Research Universities vs. LACs???

3girls3cats
Tue, 19 Jun 2018 19:20:26 +0000

No LAC can match the breadth of research, majors and courses, extra-curricular and social options, or the school spirit, which were all very important to her, that is offered by a major research university.

No LAC? Not a single one can match up against any research U in any of the criteria you’ve listed? That’s a little bit too extreme and emphatic for me. For one thing, “school spirit” means different things to different people. Take Bryn Mawr as one example. The school has a number of time honored, cherished traditions that its students celebrate with enthusiastic energy and which they talk about fondly once they are alums. It builds community and a very strong school spirit. I’m not going to throw my alma mater under the bus but I can assure you that the common complaint at the time and probably even today is that there is no school spirit at all.

Again, using Bryn Mawr as an example, the research, majors, courses, as well as the extra curricular and social options extend into Haverford, Swat, and Penn…and into the city of Philadelphia. And even more importantly, you can actually get into the classes you want.

I’m glad your D found the place that felt right for her and I appreciate that you concluded your post with an acknowledgement that it might not be the right choice for someone seeking something different. I just wish that you hadn’t included such a strong, judgmental sentence. You are right that it’s a matter of personal preference and that it’s important to visit a variety of schools and take in what they have to offer. I would really hate for someone new to this process to be scared off by a characterization that isn’t true.