The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-27

needs of the day, fully cognizant of the
dangers Of too early specialization, and
they will be careful to give the boy the
courses best suited for him. Prac-
tically all Of them are now equipped to
give that preliminary training in
science required for admission to the
best medical schools of the country, the
best engineering schools and the best
universities.
What Sort of Boy Is He?
The next question to consider in
choosing college for the boy is the
boy himself, his character, his inclina-
lions and his habits Of study. What
sort of boy is he? Upon the answer in
many cases depends the choice of
college. There is, for instance, fear
on the. part of some parents that if
their boy is in the least inclined to be
careless and indolent, he should not be
sent to large college, where, as they
fear, he may be overlooked. On the
other hand, many believe that small
college is by no means suited to the
boy whose standing may demand an
after-life of social activity and promi-
nence.
In it's real analyses, however, the
choice of a college suited to the needs
of boy is not necessarily a choice
between large or small college. The
dangers to a boy are not always greater
in a large than in a small college; the
social advantages of small college are
sometimes as great as those of large
L.
parent should study his boy and choose
the college best suited to him, regard
less of whether that college be large
OF small. If the lad is Industrious, he
can study in the midst of 500 fellow
students as well as among a hundred;
if he is loafer, he will find kindred
spirits, alas in every school,
The Hard" Student.
Take, for illustration, the case of
the boy who shows strong inclination
to advance study-the boy who is not
apt to fall into bad habits in the free
dom of college life. Such boy needs,
above everything else, a school where
there is tradition of scholarship, a
school where he will meet with boys
striving for ideals similar to his own.
He must be where he can breathe in
culture, and where he can feel that
generations of students before him
have toiled and conquered. Such an
institution need not always be of
ancient foundation or splendid history.
1t may, in fact, be the creation of yester-
day, and may still have the highest
possible standard Of study. A good
index to the intellectual atmosphere of
a college is to be found in the attend
ance upon the more advanced classes
and in the percentage of students who
remain in college until their gradua-
ton. These are matters which anv
parent can determine for himself.
The "Good Fellow"
On the other hand, take the boy who
is inclined to sociability and is apt to
find more JOY in his cups than in his
studies. The college has never yet
been established where bad boy could
not become worse, or good boy better
The important thing is to choose a
college where there is as little danger
as possible, and where the moral tone
of the student body is high. Once such
school has been chosen, the parent
should see to it that the boy falls in
with the proper companions. A small
college in a small town may be best for
the boy; the proper circle in large
school may keep him safe. The danger
is one of companions rather than
atmosphere.
A different disposition may be wise
for the boy who is going to college
merely as an introduction to business.
S1lnh O ell