[ghaff]

It's not even about plagiarism. But, sure, 1:1 or even 1:few instruction is great but even at elite schools is not really very practical. I went to what's considered a very good engineering school and classes with hundreds of students was pretty normal.

[throwaway31131]

For many of the “very good” engineering schools that I know of they got “very good” status because of their graduate programs. In graduate school a 1:few relation is almost certain. In undergraduate, not so much.

[ghaff]

Probably generally true. There's some "trickle down" (sorry) especially for students who take direct advantage of it or from the institutional wealth generally. But, yes, students at such institutions who struggle aren't necessarily well-supported.

[sosodev]

Ironically the practically of such instruction goes down as the status of the school goes up. I got a lot of 1:1 or 1:few time with my community college professors.

[fhgh2]

In some university systems it seems to be possible (I'm thinking of the khôlle system in France), so I don't see how the much better funded US system would not be able to do it.

[ghaff]

Google tells me that is more of a system with preparatory schools in France. That said, there is more of an emphasis at some schools than others in individual interactions and seminars at the undergraduate collegiate level. I had some of that--just not mostly in engineering. In US elite schools, there's certainly time conflict for professors given research priorities.

[yberreby]

Yes, this is part of the French prépa/CPGE system, which is the "standard" way for students to enter elite engineering schools. You do your first 2-3 years of undergrad in prépa.

Source: I did prépa.

[fhgh2]

This is a false friend translations - CPGE are undergraduate programs (that are prepatory to further studies at the graduate levels).

[ghaff]

It happens to some degree in the US. I got a Masters at a school (after a BS at another school) that had 4-year BA degrees that you could extend to an additional 1-year BE degree.