I'm also going to school and am in the process of becoming a Mechanical Engineer (one and a half more years). I dont think the short arms on the car are a bad thing. It will make setup changes more drastic, but losi said themselves that this is not a beginners car. Serious racers should be able make adjustments on the car and get the changes they want out of it, this is why we have expensive setup stations, so we can measure the smallest changes in the setup of the suspension.
To me the short arms are a really good thing, shorter means stronger. And this has no direct effect on how the car will drive if it is setup properly by the racer.