Blog posts on college admissions by Arjun Seth

Looking at small liberal arts and science schools
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Looking at small liberal arts and science schools

While doing research for my first article in HT Horizon (see below) I reached out a few students I had worked with in the past. Amar Sarkar (Grinnell '12), Anshu Singh (Clark U '13), Madhavika Bajoria (Bryn Mawr '13) and Tanay Warerkar (Sarah Lawrence College '12) responded to my queries. Thank you, this wouldn't have been possible with you!

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Is a large public university for you?
Arjun Seth Arjun Seth

Is a large public university for you?

This week we focus on large public universities in the United States and shed light on issues related to college setting, size, academic experience and diversity of student population in some of its highly-selective, nationally ranked universities. This is to help students understand the importance of the right fit while making their college list.

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Interview with Karan Nagpal, Oxford University

1. What according to you works better at an undergraduate level, a small liberal arts school or a larger university? Does having to meet a core curriculum turn out to be an annoyance in any way?

I went to a high school that had a large number of students. Therefore, being around thousands of people was a way of life. This is what lead me to apply to big universities in the US. However, after studying at St. Stephens in India where the community was rather close-knit, I feel that a smaller college works better. There’s always the trade-off between the prestige of a larger university and the close-knit community of a smaller college (luckily, St Stephen’s ticked both the boxes).

Talking about core curriculums. In Stephens we didn’t have an array of diverse subjects that we were required to study. We had our basic economics requirements and requirement for subjects, which were in some way related to what we were studying. However, I feel that the ‘liberal arts’ system and the strict core curriculum that follows it leads to a holistic development and I see no reason as to why it should be an annoyance.
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Rahul Garg (Swarthmore '11) answers questions regarding right-fit
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Rahul Garg (Swarthmore '11) answers questions regarding right-fit

I like smaller schools, just because they bring the community much closer to one another, there are smaller class sizes, and it is very hard to not develop a lifelong attachment to your college and friends after that. However, larger schools can have more options with respect to student clubs and a broader social scene.

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Four Selective Summer Programmes to Apply to
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Four Selective Summer Programmes to Apply to

Summer programmes are a great way to indulge your desire to travel, explore and learn. In your last two years before college, when you’re still deciding majors and colleges, it makes sense to use the holidays to acquaint yourself with the challenges ahead.

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