Photo by Adam Wink

So I am going a little off my usual topics today because I want to talk about my other “job.”  When I am not working as “mommy,” “swim coach,” or “pilates instructor,” the job that pays the bills is high school college counselor.  I truly enjoying working with my students and watching them grow over their four years of high school.  The change that takes place in a high schooler over four years is truly amazing.  In the last year, I have really noticed how the recession has affected kids and their college choices.  Nearly fifty percent of our kids will attend one of our in-state schools, while the other group will be going out-of-state to mostly private, smaller schools.  I have had the privelege of working at both large state universities and a smaller regional liberal arts school during my career.  I would have to say, hands down, I enjoyed the small school experience the best.

I believe that smaller schools allow you to be more engaged mentally, active in a campus community, and participate at a broader level in various campus activities.  Not to say state schools don’t have their merit, I am solely talking about the college experience that prepares a student for their future through open class discussion, small student to teacher ratios, and a focus on writing and critical thinking.  I recently read Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You by the late Loren Pope, he readily discusses the benefits of the small, liberal arts institution that focus on teaching and student research.  He believes the perfect college size is those that are under 5000 students because it gives the students the ability to interact with their professors and classmates.  Small schools encourage kids to have dialogues in and outside the classrooms and to take ownership of their own education.  Pope actually has his own list of Colleges that Change Lives and describes their benefits in the book of the same name.  What I find most intriguing is how today’s society focuses on the big name universities; ranging from the Ivy League to large state schools, in turn, dismissing many small, excellent institutions due to lack of name recognition.  Several years ago, I worked at a great liberal arts school, Truman State University, I was so impressed by the high level of teaching, camraderie amongst the students and faculty, and research done by the students that I would easily recruit students to that amazing institution.  In addition, the campus was thriving; they regularly had lectures from prominent national and international speakers, they had excellent sports teams and extremely active intramurals, and lastly it was cool to be smart and engaged in your own learning.  There are many great institutions out there that families don’t know about or discount because they haven’t “heard” of them.  If you have a student in high school I highly encourage you to check out some of the smaller, liberal arts institutions that will prepare your child for their future and help them grow into critical learners and productive members of our community.

While this post easily swayed from my usual topics, I have been extremely enamored with small liberal arts schools and the great college experience they can give to our young people.  In addition, I encourage you to check out those lesser known schools that may peak the interest of your student and/or yourself.   Active mommies need to also be active in finding our kids the best education possible!