Large School or Small School?

To quote Hamlet, "That is the question," and it's an idea we've just begun talking about in college class this quarter.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both, so students should  give every type of school serious consideration.

Over the years I have found that our students often assume they want a large university like Tennessee, Georgia, or Virginia, because they have been in a small school environment and believe they want something at the opposite end of the spectrum. Twenty, thirty, forty thousand or more students sounds exciting, but it's also easy to get lost in a crowd that large, so you really need to assess your own strengths and weaknesses before you decide if that is the right size school for you.  Conversely, some students enjoy the personal attention they have received in high school and are looking for a similar experience in college, perhaps at colleges like Rhodes, Denison, or Dickinson.  More often than not however, our students are looking for medium size schools, and those can be harder to find. A few examples would be TCU, SMU, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Tulane, and Villanova.

The point is that when you are just beginning the college search process, you shouldn't assume that only one size college is right for you.  You and your parents should visit a variety of colleges and universities: large state schools as well as small, liberal arts colleges, schools in an urban setting along with those in a more suburban or rural area.  You should also be willing to branch out a little, perhaps traveling to colleges that are a little farther away from home.  You need to give each one of them a fair chance.  Eventually you'll figure it out, but until then, don't assume that one size is a better fit for you than another. 

For more information about the benefits of large and small colleges, check out this article from the National Association of College Admission Counseling, an organization that GPS has been a member of for quite some time. The NACAC website is also a good resource for you and your family during your college search.