Parental issues re: Uni vs. LAC

Marian
Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:34:40 +0000

You could also try making an end run around your parents by choosing to apply to a small program within a large university, and choosing a university that is not in a big city location.

For example, my daughter is a student at Cornell University, a big university in a small town. You would like the community, I think. You might also like the university provided that you chose one of its smaller undergraduate colleges – Industrial and Labor Relations or Architecture, Art, and Planning, for example – rather than the huge colleges of Arts and Sciences or Engineering. In the smaller schools, there is much personal attention, and people don’t feel like numbers in a huge system.

Of course, this only makes sense if the smaller programs offer something you would like to study. But in general, you might be able to find the personalized environment you want within the larger universities your parents prefer if you choose a less-popular program rather than the standard huge mega-majors, such as business, biology, psychology, or economics.

I would also like to add that your parents may not be completely off-track (and I’m not Asian). I think that many Asian parents recognize that their kids, because of their language skills and comfort in two cultures, may end up in careers that involve much interaction with their families’ countries of origin. In many Asian countries, the American educational institutions that get the most respect are the big research universities. Having the name of one of those universities on your resume would be an asset if you’re doing business in Asia. If you are planning to end your education with a bachelor’s degree and if you are planning a career that might involve interaction with organizations or companies in Asian countries, then your parents’ thinking may be valid. But if you are planning to go on to graduate or professional school (in which case the name of the institution where you got your undergraduate diploma will be essentially meaningless) or if your career plans will not bring you into contact with Asian countries, then your parents’ thinking may not be applicable to you.