<p>Hi. so, I'm a 20-year-old college freshman (i took a year off) at a small top LAC in southern california. I've gone through a sort of tough freshman year. I picked this college because it was supposed to be full of laid-back, fun-loving smart kids. this appealed to me because I consider myself an intellectual person, but never cared much for the status-obsessed mindset of top students on the east coast. But what I've found here instead is that the "laid-back" attitude of students here is mostly just shallowness. There are so many people that are just so self-absorved (work, drinking, partying). Even intellectual conversations here have a pretentious, self-entitled feel to them. I don't feel like I substantially connect with people here and I feel like on that regard, I sort of failed at picking a college. it seems like a lot of my friendships here are very superficial and people here don't really give a crap about each other in any substantial way. The thing is, academically, I love it here. My professors are attentive and I get a lot out of the opportunities a small college offers. However, it's gotten to the point that i may want to transfer for the spring of 2010.</p>
<p>My question is: what are some top-level colleges that would be good for a free-spirited type? I don't want to sacrifice the academics of my current school, but would love a place for quirky, intellectual kids. I don't want a super preppy place if possible. I'm mostly frustrated because I thought I applied to schools that fit me, but now it doesn't seem like that.</p>
<p>I have a very good academic record and have been involved on campus, so I think I could probably transfer into a very high caliber school.</p>
<p>Brown & Stanford would be suit what you’re looking for. U-Chicago in some sense but it’s definitely not free-spirited. It’s more of a cut-throat environment. I’m pretty sure based on your post on what you’re looking for, you wouldn’t enjoy the core there.</p>
<p>Oberlin. Brown and Stanford would probably have just as many people who are self-absorbed and pretentious, albeit intellectual. but since they are much bigger schools you are much more likely to find a group of students that appeals to you … </p>
<p>I would look into Oberlin, Carleton, Swarthmore… maybe look into Rice too, although I don’t know too much about it.</p>
<p>there are definitely also schools a level down prestige-wise that would also offer what you are looking for … maybe even more so.</p>
<p>It sounds like you attend Oxy. Forgive me for making an assumption, but the other alternative that has the characteristics you described is Pitzer. If you were at Pitzer, I would assume that you could at least attend classes and socialize with the students from the other Claremont schools to get away…
It’s easy to find a school with that niche that you seek, but I think anywhere you’ll go you’ll be risking it not being what you imagined.</p>
<p>If you have great stats at your school, I would say apply to transfer for schools like Reed, University of Chicago, Swarthmore…and there is always Berkeley and UCLA(which accepts a large number of transfers).</p>
<p>I’m wondering if your age-gap is causing a feeling of social disconnection.
Are you in a freshman dorm? Can you switch your housing to a dorm with older students?
I wonder if you need to get more involved with some group on campus that would be a better place to find other students who care about the same things that you do. I’m thinking of a student I know who was miserable until she found the mountain biking group, and suddenly connected to lots of students she didn’t know before.</p>
<p>Obviously it isn’t the school, it’s the people you have met so far. I understand your disappointment but would suggest that there are people that you can strongly connect with on your campus as well as the other Claremont area schools. Give it time. </p>
<p>Also, here’s the reality of transferring Spring 2010. One more semester and you are into your junior year. If you’re still interested in Russian language studies and Russian literature this could easily mean selecting to do your WHOLE junior year abroad. Bottom line, that leaves only three terms at your school to go (starting with Spring 2010). Conversely, if you transfer to another school, you likely will have a couple prerequisites you don’t want to do and may still not be any better off socially. </p>
<p>You connect with a couple of new friends with other like friends and this whole problem goes away. Meet the right girl and all of a sudden you’re Captain Sunshine again. ;)</p>