Howdy Y’all. I am back to share some friendly post-grad advice about what to consider to choose the right college. In particular, I want to talk about the differences to be considered between different types of schools.
When I first went to college I went to a private art school out of state. After a semester and some extremely cold Minnesota weather, I decided to transfer. At that point, I had missed all the deadlines to transfer to a University, and frankly, I had no idea anymore what I wanted to do. That Spring semester I enrolled at the local community college while I figured out my next step. Of course, as you all know by now, I ultimately ended up at Texas A&M (WHOOP!), which is Tier 1 Research University (and potentially a cult, but you didn’t hear that from me). Needless to say, I’ve tried out a few different types of schools. As a senior trying to decide where to go, I had no real concept of how all colleges were different. I imagined them all to be like what I saw in movies. Not the case at all.
If you’re a high school senior and wondering what college is the right fit for you or how to choose the right college, hopefully, this rundown of each school’s pros and cons will help you get closer to your decision. Also, please take this list with a grain of salt, because these are my opinions. What are the pros to me could be cons to you and vice versa. Also a little disclaimer: the images of the campuses I am using come from their respective websites.
Private Art School
When it comes to private specialized colleges, I can really only speak with confidence about art schools, but I do feel that many of the ideas can be applied to other private liberal art schools. Ever since sixth grade, I wanted to attend an art school, particularly Savannah College of Art and design. When my senior year came, I only applied to art schools. While I got into SCAD and got a scholarship, Minneapolis College of Art offered me a substantial amount of money to go. Needless to say, that is where I went for a semester. It definitely was not the school for me, and my pro and con list may reflect that, but I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible.
PROS
1. Focused Academics:
A good thing about attending an art school is you don’t have to take a bunch of “basics” like you do at other schools. In my curriculum at MCAD, not a single math, science, government, American history, or physical education class was ever in my degree plan. Only classes that involved art or fostering my art on a business level were included in the curriculum. If you’re not a fan of other subjects this is definitely a positive attribute to art schools.
2. Companies that Hire Direct from the College:
If you’re into the art world, then I am sure you know that companies like Disney hire directly from colleges like CalArts. Attending an art school that has these sorts of connections through prominent alumni can be very beneficial to landing a job after graduation.
3. Community:
If you want to be around like-minded individuals who share a lot of the same interests, styles, and beliefs that you do, then art school can be a great place to find a community. If you were ever bullied in high school for your interests, I think art school could probably be a great place of healing by finding like-minded individuals. I actually heard one girl I knew at school express this sentiment.
CONS
1. Expensive:
The most obvious of the cons is certainly the price of attending art school. It’s expensive. As previously mentioned, I got a fantastic scholarship, but even with most of the tuition being paid, there were still a lot of other expenses that are just more than they’d be at a state school. Private schools are pricey. Consider the price before going to one.
2. Subjective Grading:
I had a professor during my semester at MCAD that gave me a C (she did eventually raise it to a B because I challenged her on it) on a project because “it wasn’t my personality”… Mind you this professor hardly remembered my name in a class of 10 people. She most certainly did not know my personality. When it comes to art, what one person may love, another may hate. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is definitely something to consider before attending a college like this. While architecture can also be pretty subjective, one thing I can say is grading was often more objective as to whether your design achieved the function and your renderings accurately depicted the concept.
3. Limited Interest Exploration:
Unlike universities, where you can take classes outside your major and learn new and unrelated topics, you more than likely won’t have this at an art school. As I mentioned in the pros section, academics are very focused. If you wanted to learn something like horticulture or archery, chances are there won’t be a class available at an art school.
4. Fewer resources:
If you read my recent post about how to study in college, then you know I think college resources are a Godsend. Art schools, probably won’t have this. MCAD didn’t. We didn’t even have a real dining hall either. Parking on campus was a situation. Being a smaller school they just can’t support a lot of the great resources that a university can (doctors, nutritionists, counseling, tutors, etc.)
5. No Athletics:
I’m from Texas. Football is king here. I didn’t realize how much I would miss going to football games until there wasn’t any to go to. This was a definite con for me. I may not be a huge football fan, but I enjoy the revelry that goes on during a football game. Wearing your school’s colors, tailgating, taking a picture, etc. that is all so much fun to me. Seeing other people going to games on facebook while I was just chilling in my dorm made me miss it a lot.
Community Colleges
I feel like community colleges get picked on so much, yet they are such a fantastic resource. I know I overheard a lot of kids senior year making fun of others who were attending the local community college in the Fall. They weren’t smart enough to get into a University. Heck, I had people make comments towards me when I went there during my in-between semester. The truth is, community colleges are great!
