I hear what you’re saying, @simba9 – in fact, my original post in part reflects my deep appreciation for the liberal arts model, having gone to (and for a short time taught at) a rigorous LAC myself. To be honest, I always assumed my son would go to a similar kind of college, but his bent seems so focused on computer programming (and on problem-solving, hands-on learning) that we’ve been looking at more specialized programs and schools where he could really run with his interests.
Originally we were thinking about a place like Michigan Tech, but we’re a little worried that it would be too focused on tech at the expense of a deep/wide culture of learning. (There’s also the fact that we could drive to Nashville from our home in Michigan in less time than it would take to drive to Houghton in the Upper Peninsula!) I’m not sure if the same would be true at places like RIT, WPI, or other “tech institutes.”
We’re definitely not ruling out LACs, just still thinking about the best fit for our kid. Since he (so far) seems to have the stats to get into a really strong college, and since it seems like practically every good college in the country is rapidly approaching $70K per year (!), we’re looking at all of our options. If the net calculators are even close to accurate, it almost seems like the higher he aims, the cheaper it would be: Stanford and MIT come in at something like 1/4th as much as some of the mid-level universities I’ve checked, and maybe 1/3 of what it would cost to go to our local LAC. (Provided he could beat the enormous odds and get in.)
Anyway, thanks for all of the ideas and suggestions!