Small liberal arts college or big city university?

in

I have to decide on which college/university I should enroll in by May 1, and my two options are POLAR. Should I enroll in the big, metropolitan university with all of the amenities of a big city, or the small, traditional, beautiful liberal arts college?

Pro: 

Big City University:

  • Resources of urban environment
  • Great night life
  • Diverse student body
  • More similar to real life
  • Cheap(er) tuition
  • Lots of academic options
  • Drinking age of 19

Small Liberal Arts College:

  • Nurturing staff
  • Small classes
  • No required classes
  • Prestige behind the name
  • Great study abroad options
  • Cohesive student body
  • More traditional "college parties"
Con: 

Big City University:

  • Easy to fall behind academically (no hand-holding)
  • Really big classes
  • Required classes
  • Disconnected student body
  • Not a lot of tradition or prestige

Small Liberal Arts College:

  • Outrageously expensive tuition
  • "Snobby" or "cliquey" student body
  • Not very diverse student body
  • Boring surrounding area
  • Not similar to real life (located in a "bubble")
  • Limited academic options

Pro arguments

pro big city university

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 06:47.

Big university means greater challenges and a more competitive environment, but I think the reward is bigger when you graduate.

same exact problem

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:14.

i'm having the exact same dilemma right now. what i'm doing is weighting my options by using 2 jars and filling them with jelly beans, based on how important each category is to me.

for example, strong student-teacher relationships would receive +3 jelly beans for a pro, -3 for a con (if it isn't available).

you may want to consider if there are any dealbreakers, like not having a certain sports team or class.

a lot of my friends have said to visit and go with a gut feeling, but others have said that your brain will just work it out. if you think too much about it, it'll get overwhelming..it's hard for me not to, either. you'll be fine either places. remember that prestige isn't everything...if this is undergrad, keep in mind grad schools are what matter these days.

New pro con lists

more

Propose!

Didn't find what you needed? Propose an item for pro con list and we'll ease your decision.

Newsletter

Subscribe to newsletter and be the first to know when pro con lists are posted.   Syndicate content