I am starting a series of posts where I introduced an area, school, or group of schools that could be amazing gems for some students. We all are more comfortable with the familiar but names, rankings, and gossip contribute nothing to the actual experience and value of an education. The more reps that come and pitch their schools the more I start to realize, hey, this is pretty great and could really be a good option for some of my students. I hope these posts at least open minds to the idea that if you have a goal you want to accomplish, there are places where that is not only possible, but it may just be the best decision you ever made. Liberal Arts CollegesI am not exactly blowing the doors off the counseling world but I am starting here for a reason. A vast majority of my students continue to apply to mostly large public/private research universities. Sure, they all come from a small, very diverse international school where small classes, a voice, leadership opportunities, and working with teachers is important to them, and then they apply to all schools that offer the exact opposite!
I am sick of it. From now on, each of my students is going to have to investigate this possibility and make a case for why their list does not contain more liberal arts schools. Sure, it isn't for everyone, but you make that decision in haste, you waste the chance to know for sure. In a world emphasizing the power of STEM, we wonder where these seemingly "soft" skills have their place. Technology is the way of the future, but at what cost? Graduates are ill-prepared for the workforce. Check out these articles by The Daily Tar Heel and Forbes. After hundreds of thousands of dollars of education, college grads are less impactful than high school dropouts of half a century ago. And this isn't just crotchety old men making this judgment - students themselves feel ill prepared. Even Forbes can make a case for a broader education in a money-driven world. Amid many perspectives that the earning potential of someone in a liberal arts degree is so much less than that of of the alternative, we are forgetting something key here. Out of the gate, liberal arts students make less. But over time, they draw even and exceed that of other degrees, because STEM salaries grow more slowly. But what if there was a magical way to make your dreams come true? Here is the formula: When a student wants a degree in law, medicine, or an advanced degree like an MBA or PhD, they want it from a top-ranked grad program, right? No minds blown there. But how do they get into a top-tier school for their terminal degree (the one that really matters)? Should they go to the Ivy League and get connected? Hmm, maybe, but reports suggest only those that were already connected before attending are able to leverage connections after (unless they are first gen students, which none of mine are). Plus, getting admitted to a school that accepts less than 6% of its applicants (not to mention the many other factors: ex., legacies, contributors, recruited athletes, first-generation, etc.) is a pipe dream for most. You want to go to Harvard Law School? Don't go to Harvard College. Go to Eckerd. Wait, what? Why? Because your chance of getting into law school is higher. But how can that be, you say? Certainly a Harvard man through and through will prevail? Nope. And here is why: All grad programs are looking for the best applicants to admit to their class. So, in order to be an applicant that stands out, you have to go to a place where you can stand out. Entrance exams (MCAT, LSAT, GRE) aside, think about the other factors of admission: grades, research experience, internships, and letters of recommendation are probably at the top (throw in underrepresented areas and you have a chip to play). Now take the 336th ranked applicant out of Harvard College and compare them to the #1 ranked applicant at Eckerd. Who has the better grades? (Eckerd). Who has impressed their professors and therefore been asked to join the most sought after research studies and been nominated for the best internships (Eckerd). Whose professor is going to say, "This is the top student of this year and a shining star on the rise!" (Eckerd). So who do you think is the better candidate? If you don't say Eckerd, you have been abducted by the aliens who are behind the US News & World Report and been brainwashed. The only thing the Harvard applicant has is that they went to Harvard and if you think the worst student at Harvard is better than the best at Eckerd (or about 2000 other places), you are mistaken. Next time you have a major surgery or have a lawyer write your will or call your broker to invest your life savings, pause and ask if they did their undergrad at Harvard. 100 to 1 says they didn't so why are you assuming this is so important in the long run? Liberal arts colleges have teachers whose primary role is to teach. They are smaller, and people are more likely to get to know each other (i.e., form connections). There are no graduate students (read: no competition for professor's time and attention, and no competition for research experiences). Lib arts schools are focused on getting students the experiences they need to leverage their future. Having skills in more areas allows you to be marketable for dynamics jobs, many of which have yet to be created. And the good part is yet to come: with the exception of a handful of schools, they are much easier to get into than many known research universities (private or public out-of-state). What is not to love? If you aren't thinking about them you are missing a great chance to explore what might be the best decision of your life.
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AuthorOlder blog posts were for the UCLA Ext course "Using the Internet for College Counseling" Archives
February 2023
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