Enter the liberal arts.

Here are a few ways that liberal arts colleges cater to their students with a truly student-focused approach:

1. Small classes

You’ll never be lost in the crowd at a liberal arts school. Small class sizes allow for deep discussion and thorough understanding for every student. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to share your own thoughts, as well as hear from your peers.

“Students know each other by name, since they eat, live, and socialize together as well as attend class. Classes emphasize conversation and debate, which help students interrogate for themselves the concepts and texts.” — Joy Castro, English professor, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana (Wabash Magazine)

2. Professors who know your name

Intimate class sizes also give you the opportunity to really know your professors. Nationwide, liberal arts colleges average 11 students per faculty member. Professors at liberal arts colleges aren’t just there to lecture for an hour and go home; they’re ready to answer your questions, look over your papers and recommend great reads.

But many liberal arts professors don’t stop there. You might grab a coffee with them over lunch, get in the habit of sending them articles they would appreciate or find yourself having dinner with their family. Liberal arts professors don’t just care about your academic welfare; they care about you.

“One of the most valuable aspects of liberal arts education, in my opinion, is the close connection you could establish with the professors. Sure, they could seem intimidating with their crazy educational backgrounds and sophisticated word usage skills, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting to know them. They are always there – willing to help, and get to know you.” — Kyungin Kim, Chinese and international political economy student, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington (Puget Sound Blogs)

3. A well-rounded education

A school’s liberal arts focus ensures you aren’t just an expert in one subject, but well versed in many topics. English majors and biochemistry majors find common ground at liberal arts institutions. With a liberal arts degree, you will be prepared to critically assess and engage the world. You will have the breadth of knowledge necessary to discuss and evaluate your ideas and philosophies. You will be challenged and challenge others. And your growth will last a lifetime.

“A liberal arts education prepares students for a changing world by equipping them with a broad set of analytical skills rather than a single focus.” — Julia Reynolds, humanities student, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Wake Forest)

4. Undergraduate research opportunities

Don’t get trapped by a books-only approach. At a liberal arts college, you’ll get hands-on experience in your field. Professors don’t expect you to have lots of credentials before you begin researching with them—they equip you with both the preparation and on-the-job training you’ll need to research well.

With undergraduate research experience, you will stand out on graduate school applications. You will attract employers and excel in jobs for which you already have the skills. Plus will leave a mark on the scholarship of your school that will last long after you’ve graduated.

“The work with students in the lab has been the highlight for me. I always say that if you’re doing research at a liberal arts college, you have to involve students in your research. I consider the work that my students and I have done in the laboratory all these years to be a vital part of my teaching responsibility.” – John Ubels biology professor, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ready for this kind of education? Explore the best in liberal arts for yourself or your student at www.liberalartspower.org.

Gwyneth Findlay is a student of the liberal arts at Calvin College.

The post Why Choose a Liberal Arts College? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Air Academy HS
Alexander Dawson School (CO)
Arapahoe HS (CO)
Bear Creek HS
Bishop Machbeuf HS (CO)
Boulder HS
Broomfield HS
Castleview HS
Cedar Ridge Academy (CO)
Centennial HS
Cherry Creek HS
Cherokee Trail HS
Cheyenne Mountain HS
Colorado Academy
Columbine HS
Compass Montessori (CO)
Conifer HS (CO)
Custer County HS
Denver Academy
Denver East HS
Denver School for the Arts
Denver Waldorf School
D’Evelyn HS
Douglas County HS
Elizabeth HS
Fairview HS
George Washington HS (Denver)
Grandview HS (CO)
Grand Junction HS (Colorado)
Highlands Ranch HS (CO)
Kent Denver School
Kiowa HS (CO)
Lakewood HS (CO)
Lewis Palmer HS (CO)
Littleton HS
Middle Park HS (CO)
Monarch HS
Mountain Vista HS (CO)
Mullen HS (CO)
New Hope Academy
Niwot HS
Overland HS (CO)
Palisade HS (CO)
Peak to Peak Charter School (Colorado)
Pine Creek HS (CO)
Ralston Valley HS (CO)
Regis Jesuit HS (Denver)
Rock Canyon HS (Colorado)
Smoky Hill HS (CO)
Summit County HS
Valor Christian HS (CO)
Watershed School (CO)

The post Colorado High Schools of Students Who Got Great College Advice first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Below is a partial list of the secondary schools that our students have attended as we have helped them map their college journeys.

SELECTED PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)
Hotchkiss School  (NH)
Phillips Andover  (MA)
Lawrenceville School (NJ)
Cate School (CA)
Holderness School (NH)
Northfield Mount Herman School (MA)
Germantown Friends School (PA)
Moses Brown School (RI)
Emma Willard School (NY)
Cushing Academy (MA)
Lawrence Academy (MA)
Brentwood School (BC, Canada)
Fountain Valley School (CO)
Bishop Fenwick HS (MA)
St. John’s Prep (MA)
Mid-Pacific Institute (HI)
Saint Thomas Academy (MN)
Colorado Academy (CO)
Kent Denver School (CO)
International School of San Francisco (CA)
Signature School (IN)
Prospect Hill Academy (MA)
Interlochen Arts Academy (MI)
Judge Memorial HS (UT)
Xavier HS (WI)
Harrow School (UK)
Woldingham School (UK)
Chinese International Schools (Hong Kong)
Shanghai American School (PRC)
Geelong Grammar Schools (Australia)
Anglo-Chinese School (Singapore)
Beijing 101 Secondary School (PRC)
American School of Muscat (Oman)

SELECTED USA PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

We have worked with students attending some of the most competitive high schools in the country, many of whom have pursued Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula.  We have worked with students who hail from just about every state in the country (we’re working to add Alaska and South Dakota!).  Below is just a sampling of the great schools where our students have attended.

NEW YORK

Scarsdale HS
Stuyvesant HS
Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women

MASSACHUSETTS

Lexington HS
Belmont HS
Hingham HS
Burlington HS
Ipswich HS
Needham HS
Bedford HS
Melrose HS
Somerville HS

CALIFORNIA

Pacific Palisades HS
Palos Verdes Peninsula HS
Westview HS
Cerritos HS
Woodcreek HS
Redlands East Valley HS
Rancho Cotate HS (CA)

NEW JERSEY

Ridgewood HS
Westfield HS
Cranford HS (NJ)
Metuchen HS (NJ)
Rumson / Fairhaven HS (NJ)

ILLINOIS

Buffalo Grove HS

COLORADO

Cherry Creek HS
Fairview HS
Boulder HS
Denver East
George Washington
Cheyenne Mountain HS
For more Colorado Schools, click here

MISSOURI

Clayton HS

MAINE

Yarmouth HS

UTAH

Snow Canyon HS

WYOMING

Laramie HS

NEBRASKA

Hastings HS
Scotch Plains Fairwood HS

TENNESSEE

Tullahoma HS

INDIANA

Indiana Academy for Science, Math, and Humanities
Munster HS

NORTH DAKOTA

West Fargo HS

PENNSYLVANIA

Lancaster HS

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Newmarket HS

DELAWARE

Cape Henlopen HS

SOUTH CAROLINA

JL Mann HS

TEXAS

Kempner High School

NEW MEXICO

Maya Gold

The post Secondary Schools Where Students Have Received Great College Advice first appeared on College Admission Counseling.