Brown/Princeton/Yale vs LACs

College Search & Lists
1

<p>I’m considering applying to B, P and Y, but also many LACs, because I want a heavy liberal arts focus, lots of faculty support and professor interaction, and lots of opportunities to work with my professors. I’m wondering how B/P/Y, being research universities, compare to LACs (think Oberlin, Carleton, Vassar) in these areas, and whether I’d do better to cross the Ivys off my list.</p>

<p>Also, note that I’m not looking for a small school. The LACs I’m looking at are the larger ones – 2000 and below is really too small, I feel.</p>

2

<p>Bump . . . .</p>

3

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1286756-ivy-league-reputation-v-small-class-size.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1286756-ivy-league-reputation-v-small-class-size.html&lt;/a&gt;
(see post #4)</p>

4

<p>Apply to a selection of both – then decide when acceptances/rejections come in. But in general, the beauty of B/P/Y is superb attention paid to undergraduates and their interests. So even though they’re big schools, you will enjoy access to outstanding opportunities.</p>

<p>Oh, and don’t forget, all the Ivies are reaches; top LACs are too. Make sure you also apply to safeties -safeties you love.</p>

5

<p>@katliamom: The problem is that I’m applying through QuestBridge. I want to maximize my chances of getting into these schools, but I’m also not 100% sure which I would choose if I got into all of them.</p>

6

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<p>Cross that bridge when you come to it. IF you come to it. :)</p>

<p>I don’t recall exactly how Questbridge’s matching works…do you have to submit a prioritized list?</p>

7

<p>I’ve always thought the most LAC-like ivies to be Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth. I’m not sure how well Yale compares to those three with things like heavy undergraduate focus however.</p>

8

<p>^^ it’s YALE. Compares well.</p>

9

<p>@Consolation: I do have to submit a prioritized list, and I go to the highest that accepts me (except for the non-binding schools: Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford). I guess if I got into Princeton or Yale, I’d be able to “cross that bridge when I come to it,” because I could then decide whether to apply to more schools.</p>

10

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<p>Yeah, but it seems like Dartmouth and Princeton have a heavy focus on undergraduate education that’s lost on some of the others like Harvard and Penn. Brown, by its nature, would seem to have a strong undergraduate focus as well. Cornell is probably closer to Harvard an Penn in being more university less-LAC. If i had a gun to my head, i’d put Yale in the research university category, but i certainly don’t know enough about it to be confident in that choice.</p>

11

<p>Dartmouth calls itself a college for a reason. The emphasis is on undergraduate education. There are a few graduate departments, and three excellent professional schools. It is in many ways the nation’s biggest and best LAC, at 4,000 undergraduates. Really, Dartmouth is neither the classic small LAC nor the full-fledged research university with graduate departments in everything. It is quite unique.</p>