While searching for a college or university to attend, there are a lot of details about prospective schools that need to be taken into consideration. One of the most important details that can make or break a school for an incoming freshman is the relative size of a school. Colleges like Arizona State University, the University of Central Florida, and ("The") Ohio State University have an undergraduate enrollment of almost 60,000 students. These schools are unimaginably large, and are almost like small cities. On the other end of the spectrum, there are thousands of schools (such as my future alma mater, Philadelphia University,) that only have a couple thousand students, or sometimes even less. This really puts some students off, and can drive attention away from these schools. However, you shouldn't let those enrollment numbers make your college decision for you; small schools aren't all that bad!

In my senior year of high school while I was consulting with advisors to make my big college decision, I had it narrowed down to about four or five schools. I decided to simply check the national rankings of the program I was looking to apply to (an accelerated Physician Assistant Studies program) to make my decision. After finding out that my future school had an enrollment of just about 3,000, I was torn. Do I pick a bigger school to "get a better college experience", or do I just base my pick on the best academic option? I decided to go with my gut and pick the small school. I was scared that I could one day regret my decision, but it turned out to be the best decision that I could've ever made.

A lot of people tend to refer to small colleges as "bigger high schools". This simply just isn't a valid comparison. Comparing high school to college is really an apples-to-oranges comparison. Colleges bring together people from all over the country (and nowadays, all over the world), with radically different views and backgrounds, into a common location. These students follow a variety of paths that lead them to outcomes that vary greatly; no two college students are the same, or really even comparable for that matter. High school is a totally different story. Students from one, relatively small geographic area attend a high school, usually in hopes of attending college. High school is highly structured, with usually a basic curriculum that all students follow. This is coupled with the fact that most college students live together on campus, which is a situation that can't even slightly compare to life in high school. So please; stop saying that any college is "high school 2.0". College is a totally different world.

Now that the "high school" argument is out of the way, why do small colleges rule?

First off, you're more than just a number to your institution. This isn't an insult to big schools, but in smaller schools, you definitely receive more attention than you could ever imagine to get at a big school. When you need help with squeezing into a full class, maintaining your scholarships and financial aid, receiving funding for your club, or something of the like, you can expect to get five-star treatment. School staff will take the time to walk you through whatever you need help with, and you don't just fade away into the crowd. It actually seems like staff members are bored; they practically jump at the chance to give you assistance. This can make the logistics of being a college student much easier, and definitely prevents things of this nature from becoming an unnecessary headache.

The absolute best perk of attending a small college or university can be summed up into two words: class. size. The largest class I've ever had to take involved a total of about 40 students. That's probably a third of your average class size at a larger school. I've never had to take a lecture hall, and just about every professor I've taken in my three years was able to learn the names of every student in their class. Although this might be a bad thing for people who struggle to keep their attendance grade up, the pros definitely outweigh the cons here. Students at smaller schools have a voice in how the class is run, extra help is never a struggle to receive, and a lot of teacher-student interaction can make for a much easier semester.

An awesome part of attending a smaller school is the cozy, tight-knit community aspect. You can always expect to see people you know on campus, and there's an sense that reaches almost the level of family between students. There's usually just one "degree of separation" between any two students on campus. Although some people claim they're over their small school because they "know everyone", that's basically impossible. New students come and go during your four years in college, so with a little bit of effort, there's always someone new to meet.

There are plenty of other aspects of attending a small college or university that simply can't be put into words. Although the nightlife might get a little old and seeing the same people's faces might start to drive you up a tree, there's a sense of familiarity and comfort at a small school that really is unique and special. Are small colleges for everyone? Absolutely not! However, enrollment numbers shouldn't automatically deter students during their college search. Schedule a visit, and see for yourself. Maybe you'll end up loving that small school, just like I did.