How to select a US university

By Tori Haring-Smith

Many Sri Lankans are considering sending their children to the United States in order to benefit from the excellent university education available there, but selecting a college or university is difficult when working long distance. The American educational system is quite different from the Sri Lankan system, and this can be confusing to parents and students alike.

America’s colleges and universities are very diverse; their varied strengths cannot be captured in a simple ranking system. The kind of student who would thrive at a small college would be lost at a large university, regardless of their relative rankings. Each college or university has not only a distinct set of programs but also a distinct personality.  

I have taught at Brown University (a large Ivy League institution), served as CEO of a foundation that works with small liberal arts colleges throughout the United States, and I am now president of a small liberal arts and sciences college in the state of Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson College (W&J). As a result of these experiences, I know colleges and universities in America quite well. I want to share that knowledge with parents and students in Sri Lanka who are considering an American education.

First, the distinction between a “college” and a “university” in America needs to be explained.  Quite simply, colleges like W&J focus laser-like upon ensuring the success of the undergraduate student.  Big universities, however, are more focused on their graduate students. Liberal arts colleges in particular are usually small (1000-3000 students), residential, and provide students with a broad knowledge in the humanities, arts, and sciences as well as deep knowledge in a major area of study. Liberal arts colleges are known for their expertise in teaching students the critical thinking, problem-solving, writing, and speaking skills that are essential to any field of endeavour.

Many students attend large universities as undergraduates and get a fine education, but it takes more effort and usually more time (five or six rather than four years). Students who choose to attend large universities generally like the excitement of the large crowds and often do not want the kind of close personal attention that one gets at a small college. They want to disappear in class.  Students who do well at large universities must find their own way, seek their own research work off campus, develop their own networks.

At large universities, it is difficult for professors with large classes to get to know their students well enough individually to write the kinds of strong, personal letters of recommendation required of graduates who are going on to pursue advanced degrees or employment. Did you know that the four year average graduation rate for students of large universities in the United States is below 50%? Undergraduates at large universities rarely if ever have an opportunity to do meaningful research — that kind of opportunity is available only to graduate students.

At a small college, however, things are very different.  At W&J, we expect our students to do research and to undertake internships—we work to make these opportunities available to all our students, beginning as early as the freshman year. Classes are small and professors develop personal relationships with their students. At W&J, for instance, our largest class has 40 students (we have only one of those), and our average class size is 16.  

This means that many of our classes, especially at the advanced level, enrol three to four students. In a setting like this, professors can impart facts and information, but, more importantly, they can question students in order to be sure that they comprehend the material.  These professors can offer students guidance about further education, write very specific and passionate letters of recommendation, connect them with influential alumni, and generally help to launch them after college. Because W&J faculty know their students well, 98% of W&J’s graduates complete their degrees in four years.  

Simply by virtue of their different sizes, large universities and small colleges have very different kinds of communities. At a large university, many students will live off-campus or at home. At a small liberal arts and sciences college, students are more likely to live on campus. Because our students live on campus, I know that they are protected by our security force and that their dwelling meets fire and other safety codes.  

At a college like W&J, there is a feeling that we are all a family — a big family, but a family nevertheless. As president, I live on campus, in a house centrally located between the library and the student centre. If I wake in the night and hear a siren heading toward campus, I listen until it passes beyond the campus. Some of our faculty regularly invite students to dinner at their homes near campus. Faculty spend time with students outside of the classroom as well. They guide students in individual research and attend athletic events to cheer on their favourite students.  

