Where do students from directional universities go after graduation?

stradmom
Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:27:45 +0000

I teach at one of those directional schools (about 5000 undergrads, mostly residential, liberal arts focus). Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good: small classes, no TAs, almost every professor is here because we love teaching. Cost is low, and good students are likely to get significant merit aid. Lots of opportunities for campus involvement. Our best students would be competitive anywhere, but they’re here mostly for financial reasons. Those who put in the effort have landed excellent jobs in their fields or prestigious grad schools post-graduation.

The bad: less name recognition than our president would have you believe. Small campus means that a lot of students go to the nearby flagship campus to party on weekends. Funding issues.

The ugly: we’re doing better now, but it’s been a long journey to overcome the school’s history as a regional one. Many students have modest ambitions to return to their home town and work in the family business, which is admirable, but it sometimes makes it challenging to get them to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.