Attending UC Berkeley but looking for a smaller east-coast private school

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I'm a freshman at UC Berkeley and I think it's an excellent school. The area is nice and the food is great. The faculty seems amazing and the students are bright. I have many opportunities to satisfy my ambitions at this school. My goal is to enter business (finance/consulting) and Haas is great. I would also study Econ, History, French, or International Relations (Poli Sci), or perhaps other things. I am somewhat undecided, as you can see.</p>

<p>Unfortunately I realize now that the undergraduate population is way too large for me. I am looking for a much more "intimate" overall college experience (and yes I know about the frats/coops). Next year, everyone will move out of the dorms for apartment living. Sophomore year is too soon for this. I have realized that this is not the campus experience I want.</p>

<p>I would rather attend a much smaller school, especially on the east coast. I have lived in California my entire life and I strongly believe that leaving will be worth the effort. UC Berkeley is predominantly filled with Californians (since it's a public school). Almost everyone I have met is either from "SoCal" or "NorCal". I envy my friends at USC and other schools, because they interact with so much more diversity every day. By diversity, I mean to include students from other states and nations.</p>

<p>I also envy friends who attend somewhat private smaller schools (3,000-7,000 undergrads). This is the perfect size, IMO, for an undergraduate community. My friend goes to Dickinson and there is a difference in atmosphere. The same goes for my friends at Yale, Georgetown, Dartmouth, etc.</p>

<p>Here's a twist: I'm attending on a near-full-ride. I am covered almost entirely by grants. Yet, I would be willing to pay (a reasonably affordable amount) for another school because I really want the right college for me. My family currently makes less that $30,000/year though we live in an upscale area of West Los Angeles.</p>

<p>UC Berkeley is good, except for some of the most important:
-Huge size
-Lack of diversity (everyone from CA, enormous over-representation of Asians)
-Lack of community (everyone living in apartments) this is related to the huge size of Cal
-Area: CA (I need to go somewhere new)
-Also: I really want to work in NYC after graduation. I have never liked SF.</p>

<p>UC Berkeley is an excellent back-up and I am fortunate to be here, especially since I am paying so little. However I want to make the effort to find something more intimate. So, can you recommend any private schools for me? I am not limited to Ivies or prestige, but this seems to correlate with a "good school", which Berkeley is. I really appreciate the name-recognition of "Berkeley", and the business opportunities it provides. HOWEVER, I realize now how vain prestige is, and I don't even know if I will want finance/consulting in the future, BUT I do know that I want a more intimate college experience.</p>

2

<p>First semester GPA: 3.5 (took hard classes, including CS and an upper division course). I am confident that this semester I can pull straight As without too much problem, because of the classes I have chosen to fulfill my breadth requirements).</p>

<p>SAT: 2120 (M740, CR690, W690) Didn’t study/prep. I could always study and retake this for a higher score.</p>

<p>From High School I was waitlisted at Dartmouth and Amherst and accepted to Emory. I didn’t go to Emory because I prefer the Bay to Atlanta, even though SF is not my favorite.
Many agree that my High School GPA was the biggest deficiency in an otherwise strong application. (4.0 W, 3.5 UW).</p>

3

<p>Yale and Dartmouth are dream schools, but they’re the famous ones that are hard to get into. While Dartmouth waitlisted me in High School, they accept almost no transfers. Are there any similar, more realistic options (with small class sizes etc) for me?</p>

4

<p>The NESCACs would be a good place to look into: Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Wesleyan University, Williams College, Bates College, Colby College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, and Connecticut College. I’ve heard that it’s easier to get in as a transfer to most colleges, but the Ivies are always a challenge. If you haven’t visited Emory, I would do so. It has a beautiful campus, lots of diversity, in a nice area: the Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, near Buckhead.</p>

5

<p>^ NESCACS seem perfect for OP except they might be TOO small (OP said 3,000-7,000 students)
Emory seems perfect but OP didn’t want Atlanta.</p>

