Comparing colleges based on special focus or affiliation

0:00- [Voiceover] We're here with Sean Logan, director of college counseling at Phillips Academy. Sean, in addition to deciding between a public and a private school or a university versus a liberal arts college, students often times consider schools with special focuses or affiliations.

0:12Can you talk us through a little bit about what's out there, what are some of the options?

0:16- [Voiceover] Sure, so as students start to get into the research process and really do some reflection and really thinking about what they want in a four year experience, they may start to come across schools that have real particular interest for them. Again, there are many different schools that may fill that interest for them.

0:32Let me give you a few examples. So there are arts schools out there. I think some of the ones that students might know are schools like Juilliard, RISD, which is the Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design is another one. These specialty arts schools allow a student to get a four year degree, so that Bachelor of Arts, but really being specific in an area that they're interested in.

1:00Military academies are another one that popped to mind. Again, West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, these four offer students a very specific opportunity and may be very appealing to them in what those schools offer, especially 'cause all four of them would be free, but certainly have to give back years of service time after that.

1:26There are single sex colleges. I think the ones that come to mind are schools like Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Scripps, and Bryn Mawr College are some of the all-female schools. Again, as a woman in this process, they may be really appealing for the education that they give.

1:49There are historically black colleges that students may find very interesting and appealing to them. So again, Spelman, Morehouse, Howard are examples of that. Probably another group that would have interest for students might be religiously affiliated colleges.

2:08I think some of the nationally known ones that students would know are like places like Notre Dame, and probably Georgetown, and Boston College that are Catholic schools. There are other schools that are out there, Yeshiva University, BYU, and so forth that have other affiliations that students could be very interested in.

2:25So this is one of those areas that may very much appeal to students as they do research.

2:29- [Voiceover] Great, and in all of these schools, Sean, do students still get the standard BS or BA degree?

2:34- [Voiceover] They do. So again, these are four year colleges, they get the four year degree, but the schools themselves have a very particular mission and opportunities that they offer that may really appeal to students.