One of the most important considerations in choosing a college is size. A small college of 2,000 students provides a very different experience from that offered by a large university of 20,000 students.
It’s like living in a small town versus a large city. People say hello when they see you. Professors greet you by name and stop to chat. Faculty and staff at small colleges are there to help, and the caring atmosphere can help students feel they belong.
For some, anonymity is more appealing. At a large university, you might be able to go all semester without talking to your professors, but that doesn’t make for the best educational experience. Students get more out of college when they are engaged. That means interacting with professors and students, doing research, and being involved in campus life. At smaller colleges, this level of engagement is built into the system. That doesn’t mean students can’t be engaged at large universities, but they have to take the initiative to create that kind of experience.
Some students believe that if they haven’t yet decided on a major or career, they should go to a large university, where they will be able to sample lots of possibilities and figure out what they want to do. But even small colleges offer hundreds of classes each year. Ironically, students often find it easier to discover their passion at a smaller college, where they get extensive advising from professors who have chosen a small college because they want to teach and interact with undergraduates.
Many students want a college that’s bigger than high school. But every college is physically bigger than a high school. In addition to classroom buildings for art, music, social sciences, and natural sciences, there are residence and dining halls, library, student union, athletic facilities, counseling offices, health services and more. A college campus doesn’t feel as confining as high school.
If students are concerned that they won’t find enough interesting people at a small college, they might be reassured to know that there will be more diversity than in high school. They will find students hailing from different parts of the country along with international students, as well as people from different ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. But all of these students chose to attend the same college, so chances are it will be easier to find people with similar interests. It may also be easier to meet more students, because you get to know people in your classes as well as in your residence hall, and you probably won’t have the same students in sociology as in astronomy.
When it comes to extracurricular activities, there may actually be more opportunities at a small college, because there are fewer students competing to write for the school paper or work at the campus radio station. Since smaller colleges generally don’t have graduate students, courses are less likely to be taught by teaching assistants, and there are often more opportunities for students to collaborate with professors on research projects.
While small colleges offer many benefits, they’re not for everyone. Some students thrive on the excitement of seeing thousands of people walking across campus every day. They know what they want and are assertive enough to pursue it. They get to know their professors during office hours and seek help when they need it. They aren’t intimidated dealing with bureaucracy. They will create a sense of community by getting involved in activities. The key to a successful college experience, as always, is finding a good match for each student.