<p>Northeast Emory / bigger NESCACs?</p>

6

<p>Let me start out by saying that most schools (even a lot of the schools that are need-blind and meet 100% of need schools for freshmen) do look at ability to pay for transfers. They like to get full-pay transfers, but that doesn’t mean you should quit before you start. A lot of schools would love to have you. </p>

<p>I transferred to Tufts from Cornell for reasons similar to your own - and I’m not close to full-pay, so it is possible. I suggest you take a look at Tufts (east coast, ~5,000 undergrads). </p>

<p>I will mention that I was rejected as a transfer at the likes of Trinity College (CT), Bates, Colby, and Holy Cross after being accepted as a freshman… so $$$ does count for something. </p>

<p>Some others to consider: Wesleyan, Bates, Conn. College, Colgate, Lafayette, Hamilton, Davidson, Furman, Skidmore, Vassar, Univ. Rochester, Colby, Haverford, Hartwick </p>

<p>Reachy (especially for transfers): Dartmouth, Middlebury, Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Brown, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Duke</p>

<p>Not east coast but great schools on the smaller side: Rice, Grinnell, Whitman, Willamette, Carleton, Denison, Kenyon, Macalester, Northwestern, Wash U., Chicago, Colorado College, Oberlin</p>

<p>Obviously this is not an exhaustive list.</p>

7

<p>My advice? Stay at Berkeley. You’re probably not going to find another university willing to finance you education at this point.</p>

8

<p>Pomona College, the campus, has the look of a small east coast private school. I know it’s not in Cali, but I think the fact that it has more “diversity”, in the type of diversity you seek, it could be a better/easier transition. It’s a residential campus.</p>

9

<p>Somebody above just said something I’ll like to reiterate: Don’t quite before you start. Yes schools might not accept you because of money, but non of us here know for sure who those schools are. I think you should continue your search and transfer to the environment that you want. I completely agree with you in terms of the college experience that you feel is ideal. My school is smaller now and I really cannot imagine myself at a huge state University. I have heard so much horrible stories about registering for classes from my friends at UIllinois. I recently saw how MOST people leave the University housing after first year. At Rochester here, more than 85% of students live on campus their whole 4 years. I know people at all levels of their undergraduate years and I really appreciate how everything and everyone is on campus. Student life is on campus, not at your friend’s apartment.</p>

<p>I will suggest for you to expand your search beyond the east coast. There are great Universities in the United States and the ones that might give you the aid you want might be else where. Places in Midwest are equally exciting and enjoyable.</p>

<p>Some people might have mentioned these schools but here is my own list that includes schools outside of east coast:</p>

<p>Georgetown
Carnegie Mellon
Tufts
JHU
Northwestern
UChicago
Rice
Emory
Vanderbilt</p>

<p>I know that Rice, Emory, and Vanderbilt can be very generous with aid. That’s why I suggest not to limit your search with location… you might miss something great.</p>

<p>Goodluck!</p>

10

<p>I would definitely reconsider Emory (and not just because it’s my school). You would definitely qualify for Emory Advantage, which would provide you with a full ride and if you’re interested in undergraduate business, it really doesn’t get any better than Goizueta. Emory has very strong placement in New York (I believe it’s our strongest secondary market) due to the number of alumni who originate from there. I once heard Emory described as a New York school located in Atlanta. Also, being able to put UC-Berkeley and Emory on your resume would be pretty damn impressive.</p>

<p>Edit: Rereading your post, Emory is also the most diverse of the top 20. If you don’t like Atlanta, we’re not thrown in the middle of the city. The university is located on the outskirts in an area called Druid Hills. Very suburban. Very vegetative. The one thing you may not like is that there isn’t much school spirit and as result, the students are somewhat disconnected from the university. That being said, the kids here are generally amiable and the res halls tend to be pretty tightly knit.</p>

