Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 19:01     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:Just starting the college search, and my list has almost all SLACs for DD. I think she would do best in a smaller environment, and I think the liberal arts curriculum would best suit her.

Obviously, she will weigh in on this, but I’m curious if your DC indeed chose a SLAC if you thought that’s where they would end up.


I always liked the idea of a SLAC. Three older kids went to universities. Youngest kid was heavily recruited for athletics by several Div. 3 school, mostly SLACs. Kid ended up at Grinnell, which is working really well.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 18:25     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Took DD on tours of most of the NESCACs as well as the Pennsylvania LACs, along with larger urban schools like NYU, Emory, BC and BU. DD loved the LACs best, ended up ED1'ing to Middlebury and is headed there in the fall. DD couldn't be happier.


I have a happy about to be a Midd kid too! We toured a lot of LACs and Middlebury stood out.


Welcome!

I have one as well, finishing up her sophomore year.

It was a journey for her as she started out thinking large school before deciding that a larger LAC or small R1 was the right size for her. Midd was towards the end of a 12 school tour and after visiting she wrote "I will go to school here" in her journal. It has been an amazing experience for her. The academics are strong but the personal growth has been huge and really stands out.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 18:15     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes and yes (now at Williams). We encouraged her to look at a wide variety of schools - public/private, small/med/large, rural/urban/suburban, college/university. She loved many schools, of differing sizes, and in the end went with her gut, despite being accepted by what her counselor and peers thought were "better" schools.


Curious which larger schools appeal to a kid who also likes Williams and are considered “better” schools? We’re rising senior putting list together. Thanks.


I put "better" in quotes because it's absolutely subjective, but the other schools she got into were Pomona, Yale, and UChicago. She got into Chicago EA so trimmed her list down a lot for RD. My point was basically that the same kid can love very different schools.


This. Sure, a minority of kids *need* to be in a particular environment to thrive at college, but the smartest and most discerning students understand that what matters is the intellectual rigor of a given school, such that once a school hits a certain threshold, the choice, assuming finances aren't an issue, should be about fit. If what you're after is a liberal arts education, there is no wrong choice when it comes to deciding between Williams, Pomona, Yale and Chicago. People who think that Yale would be the obvious choice because it's an Ivy or that universities are superior to LACs just reveal their own lack of intelligence and critical thinking skills.

This feels true until you realize there’s a dearth of resources in certain programs and fields at Williams or Pomona compared to Yale or Uchicago. It’s just the reality of these tiny schools with departments of 10 faculty.


For a very, very small number of students. And as someone who has taught at the university level for over two decades, I can attest to the fact that student knowledge and skill levels aren't anywhere near what they were when I started teaching.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:40     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:I thought my kid would do well with small places with small class sizes and closer connections between students and professors. In my mind, that meant LAC.

My kid definitely preferred smaller schools, but wanted an allied health major that is offered mostly at regional universities (note: I have no idea why they call them this, regional universities are schools that offer masters, usually in professional fields, but no or very limited doctorate programs.). He's going to a school with under 3K undergrads, but not an LAC.

So, I was sort of right?


Had to google allied health, only to read that it can mean like dozens of different things. What does your kid plans to study/do with an allied health degree? Genuinely curious as a plain old lawyer whose never heard of this profession before.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:28     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:I thought mine might be interested as he wants to study history, but he was absolutely appalled at how tiny the student bodies were. So many were smaller than his high school. After touring a few, the whole category was a no. Too socially limited.


Some of the schools are shockingly small to kids used to big publics.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:24     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Mt two applied to the SLACs I asked them to, liked them, got in, and did the admitted student days. Both ultimately chose state flagship. Saved us a lot of money but, for different reasons, I still think the SLACs would have been a better environment for them.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:17     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
My brother felt my niece would be better off at a LAC. Felt a smaller environment would be better academically and socially. Kid had options for 2 decent lac and a few flagships. Parents let kid choose. Kid chose an oos public instead of the lac. Probably bc they thought it would be more social and fun? Big mistake. Kid floundered academically, changed major twice, socially was fine but not great. No plan post grad. Brother was right. Parents usually know their kids...
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:14     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you to those who responded! Even crazy lady who has a strange axe to grind (and grind and grind and grind) with a total stranger.

Anyway, I have the time and inclination to research quite a bit, so I started the list. Crazy lady will be pleased to know that DD has actually looked at the list, did her own research, and said she agrees with it.

The point of my question was that *I* think a SLAC is best for DD, and right now she trusts my research and me. But I wanted to see what others’ experiences were who believed the same of their DC so that I am not operating in an echo chamber, so to speak.

Thank you, all!


OP - it was a struggle to get my kid to research schools and I absolutely drove the bus on creating a list of campuses to visit based, iterating off her reactions. And she absolutely thanked me after for both doing it but also getting her so well. And she wound up in exactly the environment I had thought would be best for her.

Trust yourself and your gut and your knowledge of your kid. If you can honestly say you’re building a list for your kid and not yourself at 18, you’re good.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 16:06     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
This is OP. Thank you to those who responded! Even crazy lady who has a strange axe to grind (and grind and grind and grind) with a total stranger.

