many "tech" schools are often excellent and have a wide breadth of majors and class choices, as opposed to small schools that have much narrower offerings. I attended a SLAC myself and the difference between the opportunities her school has offered and my own experience is night and day. I highly recommend a larger university for liberal arts majors.
So you think liberal arts colleges are useless?
You are swimming against the consensus here on DCUM. Most believe that an elite SLAC provides a better undergraduate experience.
I’m not making any argument at all, I was asking a comprehension question.
There’s very few- WASP, Bowdoin, Wellesley, Carleton, and Mudd
But Harvey Mudd is very STEM. And Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, and Wellesley will all have a sizable number of pre-professional students.
I think if you're really fixated on humanities, the best options are universities with core curriculums like Chicago and Columbia. The higher level class options in literature, history, philosophy and so on at liberal arts colleges are far too limited.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 02:01
Subject: Colleges that prioritize the humanities side of liberal arts
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DC attends a university known for STEM, especially engineering. However, she is a humanities major and receiving what I consider a fabulous education. The liberal arts colleges in many "tech" schools are often excellent and have a wide breadth of majors and class choices, as opposed to small schools that have much narrower offerings. I attended a SLAC myself and the difference between the opportunities her school has offered and my own experience is night and day. I highly recommend a larger university for liberal arts majors.
So you think liberal arts colleges are useless?
You are swimming against the consensus here on DCUM. Most believe that an elite SLAC provides a better undergraduate experience.
I’m not making any argument at all, I was asking a comprehension question.
There’s very few- WASP, Bowdoin, Wellesley, Carleton, and Mudd