11

<p>Try Williams, Bowdoin, Amherst</p>

12

<p>How about BC or Brandeis? A lot of people are suggesting LACs but these schools may be too small for you (since you say the ideal size is 3k-7k students, LACs are commonly half the size of 3k).</p>

13

<p>Look at the Patriot League. Great academic schools and prestigious and division 1 sports. Enrollments are typically around 3000 students. [Patriot</a> League Official Athletic Site](<a href=“http://www.patriotleague.org/school-bio/patr-school-bio-aboutpl.html]Patriot”>http://www.patriotleague.org/school-bio/patr-school-bio-aboutpl.html)</p>

14

<p>Stay where you are! Financial aid for transfers is limited. </p>

<p>With your parents’ income I doubt you will get enough FA to cover costs at 50k plus schools. </p>

<p>Go to grad school on the East Coast, & start out debt free!
Best of luck to you.</p>

15

<p>University of Richmond!</p>

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<p>Pretty sure Emory is generous w/financial aid for transfers too, or else my roommate from last year would not have transferred from Northwestern (which he said cost too much for him b/c it was not as generous w/fin. aid). You also have a more than reasonable chance of admission and it’s solid in all of your areas of interest. However, you will have the over-representation of Asians (as in, including Indian and Middle Eastern students) as some top privates in the south/mid-Atlantic do. Duke, Rice, us, and Hopkins all have it, but we are perhaps closer to Berkeley as it is probably between 30-35%, and class of 2014 had close to 20% internationals. Which actually means great diversity, but is one of the downsides you mentioned. However, admittedly 35-40% is less overwhelming here than it is at a school w/over 25K undergrads. Just warning you.</p>

<p>I just looked at that income and you definitely qualify for one of the Emory Advantage programs. Again, Emory’s pretty good with the need blind admissions, and willingly accepts transfers, even those that cannot afford to pay for it themselves. It had a plan to start targeting transfers to increase enrollment a little anyway. Vandy’s great w/aid too from what I heard, but I can’t tell you about them b/c I don’t attend.</p>

17

<p>Come to the South with Wake Forest, Duke, William & Mary, Davidson. High school spirit, residential campus, top academics. Much better weather than dreary, freezing Northeast.</p>

18

<p>You are just starting your second semester at Cal and it sounds like you are feeling lonely. I wonder if this would really be solved by switching schools and starting all over again socially as a sophomore.<br>
You said that next semester’s courses are very manageable for you. That should leave you some free time to join some groups, or hang out and make friends. It takes a while to feel connected, whether at a large or small school.</p>

19

<p>*Here’s a twist: I’m attending on a near-full-ride.</p>

<p>** I am covered almost entirely by grants. Yet, I would be willing to pay (a reasonably affordable amount) for another school because I really want the right college for me. My family currently makes less that $30,000/year **though we live in an upscale area of West Los Angeles.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>Realistically, there are few schools that you can transfer to that will meet need for a transfer student.</p>

<p>Also…realistically speaking…it’s nice to say that you’re willing to pay a reasonable amount, but in reality, you don’t have the means to do so. </p>

<p>you may not know this, but you can only borrow small amounts</p>

<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>

<p>To borrow more would require your parents to co-sign, but since they’re low income, that’s not going to work out. </p>

<p>I think that USC and Cornell do meet need for transfer students. I don’t know which others do. Maybe Vandy. There really aren’t very many and you need a LOT of aid.</p>

<p>Some/many of the schools that have been suggested will NOT work out for you financially.</p>

<p>Folks…when you recommend schools, they need to be schools that meet need for transfer students.</p>

20

<p>Do NOT cut ties with your current school until you have been accepted and have gotten the FA package that you need to attend at a new school. </p>

<p>That can be a problem since many schools don’t give transfers their FA packages until around summer.</p>

<p>You need to proceed at UCB as if you will be going there next year.</p>