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Time to select a college? Not so fast. With more than
1,600 four-year colleges and universities to choose from,
you will need to think this one through. As we mention in
our article "Selecting the 'Right' School," size is an important
consideration. As a frame of reference, a small- or medium-sized
college is one with fewer than 5,000 students and a large
or very large university is one with more than 5,000. If you
select small or medium, you will be able to choose from a
list of over 1,200 schools; if you choose large or very large,
then your list will include almost 400 schools. Midsize schools
to some extent combine qualities of both small and large schools
and offer a sort of compromise.
So,
if you are feeling confused about whether you would be better
off at a small college or a large university, we have prepared
this checklist for you as a starting point in your research.
Go through the advantages listed below in each category and
check off the ones that mean the most to you. One word of
caution: every school is different, and the qualities listed
are generalizations that won't hold true for every small or
large school.
Small
-
Smaller
classes (<20 students), allowing for greater class
participation and the ability to develop close friendships
-
Greater
professor involvement in teaching
-
Lower
student to faculty ratio (<15:1), allowing for more
direct access to your professors for coaching and advice
-
Greater
accessibility of popular classes and majors
-
Greater
accessibility of housing and resources
Large
-
More
variety of courses and subject areas
-
More
professors to choose from within departments
-
Greater
diversity among faculty and students
-
More
opportunities to observe, and even participate in, advanced
research
-
Larger
libraries and more extensive research facilities
-
Graduate
programs (at universities), which provide a means of familiarizing
yourself with later options for continued study
-
Courses
taught by graduate students, who have less experience
but often more enthusiasm for their subject than more
advanced professors
One
way of thinking about the basic differences between small
and large schools is in terms of being a small fish in a big
pond or a big fish in a small pond. At big schools, you have
a wider range of students and opportunities, but the vastness
of this setting may make it hard to take advantage of everything
out there; at small schools, by contrast, you stand out, but
for some, the intimate atmosphere feels claustrophobic. The
decision is a personal one that will require some thinking
not just about what different schools offer, but about what
environment will be most conducive to your learning and overall
happiness.
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