Top 7 Reasons to Choose a Liberal Arts College
Top 7 Reasons to Choose a Liberal Arts College
There are thousands of colleges and universities throughout the United States, so narrowing down which school might be right for you can be daunting. Before allowing yourself to become too attached to any specific school, it’s important to self-assess your priorities. What kind of experience is most likely to lead to your success?
As you create a college list tailored to your aspirations, you may find yourself asking whether you would prefer the liberal arts experience or that of a larger university. There are major advantages to both systems; one isn’t inherently better than the other, though one may suit your learning style and preferences better.
Let’s take a closer at some of the most compelling reasons for you to consider a liberal arts college. As you go through the reasons, ask yourself how important each of them are to your own process.
1. You want a small student body.
This is often where the conversation starts and stops for many students. With few exceptions, liberal arts schools will have a smaller student body than the average university. Universities are comprised of multiple, often discipline-specific colleges within the institution for undergrads as well as graduate students pursuing advanced degrees. If one of your college list priorities is attending a small campus, you might enjoy the liberal arts experience.
2. You want more of your professor’s attention.
Generally speaking, professors at liberal arts colleges dedicate a greater percentage of their time to teaching students than their colleagues in larger universities, where research is the priority. You may have greater access to them outside of office hours and form meaningful relationships aided by the low student to faculty ratio.
3. You want most, if not all, your classes taught by actual professors.
Without grad students on campus, there are considerably fewer classes taught by teacher’s assistants (TAs) at liberal arts colleges than universities. This is not to say that TAs are poor teachers; many are fantastic. However, the opportunity to learn from a professor who may have literally written the textbook on the subject at hand is compelling. If you want to ensure that the majority of the classes you take, especially in the first two years of your college experience, are taught by professors, you might prefer a liberal arts school.
4. You want to begin research early in your college career.
Beyond the classroom, liberal arts colleges often offer research opportunities to first and second-year students that would otherwise be reserved for grad students. Fewer students means greater access to the resources available. Though it might seem counterintuitive at first, attending a liberal arts college may be your ticket to authoring more published research, securing funding for your ideas, or launching your idea quicker than if you were to be in a larger setting.
5. You want to explore connections between your passions.
Are you interested in science and writing? Business and philosophy? Perhaps you love programming and Renaissance sculpture. You may not yet have a defined academic specialty. Liberal arts colleges typically offer freedom to explore the breadth of your passions with few restrictions. Whereas business classes may be reserved for students in the business school at some universities, the entire curriculum will be open to you at a liberal arts college.
6. You want to know and be known by your peers.
Anonymity is a virtual impossibility on a small campus. You will know or have some shared experience with most of your peers at a liberal arts college. For many students, this is quite exciting. They are looking to form a tight-knit community and make their mark on campus. They’re comfortable with the idea of everyone knowing their name. If this sounds like you, you may prefer the liberal arts experience.
7. You want a place that caters to the undergraduate experience.
There is something truly special about being an undergrad. Those formative years are full of so much growth and change. Some students prefer to spend them on a campus that caters only to them, where they won’t have to compete for time, attention, or resources with graduate students. That may mean fewer classes or departments to choose from, but they want to feel like they are their school’s sole priority. Beyond the classroom, this will also affect dorm the experience as well as the athletic and social scene.
Think about each of these points relative to your own priorities. Giving them careful consideration will help you create an ideal list for you.
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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