Pros:
1. Cost:
Community Colleges are cheaper in almost all aspects than a university. This is great, especially for someone who may not have the finances or feels comfortable taking out a student loan. Even living in the limited dorm space the college may offer tends to be cheaper than a university. Additionally, if you can’t afford all four years at a university you can always attend a community college for 2 years, and then transfer. That way you only end up paying for 2 years of a university’s tuition.
2. Flexible Schedule:
Community colleges tend to understand that a lot of their students have families or work. Most offer classes at night that traditional universities wouldn’t. My father actually used to teach several night classes at the community college I went to. This helps students get the credits they need without struggling to manage a family or work or both.
3. Explore your interests at less cost:
Since community colleges are cheaper, if you want to take a class that isn’t in your degree plan you have more freedom to do that, than at a university. Just to give a quick comparison a 3 credit course at the community college I went to was roughly 400-500 dollars vs. at a university that can be 1500-4000. Big difference!
4. Smaller Workload:
Community College classes do tend to not be as intensive as universities. If you’re someone who may struggle with a large workload or balancing everything, community colleges are a good option to still get an education but not have to “hate school”
5. Less Intimidating Transition:
For some people, it is hard to leave home. That’s ok! It means you have a good home, nothing wrong with that. Community colleges can allow you to still have the college experience, but not have to deal with both the transition in education level and the transition away from familiarity.
Cons:
1. Only Associate Level:
Most community colleges don’t offer programs where you can obtain a Bachelors. Some do, but even if they do it may not be a lot of degrees in which they offer it. If you know you want to ultimately get your bachelor, then you will have to transfer schools.
2. Lack of Campus Life:
Most community colleges don’t have a large campus life. With a lot of the students being commuters there just isn’t an emphasis on-campus life. However, you can find schools that have the extracurricular activities you are looking for. The school I attended had an art club, athletics, a dance team, etc. So there were some options available.
3. Not all Credits Transfer:
If you are thinking of transfer to a university, you have to make sure your credits transfer and apply to your new school. Generally, you can go to the university’s website and they will have a place where you can check credits eligible for transfer.
4. Stigma Around Community College:
As I mentioned, people can get real snobby about going to a community college. Its good to remember that you’re still getting an education and helping yourself. The value of education doesn’t lie within what school you went to.
State Universities
First, let me start by saying that Texas A&M is the best school (or cult, your choice). I loved getting to go to a big state school. The commemoratory that surrounds the student body even after you graduate is like nothing else. However, paying for four years of tuition is a big commitment, so its good to see the pros and cons of attending a school like this.
Pros:
1. In-State Tuition:
While not as cheap as community colleges, in-state tuition is much cheaper than attending a private school. There are also a lot of grants available that can be used at state schools. Honestly, compared to private schools, I think you get more bang for your buck.
2. Campus Life:
State schools usually have a very big campus life. Texas A&M, for example, had an activity fair each semester just to let students find the different organizations available. Let us just say, it took a few hours to go through all the activities available. There are also sports, and people just hanging out and playing frisbee, or hammocking on the quad. You name it, you’ll probably be able to find it at a university.
3. School Spirit:
I had someone come up to me in a coffee shop hours away from my school, and said they noticed my Aggie ring. There is just a big comradery between people who went to the same school. Honestly, dressing up in Maroon and White, and doing A&M’s yells (no not cheers or chants but yells) is so much fun! That something you really only experience at a large school.
4. Professors who are experts:
Universities can afford to hire professors who are experts in their field. Maybe they aren’t the greatest at teaching (or maybe they are- Shout out to Dr. Newman who was recognized as one of the most admired educators of landscape architecture) either way you can learn a lot by getting to know your professors and being around them.
5. Vast Alumni Network:
State schools have huge alumni networks that can be helpful for getting connected in new cities and finding jobs. It’s helpful to network with alumni that have a shared experience with you!
6. Resources:
As I mentioned in my previous post, state schools have a large number of resources available to students that smaller schools just can’t offer. This is definitely something to consider when choosing a school!
Cons:
1. Availability of Classes:
With so many students attending a university, it can be a little tricky getting into classes that you need. Seats can fill up very quickly. I remember being in group messages where students were asking if someone had an early registration time if they could hold a seat for them in a class. Luckily, with my major, I never had an issue, but in some departments, you have to be quick to sign up.
2. One on One with Professor:
Unless you plan on going to their office hours, it can be hard to get time with your professor when classes can have up to 300 people. If you’re someone who needs a little more attention when it comes to learning new material you might want to consider looking at smaller schools or making the effort to go to the professor’s office after class.
3. Just a Number:
It is easy to feel like just a number at a university with up to 85,000 students! The trick is to get involved in activities where you get to know people, and finding your place at a school.
I know this list is nowhere near comprehensive, and of course, is all opinion-based, but I hope if you were struggling to decided where to attend school this helped. If you have any questions about how to choose the right college, feel free to email me or comment below!