<p>kelsmom - I, too, am sort of surprised that many opinions seem to be of the he should stay variety. However, I do see his staying as having some positive points.....UM is considered a better school academically and is ranked higher and it fits him better academically with a double major that he is happy with, the weather is a huge plus and he may not really appreciate it until it's gone, there is so much to do in Miami (which is both a plus and minus - a minus because so many kids are off in so many directions that it lessens the tight knit college community feeling). So, I can see the draw of UM for sure. There were definitely reasons he chose it in the first place.</p>
<p>However, I don't really think my S has connected with like minded people there. Sure, he has friends, belongs to a fraternity too, but most of the kids he hangs out with he doesn't feel a real connection to and is with them for lack of anything better.</p>
<p>His reasons for looking at NP are that he feels as though it is almost the opposite of UM and may have what he is looking for socially. But then you never really know until you have made the commitment and are in the school. The difficulty of starting over again is a scary prospect, especially not coming in as a freshamn and having the benefit of orientation and starting with a freshman class when everyone is very open to meeting new people. </p>
<p>I know it is easier to stay in a so-so situation than risk something else. It's also hard to weigh the academics vs. the social aspect of college life.</p>
<p>My D is also coomplaining about not feeling the "connection" with her new friends. Sure, some relationships create immediate "connection," others take time. With each passing week, though, my D is finding kids who have been right in front of her all along (down the hall in the dorm, in her class), with whom is beginning to connect. Three months is just too soon to expect replacements for the friends from HS. On other hand, as I told my D, fill out a transfer app over Xmas and then you can decide in three or four months what you want to do.</p>
<p>LilyMoon, it sounds as if the alternative music is there, but others who share his interest at UM are not. So maybe NP is a better fit. He should visit, stay overnight, and try to get a feel, if he hasn't already. Then, he just has to decide.</p>
<p>Now that I know that he is a sophomore, not a freshman, it makes more sense to transfer. He should definitely go check out the new school thoroughly first, though. The grass ain't always greener....</p>
<p>Geez, next he's (Alumom's son) going to like Barry Manilow. :eek:</p>
<p>But to the OP. I had a friend my freshman year who transfered to Harvard from Swarthmore. She realized at the end of the year that sometimes the grass isn't really greener and went back to Stanford. I don't think she ever regretted spending a year at Harvard though.</p>
<p>I have a hard time imagining liking New Paltz (middle of nowhere - I know, I know not really) more than Miami. But that's just me. I vote for him transferring - if worst comes to worst he could probably return to Miami.</p>
<p>Actually, I used to spend a lot of time in the New Paltz area. If you're an outdoorsy and/or alt.culture kind of kid, it could be a wonderful location. It's a neat, funky town, near great hiking, rock-climbing, etc areas. OTOH, you couldn't pay me to live in Miami--just not my kind of place. I think the location's really an individual thing.</p>
<p>I think the fact that he's a soph makes a big difference. If he is at all serious, and you and he can deal with any lost classes or delays relating to the transfer - then he should do it. I think we were considering this a case of frosh cold feet, he has had plenty of time to scope out the place.</p>
<p>I think I would apply to NP to keep the option open and then try to spend some extended time on the campus to really get a feel for the atmosphere. It looks like both schools have different spring break schedules so that might be a great time to test the waters.</p>
<p>S looked at UMiami very seriously two years back.Spent a summer there.Its a very specific culture in a very specific kind of city.Lots of kids with $$ (not all, but lots..whether they are white or hispanic).Not so much preppy, but clubby types,girls get dressed up for class,flashy cars in the lots.Off campus activities seem to pose no problems monetarily,be it clubs,dinners,shopping.
For an alternative type kid it might be a hard fit.
Lily, besides New Paltz (fellow NY'er here ,I know kids there right now and depending on his academic needs it may be a great fit) has your S looked at UMass-Amherst (way cool music scene area-lots of alternative kids from the 5 colleges-lots of local venues and all bands pass through) or NYU (ultimate music scene area)?</p>
<p>I am not sure that the U of Miami is so much better than New Paltz that the quality of education should be a determining reason to stay there if unhappy. We are not talking Dartmouth vs. underfunded state u here. It is a bigger school, sure, and probably offers more courses, but the SAT scores of admitted students are not tremendously higher than those of Miami. Maybe a total of 100 or so points higher, total. And it is a totally different atmosphere. I know lots of New Paltz graduates and I know the town, since I lived near it, and my son has applied as a financial safety, and it is a good school with interesting kids, many of whom are less mainstream, a bit quirkier. (I am not talking about really alternative, just a bit alternative)
I think fit is important. I went to a huge university where I did not fit, and to this day, I wish I had transferred out to a smaller college that fit better, so take my advice with this in mind. I may be practicing that transference mentioned above. :)</p>
<p>my3sons - S did apply to NP and is waiting to hear on acceptance. Thanks for the heads up on Spring break...that is a good idea.</p>
<p>cathymee - I think you hit the nail on the head and have a good feeling for both schools. Another of the reasons New Paltz is the school that my S wants is that it is about 2 hours driving distance from home and he could come home for the occasional weekend. My S would probably have considered NYU if he had the grades to get in there. The reasons that I don't think it would be as good a choice (I transfered there my sophmore year) is because it is very large and spread out and more like living in the city and going to classes....hard to meet people and have a sense of school community. I like the fact that NP is small and has just the small town so that the students are in a close knit community and a transfer would have a good chance to meet lots of people.</p>
<p>There are many good reasons for both schools. Both have positives and negatives. One more thing...if S did decide to leave UM and go to NP, it would save me $$$$!</p>