<p>The Val. of S1’s class left Wake Forest after one semester, unhappy with social life/campus vibe and missing bf (still in h.s.). Val. moved home, attended local u. for Spring sem., then went (along with the bf) to UNC in the Fall. All went well there. She’s now in Med. sch.</p>
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<p>I know someone who did. Went to a well known private school. No idea why the student left, but it was not for academic reasons.</p>
<p>The college I transferred to put the transfer students together on the same dorm floor. Worked out beautifully and we were warmly welcomed by the other students. Maybe because it was a smaller school? I never felt like a “misfit”.</p>
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<p>I stand corrected and my apologies. I searched two different sources for this information and apparently got it wrong both times. (I think I might have picked UNC-Charlotte both times.) I have to say I was surprised when I “found out” it was that high. But, of course, it only adds to the evidence that high selectivity leads to high retention and that puts public U’s on the spot as to what to value most. I suspect that having a strong set of alternatives (such as the other UC’s and Cal States) helps to justify exclusivity at flagship campuses.</p>
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That’s exactly what it does. Michigan is more selective than Michigan State, UNC-CH is more selective than the other UNC campuses and NC State, etc. The only highly selective state school I can think of where I don’t know of a less selective state-run alternative is UVA, but I am sure that is just my ignorance. Now when I say alternative, I don’t mean commuter branches, but an alternative that gives lower tier students the chance of a good education and a “real” college experience.</p>
<p>^I’d say Vtech and James Madison for starters. My neices, good students from NoVa, didn’t even attempt UV, but applied and were accepted to VT an JMU.</p>
<p>Virginia has, perhaps, more attractive public choices than any other state - JMU, Virginia Tech, University of Mary Washington, VCU, George Mason. </p>
<p>Of course, UVA is the less selective alternative to William and Mary.</p>
<p>I recall a top college administrator being quoted as saying that a huge number of students cite “lack of social life” as a reason for wanting to transfer, and that was true whether the originating school was an academic powerhouse or huge party school. He translated the statement as, “I didn’t like MY social life.”</p>
<p>Thanks garland and cartera - I didn’t know all those were state schools, although I did know Vtech was, just forgot about it. Good info.</p>
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<p>Well then, I can see why you thought that now!</p>
<p>My niece left George Washington for Albion College back home in Michigan. She was like a fish out of water. She was from a small farming town and could not relate to the girls on her floor who she said were into clothes/shopping/clubbing.</p>
<p>on the first page:
“My neighbor’s child left Vandy (a great school!), simply because the parents couldn’t keep taking out loans for their high EFC. The weird thing is that if the child had gone cheaply the first 2 years, and then had gone to Vandy, at least the kid would have a Vandy degree with the same amount of loans. Now, the parents have loans, but their kid has a local school degree.”
OHHH that’s rough!!!</p>
<p>^ Yeah, I would think that Vandy should at least have some kind of recognition on the degree that the kid gets.</p>
<p>^^ Why should the degree have anything to do with Vandy? The kid didn’t graduate from Vandy. The transcript will reflect courses taken at Vandy. You have to make it to the finish line!</p>
<p>This is much more common than is discussed. Folks really need to be realistic & plan so that the degree is from the institution they WANT it to be from. Most Us want you to have the last 62 (or some high number) of credits from their U, with most of the upper division courses in your major taken there before they will confer a degree upon you. It is THEIR rep on the line. Schools vary about what they require for transfers.</p>
<p>Girl left U Miami after visiting Penn St- Miami too much club scene, Penn State - keggers & sweatshirts (although I did see groups of girls dressed in bad club attire on a Fri PM at PSU-- I was surprised)</p>
<p>Boy left Middlebury- no school spirit in sports, too small</p>
<p>Boy left BC for Nova-- BC too strict for parties</p>
<p>Girl left JMU-- too big, too much partying too anonymous</p>
<p>Loyola, MD- watch out-- very strict on beer-- lots of judicial inquiries (fines$$$) so kids go off campus to ghetto to drink beer.</p>
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<p>the ghetto?</p>
<p>lol the ghetto. was it actually a bad place or just called that? I went to Western Michigan and left after a semester(they actually have a "student ghetto that is not really ghetto at all). People should think twice before throwing around terms like that. I grew up in the southeastern Detroit area, and I know the difference between dingy student housing and the hood…</p>
<p>I know a TON of people who have attended WMU and not a lot who graduated. I think it is because of the huge party atmosphere/expense</p>
<p>I myself left because the $$ wasn’t worth what I was getting. I never went to class, didn’t study and got a 3.6. That is when the light came on and I realized I probably should shape up and try for a better school</p>
<p>I’m now waiting for my transfer decision to UofM :)</p>
<p>That’s kind of my nightmare scenario: I work really hard to get accepted into a college, I get there as a freshman, and I find out that I’m really unhappy and want to transfer elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’ve tried to do as much research/campus visits/interviews as I can, but you never really know until you’re there at the college and try it out.</p>
<p>"lol the ghetto. was it actually a bad place or just called that? I went to Western Michigan and left after a semester(they actually have a "student ghetto that is not really ghetto at all). People should think twice before throwing around terms like that. I grew up in the southeastern Detroit area, and I know the difference between dingy student housing and the hood…</p>
<p>I know a TON of people who have attended WMU and not a lot who graduated. I think it is because of the huge party atmosphere/expense"</p>
<p>My friend went to Western for a year or two and transferred to MSU because the partying was too bad at WMU.</p>
<p>I think that’s saying something.</p>
<p>I guess that explains why there were so many WM students on spring break in Fort Lauderdale back in the day.</p>