SLAC graduate here. The education I got was vastly superior to my friends who learned mostly from TAs at big universities or Ivies. It seems not as many kids want to go to the amazing small liberal arts colleges at a time when, I would argue, that kind of teaching and learning is more important than ever. Is it the mostly rural locations? Or kids wanting to do preprofessional programs ie business, premed, pre nursing, etc?
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Both my kids wanted something not offered at most SLACs - engineering for one, construction management for the other. My engineering son did find something similar to what you’ve described though with a small, mostly STEM school that has small courses, lots of professor input, lots of collaboration etc. My other kid just wanted something different - he really wanted big school with big sports. Conveniently, the major he wanted was mostly offered at large land grant universities, so those interests aligned. And although he’s at a big university, his program is very small (only 56 freshmen admitted into it) and the classes and relationships with professors are similar to what I think SLAC-type education is/was. So I think it’s not that the SLACs are any less amazing, just that there are equally amazing - and also similar - programs that are parts of other non-SLAC schools that might fit those students just as well.
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What is your evidence for a lack of interest in SLACs? Personally, I don’t see that.
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Acceptance rates for top SLACs are approximately 3x those of similar larger schools.
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Another parent of an engineer here. The smallest school my D looked at was Bucknell and frankly the depth and breadth of class offerings and research areas for her intended major couldn’t compare to the bigger schools.
And, my D had exactly 0 classes taught by TAs at her big flagship. Yes, she had some required sections of classes led by TAs but across the board, she thought the TAs (all PhD students) were excellent. Professors were readily available, held regular office hours, led study sessions, had meals with students, led study abroad trips, taught small seminars, etc…. The TAs then had their own office hours and study sessions so it felt like double the support and not at all like being short changed because TAs had some responsibilities.
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This is your opinion and maybe others (including me) feel other schools are better for THEM. There are reasons people don’t want to go to the small schools in rural areas (those being two reasons). Others are the cost, the possibility they want or might want courses not offered at LACs, the fact that they just don’t like the schools (my daughter didn’t like Smith at all, and thus wouldn’t look at other LACs), the lack of greek life (at some LACs), big time sports, access to big city things like professional sports, theater,symphonies, an airport being nearby. D2 wanted engineering and didn’t want a 3-2 program. We couldn’t afford an LAC for D1 and she would have been an asset to such a school because of her interest in art history, history, theater, religion. They’d also attended high schools that were larger than some of the LACs so just wanted more variety at college.
I enjoyed a BIG school and thought my kids would too. Both picked smaller schools than I would have, and both at some point wished for more choices in classes, especially as juniors and seniors.
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I don’t agree with your premise. I have no axe to grind here- I’m a U grad, as is spouse and all the kids. But just in my own neighborhood over the last few years, I’ve seen kids heading off to Goucher, Lawrence, Middlebury, Conn College, Skidmore, Beloit, Reed, Juniata, in addition to the “perennial favorites”- Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Bates, Wellesley, Brandeis (sort of a U, sort of an LAC). It’s nice to see kids broadening their lens.
Some of the siblings of these kids have gone to big U’s– which I think is a nice commentary on “different strokes for different folks”. The big U’s work great for some kids; medium/small U’s work for others; LAC’s are the right place for still others.
Exactly what “luster” are you getting at?
True, you aren’t getting a nursing degree at Williams. But not everyone in America can- or wants– to specialize academically/professionally at age 18. And that’s great.
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We are also seeing lots of kids going to LACs in my neck of the woods. And not just the more popular schools mentioned by blossom, but also Dickinson, Furman, Davidson, Lake Forest, etc….
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They haven’t
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I’m not sure it means they lost their luster.
A Williams or Amherst, as examples, are still considered the gold standard.
But in the end, it’s supply and demand…they need to have butts in seats.
Other reasons could be:
- Budget - they might be too expensive, etc.
- Major - less kids are majoring in the liberal arts today
- Honors Colleges - some may consider it a less expensive sub.
There’s still lots of fans.
But you can see from various colleges, they are starting to pivot from the liberal arts - as budgets tighten or students pursue more “perceived” career ready majors.
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This!
There’s no one right answer.
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LACs are popular in my area. They are wonderful for students seeking a small, close-knit college experience.
FWIW my D had a fabulous experience at a LAC while my S wanted a larger college. Fit is important.
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I agree with everyone- no right school for all students. Seems like in my area there just isn’t that much interest, and the acceptance rates seem to reflect this.
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Until you provide some sort of evidence, I can’t go along with any of your premises.
What schools are you even talking about?
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“Small LACs are receiving a record number of applicants.
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Bowdoin: 13,200 applicants, an increase of 30% over the last five years
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Barnard received 11, 832 applicants, accepting 7% and with an increase of 20% of applications since 2020
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Amherst received 13,700 applications, up 1000 over last year, and admitting 9% of applicants overall.”
Source:
- College Acceptance Trends for the Class of 2024 CTK College Coach
Acceptance rates: Bowdoin: 7%. Barnard: 8% Amherst 9%
Seems pretty selective to me!
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Not compared to similar top larger schools which hover around 4%
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Traditionally top SLACs had similar acceptance rates with Ivies and other top institutions.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/lowest-acceptance-rate
There are plenty of LACs on this list, ahead of some of the Ivies.
And don’t forget some of the schools on this list have played some marketing games to get more students to apply to drive down their acceptance rates.
I don’t see how acceptance rates make an argument to where students are choosing to go to school. IMO % change in application numbers is a better gauge.
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Two comments:
- I know plenty of students who attend/attended LACs
- My daughter did not have any TAs teach her classes at the flagship she attended.
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literally the top 15 on that list are bigger schools or science focused