A lot of colleges sound the same.  Small classes.  Dedicated professors.  A library with 2 million volumes you can check out.  Not many of them can–or are willing to–come out and tell prospective students what makes their school unique and how that benefits their graduates.  

But Scott Calvin, a physics professor at Sarah Lawrence College (SLC), gives one of the best answers I've ever seen to those questions in his open letter to SLC students,  Why Haven't Sarah Lawrence College Students Taken Over The World?  Sarah Lawrence students interview professors before selecting classes.  Calvin explains exactly how that changes a student over four years, and how it helps their students become successful when they leave.  It's not the same marketing-speak you see on so many colleges' websites.  It's direct, honest, and frankly, totally refreshing.

Even if you have absolutely no interest in Sarah Lawrence, I'd still read the piece for two reasons:

1.  It will give you some idea of the kind of impact a college can have on you if you choose the right one.

2. If you like what he says, you should know that you can interview professors before you select classes at virtually all colleges.  Sarah Lawrence just happens to require it.