Originally Posted by Val
The biggest asset, for me at least, was that private colleges run classes even if only three people sign up. In fact, sometimes this is by design and is called a "seminar class." In contrast, public colleges (especially community colleges) cancel classes with fewer than 20 students as a matter of policy.

I agree this can be a real concern especially in some of the more cash strapped states - California is particularly a mess right now. It is far from universal across the country though. School policies vary in how aggressive they are about cutting courses and how hard it is to get requirements. Also, at many state universities gifted students may have the option of admittance into honors programs which often offer the perk of registering first.

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