Personally agree that undergraduate programs in some LACs may be better than Harvard. The reasons that Chinese prefer large comprehensive universities may be:
1. They are better known in Chinese community and internationally and are thus better for the graduates if they decide to work in China or abroad;
2. Large universities are more diverse and especially for kids who haven't decide on what they want to do so it's easier to change to whatever program he/she want to go to;
3. Most Chinese here are non-liberal arts majors so their kids have a bias to sciences.
I prefer large universities largely because of reason 2 not that I do not know LACs.
1. They are better known in Chinese community and internationally and are thus better for the graduates if they decide to work in China or abroad;
2. Large universities are more diverse and especially for kids who haven't decide on what they want to do so it's easier to change to whatever program he/she want to go to;
3. Most Chinese here are non-liberal arts majors so their kids have a bias to sciences.
I prefer large universities largely because of reason 2 not that I do not know LACs.