| Actually, graduate studies are best done at a different institution than undergrad. If a person wants to just take a few classes, they can do that whenever and wherever. But those grad level classes without an actual grad degree are pretty worthless, as far as career, etc. go. Most grad students do not do their grad studies at their undergrad institution, as it is discouraged as "intellectual incest." So an LAC that doesn't offer grad or professional courses for the undergrad isn't any more of a disadvantage to the student that attends. Also, most grad schools allow a grad student to take a few undergrad classes for graduate credit (usually an extra paper or 2 is required). So the distinction between undergrad and grad is smaller than you seem to think. As far as professional schools, most universities won't let an undergrad take courses in the professional school, so it matters not. Besides, what are you going to do with a med school course in biochemistry without an MD? No one cares where you took it in the real world.
If you're talking about level of challenge, upper-level undergrad LAC classes, esp. at the top LACs, are as challenging as some early grad classes, and grad schools recognize that as such. I went to an LAC (local, not nationally known), and the coursework I had to do in upper level classes was comparable to coursework and analysis in top schools and early grad classes. |