<p>LACs are most definitely not overrated. They can be absolutely perfect fits for the right student who benefits from the smaller environs and the constant opportunities to live and work closely with professors and other students in research and other activities. </p>
<p>LAC environments can be far superior to their larger, public counterparts as they can join great intelligence and great opportunity for meaningful hands-on experience, beginning in your freshman year. This difference should not be underestimated and does a lot for helping students develop intellectually and perhaps socially. </p>
<p>When contrasted with their private university peers, the advantages of the LACs are less clear as the size differential is reduced and the access to professors and resources is more similar. The choices between a LAC and a private university should take into consideration the culture at that private and how it treats its undergraduate students relative to its graduate students. </p>
<p>Outside of the classroom, the LAC experience differs even more with their public counterparts, but there are trade-offs. The number of opportunities for participation are numerous and highly varied and, in most cases, these colleges are small enough that the individual student can have a true impact on the organization and perhaps for several years. Such leadership posts can often be a highly valuable part of a student’s undergraduate experience and there is no question that such opportunities abound in the LAC world. </p>
<p>Potential drawbacks are the social life and the athletic life at a LAC. While some might prefer the intimacy of a smaller campus, there is no denying the fact that the breadth and depth of social opportunities at a smallish LAC is less (and maybe far less) than what you’d find at most larger universities, public and private. Athletic life is also different at LACs with greater opportunities for participation, but the social benefit of the athletic life is unquestionably a lot less than what you’d find at the true Division I athletic universities.</p>