The Advantages of the Small, Private Liberal Arts College

My grades in high school were none too shabby. I had a weighted GPA of nearly 4.1 because of AP classes, and an ACT score of 31. My counselor encouraged me to apply anywhere. My reach school (the school that I was not certain I could get into) was Southern Methodist University, which had an acceptance rate of about 1 in 3. Even though I was accepted and offered a spot in their honors college, the impressive scholarship they offered me just wasn't competitive with local state school scholarships.

I didn't even apply to schools like Harvard, Princeton, Northwestern, Brown, Stanford, Yale, etc. Instead, I opted for a small private liberal arts college and local state universities as back-up schools. Why? Because of the value for my parents' and my money. If you are a smart student with good grades, you may be accepted at a fantastic school like Harvard. However, when you stop to think about the cost of such a school, it doesn't look as attractive. Plus, when you fall on hard times, if you aren't fabulously wealthy, you could be in danger of running out of money with such high costs.

I considered Northwestern University in my preliminary college search, and found out that the cost is nearly $45,000 a year! The private college I chose to attend, the College of Idaho (Albertson College at the time), was more like $23,000 a year. Tragically, because my parents were so responsible and saved up for retirement, my family's Expected Contribution was higher than the cost of attendance. The FAFSA foolishly counts all the money saved up in IRAs and 401(k) plans, even though you really can't access it for education. So, we thought we were stuck.

We weren't. A small private college like mine will give out merit scholarships, which are based on grades and ACT / SAT scores, rather than need. If you are in the unlucky boat I was, where I had excellent qualifications but not a lot of money, and no way to take out a federal loan, then the merit scholarship merits your attention.

Instead of paying double what I would at my small private college and going to an Ivy League school, I take advantage of my full-tuition scholarship and only have to cover room, board, and books (only about a third of the total cost of attendance). And in some ways, the tight-knit community, small class sizes, and 100% professor teaching rate (no graduate assistants), could be considered superior to the kind of education you would get at a college where the professors are more dedicated to graduate level students and work, while the undergraduate students are an afterthought.

But what about state colleges, which are much cheaper (especially if you are a state resident)? There are things you get at a private college that you don't at a state college. The caliber of professors is likely much higher at a private college, and the classes are small as well, allowing you to actually get to know your professors. In fact, I have a first-name basis with some of my professors, which translates to instant references, good potential contacts for post-collegiate pursuits, and best of all, friends who are in a field that I might be a part of someday.

This doesn't mean to ignore the often-fantastic scholarships available at a state college, but when given the choice between a full-tuition scholarship at a private liberal arts college and a full-ride plus extra cash scholarship at the local state college, I went with the private liberal arts college. Granted, state colleges can offer better facilities and more recognizable entertainment that private colleges can't afford. But what's most important, at least to me, is the value. It's not just about the total cost, but about what you get for your money. So far, I've loved my time at the College of Idaho, and I highly recommend looking into a small private liberal arts college if you are a good student in the process of looking for a good deal in college.