Liberal arts colleges, are they for you?
Are you a multifaceted student interested in data science and music? or in chemistry and painting? or english and psychology? If so, then a Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) could be just the type of school for you. Some typical characteristics of LACs:
A smaller student body, usually 2,500 students or fewer.
Focus on educating undergraduate students, though some have a few very small, specific graduate programs.
Are more flexible academically, many encourage interdisciplinary majors, double majors and double minors.
Have the flexibility in their curriculum to allow STEM majors to minor in the humanities or arts.
Have smaller seminar-like classes starting as early as freshman year.
Don't require students to apply into a specific major, encouraging students to explore their interests before committing to a major at the end of sophomore year or beginning of junior year.
For most majors you do not have to “apply in” either before you enroll as a freshman or when you declare your major. An exception to this is performing arts at various colleges, if you think this is your path make sure to check requirements before applying.
Provide majors such as economics for students interested in business, and physics for students interested in engineering. Some have reciprocal relationships with nearby universities and other LACs thereby broadening their academic offerings.
Allow students to work directly with professors on research projects, rather than with graduate students.
Usually have less administrative overhead and a more personalized connection to their students.
Provide the opportunity for students to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and performing arts without being a varsity athlete or arts major.
Some larger universities have Honors Colleges which function similar to LACs.
Almost always have a campus and are located in the suburbs, near small towns, or in rural communities. Few LACs are located in large urban cities.
Who does well at them?
Students who are intellectually curious about a large range of areas, who want to explore and aren't absolutely certain of what they want to study. Students with divergent interests who are also interested in the connection between the two and may want to create an interdisciplinary major, dual major, or unrelated major and minors.
Students who want to participate in extracurriculars but not devote large amounts of time to them. They are perfect for a student who always wanted to direct a play, or play soccer, or play in a jazz band, etc.
How to submit your best application?
If you want to apply, LACs usually look for enthusiastic and intellectually curious students. Be genuine and authentic, they are looking for a well rounded class who will broaden the experiences of their classmates. Show them how would you contribute to their campus and how you you are a cultural fit. What you do isn't as important as how excited you are about doing it.