Standing Tall When Small: What Small Colleges Can Contribute to Higher Education

By Karen Gross. I am short in height -- 5' 2" on a good day. I wear size 6 clothing; size 6 shoes. My ring size is 6. In a family of relative giants, I stood beneath them. Physical size does, unfortunately, affect how we are viewed -- bigger is better in America. It is not a coincidence that our recent presidents and many presidential candidates are 6' or more (Obama; Clinton (Bill); Bush (all three); Romney; Kerry). Tall usually wins although that may change with women candidates. More...