by Gabrielle Schrader

Created on: August 08, 2009

To begin with, neither college is really "better" than the other. Whether or not a college is "better" is really dependent upon the person who will be going there. For me, a private college was the best option and I believe it is for many others as well.

When I think of "better" I think of academics. I think of a challenging, intellectual environment full of "thinkers". When I think of these thoughts, I think of a private college. Not all private colleges are this way however. Mostly, the selective colleges hold this intellectual student body. However, some of the best colleges (selective and intellectual) are public.

Private colleges tend to be smaller and therefore, more focused on the student. They oftentimes do not have graduate programs or only a few. Unlike their public counterparts, they are focused solely on the undergraduate. I also believe that private colleges tend to be more tailored to a student's specific desires. Of course, a trade or technical school is even more specific. However, for those who are not interested in something that is taught at a trade or technical school, this gives them a way to be more specific.

At private colleges, most of the time the students are able to start out wide. They can cast a large net, major in undecided, and try all of their options out. Then as they go along, they will find that they feel drawn to one or two subjects more than the others. From there, I believe that the private colleges are more personal and more "private". They keep things centered around the student from day one. At a larger college/university it is often the practice to have to wait a few years before getting into small classes. This keeps the student from conversing with a faculty member who may be important in their future job search or to their academic understanding of a subject matter.

It is very important to have a small class and a more intimate connection with your teachers. I have had this ever since I was little and this was one of the biggest reasons I did not want to go to a public college. I also knew that the sense of community would be diminished because of the size. I wanted a place that was very intelligent, community oriented, personal attention, small class sizes, etc. Kenyon College turned out to be my perfect match. Regardless of whether the private college or the public college suits you the best, I hope that you find what it is that you are looking for in a college.

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