If your learner is new to the U.S. and seeks a higher education, they should know that education in the U.S. is set up differently than in many other countries. A very important aspect is the distinction between private and public education.
A college education is highly sought after in the United States. If your learner expresses interest, talking about schools can be highly informative as well as a good conversation topic. Since it's such a broad topic, deciding where to begin can be tough. For a good starting point, you can explain to your learner the difference between private and public schools in the U.S.
Does your learner know, for instance, that the largest difference between the two is the tuition costs? The costs of tuition, room and board can vary greatly between public and private schools. In Boston, for instance, Boston University and Boston College (both private institutions) cost around $58,500 in 2013, while University of Massachusetts at Boston cost around $23,000, much less than half the amount. Why is this so? You can explain to your learner that public schools are funded and overseen by state governments, while private universities do not have this benefit. They must rely on student tuition and donations to pay their faculty and keep the school going.
Another important point to make is that public schools are much cheaper for those attending in-state schools. Students from out of Massachusetts paid an additional $15,500 to attend University of Massachusetts at Boston, for instance. This is because the schools are funded by the state, not federal government. However, certain regions have formed agreements to provide in-state tuition to out-of-state students. New England and the Midwest are among the regions with pacts like these. This can be quite useful to know if your learner is looking for a school in Connecticut or New Hampshire, for instance - they shouldn't rule out a school just because it's out of state before looking at the possibility of getting the in-state rate.
Apart from tuition costs, there are several other key differences between private universities and public colleges. Class size and variety of degrees are two of these. You can tell your learner that they will be more likely to encounter large lecture classes in a public setting, while they will have a better chance of getting into a small discussion class in a private school, generally speaking. Similarly, there are a wider variety of majors and degrees available at an average public school than there are at a typical private university. Private schools offset the relative lack of options by specializing in certain areas. If your learner knows what he or she wants to study, a private school can offer more individual attention and more prestige in a certain degree.
One final area you can discuss with your learner is the demographics of the student body at public and private universities. We mentioned that public schools are very cheap for in-state residents, and so it comes as no surprise that the majority of students are from the state and immediate region around the school. This can lead to a lack of geographical diversity, with few students coming from abroad to attend a local public school. Private universities, because of their reputation and specialization, tend to draw students from all over the world.
A very useful tool to help you and your learner compare schools is The College Board's College Comparison Tool. It's a free resource and doesn't require the user to provide any information. You can select up to three schools at a time, and you'll receive a list of useful stats such as location, type (public or private), size, admission rates and current cost of tuition and living. This can be very helpful in providing a fleeting glimpse of what a school has to offer; your learner should do more research into their top options, but the site can show if a school is generally what they're looking for. The College Board's website has one of the best collection of resources for prospective students, and it's set up to be very accessible.
The college search can be a tough process, but hopefully this brief description of public vs private schools will give your learner what they need to get started.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
A college education is highly sought after in the United States. If your learner expresses interest, talking about schools can be highly informative as well as a good conversation topic. Since it's such a broad topic, deciding where to begin can be tough. For a good starting point, you can explain to your learner the difference between private and public schools in the U.S.
Does your learner know, for instance, that the largest difference between the two is the tuition costs? The costs of tuition, room and board can vary greatly between public and private schools. In Boston, for instance, Boston University and Boston College (both private institutions) cost around $58,500 in 2013, while University of Massachusetts at Boston cost around $23,000, much less than half the amount. Why is this so? You can explain to your learner that public schools are funded and overseen by state governments, while private universities do not have this benefit. They must rely on student tuition and donations to pay their faculty and keep the school going.
Another important point to make is that public schools are much cheaper for those attending in-state schools. Students from out of Massachusetts paid an additional $15,500 to attend University of Massachusetts at Boston, for instance. This is because the schools are funded by the state, not federal government. However, certain regions have formed agreements to provide in-state tuition to out-of-state students. New England and the Midwest are among the regions with pacts like these. This can be quite useful to know if your learner is looking for a school in Connecticut or New Hampshire, for instance - they shouldn't rule out a school just because it's out of state before looking at the possibility of getting the in-state rate.
Apart from tuition costs, there are several other key differences between private universities and public colleges. Class size and variety of degrees are two of these. You can tell your learner that they will be more likely to encounter large lecture classes in a public setting, while they will have a better chance of getting into a small discussion class in a private school, generally speaking. Similarly, there are a wider variety of majors and degrees available at an average public school than there are at a typical private university. Private schools offset the relative lack of options by specializing in certain areas. If your learner knows what he or she wants to study, a private school can offer more individual attention and more prestige in a certain degree.
One final area you can discuss with your learner is the demographics of the student body at public and private universities. We mentioned that public schools are very cheap for in-state residents, and so it comes as no surprise that the majority of students are from the state and immediate region around the school. This can lead to a lack of geographical diversity, with few students coming from abroad to attend a local public school. Private universities, because of their reputation and specialization, tend to draw students from all over the world.
A very useful tool to help you and your learner compare schools is The College Board's College Comparison Tool. It's a free resource and doesn't require the user to provide any information. You can select up to three schools at a time, and you'll receive a list of useful stats such as location, type (public or private), size, admission rates and current cost of tuition and living. This can be very helpful in providing a fleeting glimpse of what a school has to offer; your learner should do more research into their top options, but the site can show if a school is generally what they're looking for. The College Board's website has one of the best collection of resources for prospective students, and it's set up to be very accessible.
The college search can be a tough process, but hopefully this brief description of public vs private schools will give your learner what they need to get started.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
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