Intracollege versus intercollege variation

Differences within a college are often bigger than differences between colleges

• Different academic subjects can have very different flavors, and open up different options to you. What you choose to major in can have a bigger impact on your life than what college you attend.
• Instructor quality within a given department can vary a great deal.
• If you attend a college with 5,000+ students, there will be many different kinds of students, and your social experience will depend heavily on which of them you spend time with.