Anyway, I have the time and inclination to research quite a bit, so I started the list. Crazy lady will be pleased to know that DD has actually looked at the list, did her own research, and said she agrees with it.

The point of my question was that *I* think a SLAC is best for DD, and right now she trusts my research and me. But I wanted to see what others’ experiences were who believed the same of their DC so that I am not operating in an echo chamber, so to speak.

Thank you, all!
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 15:59     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Just starting the college search, and my list has almost all SLACs for DD. I think she would do best in a smaller environment, and I think the liberal arts curriculum would best suit her.

Obviously, she will weigh in on this, but I’m curious if your DC indeed chose a SLAC if you thought that’s where they would end up.


College selection should start with your kid. Not you. You really need to let them take the lead.


Thanks for the lecture and not answering the question. And for missing the “obviously she will weigh in” part of the post. You’re so helpful.


You deserve the lecture because you're doing this all wrong. What's with the "my" list and she will "weigh in" bullshit? It should be the exact opposite. Her list and then you weigh in.


Leave OP alone. There is no need to be so rude and nasty. Having the parent start preliminary research and suggest colleges for a list is perfectly normal. You’ve completely overreacted to details in the post that don’t get at the actual question OP posed. Sheesh!


But that's not what she said. She said she's come up with a list and wants her kid to "weigh in." That's not how it works. It's very clear she wants to take the lead. How will she react when her kid says she doesn't WANT a liberal arts college?

She's helicoptering and the time to step back is now.


DP. If you don't like this thread just go elsewhere. This is not different from a school counselor suggesting an initial college list to the kid. Parents tend to know their kids much better. What OP is doing is normal and common among MC UMC parents. Do you even have a kid applying? Just FO.


Struck a nerve, eh? Just cause it’s normal doesn’t make it healthy.
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 15:56     Subject: Re:If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Yes, but my DS came to that decision on their own as well. We looked at a lot of bigger schools, out of state public universities, etc before he decided. If you want to have some control you need to show your kid different options so they can pick. I think both of my kids picked really well but in the end, they had to decide and there were things about other schools we liked better for them - good thing they go to pick (with my guidance).
Anonymous
Post 05/11/2026 15:46     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes and yes (now at Williams). We encouraged her to look at a wide variety of schools - public/private, small/med/large, rural/urban/suburban, college/university. She loved many schools, of differing sizes, and in the end went with her gut, despite being accepted by what her counselor and peers thought were "better" schools.


Curious which larger schools appeal to a kid who also likes Williams and are considered “better” schools? We’re rising senior putting list together. Thanks.


I put "better" in quotes because it's absolutely subjective, but the other schools she got into were Pomona, Yale, and UChicago. She got into Chicago EA so trimmed her list down a lot for RD. My point was basically that the same kid can love very different schools.


Did your DD ED anywhere?



No, just EA (not REA or SCEA) and RD.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2026 23:21     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Just starting the college search, and my list has almost all SLACs for DD. I think she would do best in a smaller environment, and I think the liberal arts curriculum would best suit her.

Obviously, she will weigh in on this, but I’m curious if your DC indeed chose a SLAC if you thought that’s where they would end up.


College selection should start with your kid. Not you. You really need to let them take the lead.


Thanks for the lecture and not answering the question. And for missing the “obviously she will weigh in” part of the post. You’re so helpful.


You deserve the lecture because you're doing this all wrong. What's with the "my" list and she will "weigh in" bullshit? It should be the exact opposite. Her list and then you weigh in.


Leave OP alone. There is no need to be so rude and nasty. Having the parent start preliminary research and suggest colleges for a list is perfectly normal. You’ve completely overreacted to details in the post that don’t get at the actual question OP posed. Sheesh!


But that's not what she said. She said she's come up with a list and wants her kid to "weigh in." That's not how it works. It's very clear she wants to take the lead. How will she react when her kid says she doesn't WANT a liberal arts college?

She's helicoptering and the time to step back is now.


The time for YOU to step back is now, or better yet about 4 posts ago.
or actually don't step back, your obsession is entertaining.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2026 23:18     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:Took DD on tours of most of the NESCACs as well as the Pennsylvania LACs, along with larger urban schools like NYU, Emory, BC and BU. DD loved the LACs best, ended up ED1'ing to Middlebury and is headed there in the fall. DD couldn't be happier.


I have a happy about to be a Midd kid too! We toured a lot of LACs and Middlebury stood out.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2026 23:16     Subject: If you thought your kid best suited for LAC did they end up at one?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes and yes (now at Williams). We encouraged her to look at a wide variety of schools - public/private, small/med/large, rural/urban/suburban, college/university. She loved many schools, of differing sizes, and in the end went with her gut, despite being accepted by what her counselor and peers thought were "better" schools.


Curious which larger schools appeal to a kid who also likes Williams and are considered “better” schools? We’re rising senior putting list together. Thanks.


I put "better" in quotes because it's absolutely subjective, but the other schools she got into were Pomona, Yale, and UChicago. She got into Chicago EA so trimmed her list down a lot for RD. My point was basically that the same kid can love very different schools.

Yale and Uchicago are objectively better schools. Williams is nice though, good job.

Williams is objectively better than UChicago for every major except Econ. Nice try, though.


Keep telling yourself that.