Considerations for developing the college list: small liberal arts schools and out of state public universities

I’ve written previous blog posts about visiting small liberal arts colleges and the benefits of an education at a small school: close relationships with and mentoring from faculty, small class sizes,

and the chance to be a “big fish in a small pond,” among others. 

If you’d like to learn more about specific schools and why a liberal arts education might be the right fit for your son or daughter, you may want to attend an upcoming presentation on “Colleges that Change Lives” at Sequoia High School in Redwood City on Thursday, February 18.  Maria Furtado, Executive Director of this consortium of small liberal arts colleges will discuss college rankings and popular misperceptions about college admission, the strength and worth of a liberal arts education, and offer tips for students and parents on how to manage the college search.

On another note, I’ve noticed a trend in the past few years of my advisees applying to out of state public institutions. Some do this because of the increasing competitiveness of the University of California schools.  But others are attracted to large research universities for different reasons—school spirit, excellent facilities or specific academic programs.  A recent article in the Washington Post analyzes this trend.

Whether your high school student is considering a large university or a small private college, informing yourself now about the advantages and disadvantages of each will help you as you guide your child in developing his or his college list—and as you consider the financial investment you will make.