Within the group of small American liberal arts and sciences colleges, there are, however, distinctions.  Getting a sense of that character is difficult if you cannot visit the campus.  However, there are ways to get a sense of the place. For example, geography plays a role in determining the character of a small college. Some small colleges are located in the midst of large cities and others are in very rural, isolated areas. Being far from a city can create a sense of focus—there are few distractions. But being in a city can also offer social and cultural opportunities to supplement those on campus. W&J has the perfect blend, in my view. W&J is located in a small town (15,000 people) and so students can walk to the grocery store and feel safe when crossing campus. They can focus on their studies. But we are also 25 miles from Pittsburgh, a major city that was voted the most liveable city in the United States for each of the past three years. In Pittsburgh, which is located in America’s heartland, one can find theatre, ballet, symphony, professional sports, fine restaurants, and two large universities. There are also a wide variety of neighbourhoods representing including a strong South Asian community. W&J offers students free transportation into the city on weekends, allowing students to visit friends, go shopping, attend the theatre, whatever they desire.

American colleges are also distinct in their homogeneity or heterogeneity.  Some draw their international students mainly from a single country; others have a more diverse international population. At W&J, for example, we have about75 students from 20 different countries at any one time.  There are students from Norway, France, Ecuador, Brazil, China, India, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, Japan, and many other countries including soon, we hope, from Sri Lanka.  

In this diverse environment, students learn to debate ideas with those who have a wide variety of opinions. In so doing, they learn the skills of global citizenship.

Special programs also make one small college distinct from another. At W&J, for example, we have the Magellan Project. It is unique — only students who attend W&J can participate.  This program funds students to spend a summer following their passions — whether that involves interning at the American embassy in Berlin or studying non-governmental organisations in Bolivia or researching the effect of hosting the Olympics on the real estate market in China.  Students design their own projects, work with faculty to write a compelling proposal, and then W&J contributes funding to make the project possible. W&J students are not required to do a Magellan Project, but those who do become intellectual adventurers and global entrepreneurs.

Another quality that distinguishes colleges from one another is their focus (or lack thereof) on preparation for life after college. At W&J, for example, students can explore databases of internships and receive career advice from professors and the staff in our Career Services Office.  Students do research with faculty members that they can then publish—they are the authors of their own research.  These opportunities to intern in an energy business or a bank, to shadow an emergency room doctor, to perform advanced spectroscopy in a laboratory all prepare our students for a meaningful job after graduation.

Of course, all parents also want to know about how well a college will prepare their children for further education or future employment. So, in examining colleges, you will want to ask about outcomes. At W&J, 94% of our students have found work or are pursuing advanced degrees within six months of graduation. 90% of our applicants to medical and law school are routinely admitted, many with substantial scholarships. In fact, on a per capita basis W&J produces more future attorneys than any other college or university in the country and ranks number three for producing future physicians and medical researchers.  100% of our Economics and Accounting majors have found work or further study before they graduate.  And some colleges can even provide you with their performance records on national tests. At W&J, for example, we are proud that W&J had the fifth highest score in the country on the national test that measures critical thinking and writing skills.

Selecting a college is a process that involves research, rational analysis, and a lot of intuition — what we call “gut feeling.” Remember, there is no one “best” school for all applicants — each applicant is different. An American college education will certainly pay off, but to make the most of college, students need to attend a place that cares about them and is dedicated to ensuring their success.  

If you have any questions about W&J, or about the ideas I’ve mentioned in this article, I encourage you to write to me at [email protected]. I wish you all the best with your college search.



(The writer Dr. Tori Haring-Smith became the 12th President of Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) in January of 2005. During her tenure, she has helped raise the academic profiles and increase the geographic, socio-economic and ethnic diversity of the student body. Haring-Smith also encouraged the internationalisation of the College, increasing the number of study abroad programs from four to 40 and establishing programs for international students. She created the nationally acclaimed Magellan Project, which provides the opportunity for all W&J students to take advantage of challenging independent study and travel opportunities, prestigious internships or advanced research fellowships. In 2010, Haring-Smith opened the $33 million John A. Swanson Science Center, signifying the College’s commitment to sustaining its strong tradition of excellence in the sciences. She continues to lead development efforts to increase the College’s endowment, integrate its curricular and co-curricular programs, work collaboratively with the surrounding region, and preserve and expand W&J’s historic campus.)