LAC Suggestions

Transfer Students
1

<p>Begin longwinded post:</p>

<p>Like a good California CC student, I submitted my application to transfer to the UCs about two weeks ago. I was planning on possibly applying to a few more publics (U of O and UW) until I started hearing about my friend's experiences at large public universities and their dissatisfaction, along with some intense soul searching regarding my career goals.</p>

<p>I'm a Political Science major who intends to go to law school (surprise!). Over the course of my brief college career I have come to realize that I enjoy classes that are discussion oriented and allow copious interaction with other students and the professors. After thinking about this and considering the possibility of working for a year or so after I get my BA and before I apply to school (looks good on the application I hear and will give me a chance to focus on the LSAT and the apps without having to juggle school as well, plus some $$$ to pay off part of my loans), I have decided I might want to consider attending a smaller college with a more intimate atmosphere. </p>

<p>Cost is the one thing that makes me hesitate. I would be able to afford one year at an LAC before having to take out loans. My family's financial situation is also one that would disqualify me from any need-based aid and merit based aid, especially for transfers, is pretty dismal at a lot of the good LACs.</p>

<p>So, any suggestions? I have around a 3.8 gpa, decent EC's (PTK, Dean's List, job at an engineering firm, Research Associate for a non-profit, Black Belt, etc.) and could probably get some pretty stellar recs. SAT score is okay (1290/1600 or something) and HS gpa is around 3.3. I have made a list of schools I am considering.</p>

<ul>
<li>Reed College (although I would probably have to spend 3 years here because of their reqs)</li>
<li>Macalester</li>
<li>Oberlin</li>
<li>Wesleyan (bit of a long shot I think)</li>
<li>Rice University (technically not an LAC but still promising)</li>
<li>Lewis & Clark</li>
<li>Colorado College</li>
</ul>

<p>Another thing I have to consider is that I have Celiac disease and require a pretty special diet (which is why most of my choices have been urban schools). Any schools out there with meal plans that might cater to my needs?</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read all this, and I look forward to your responses. </p>

<p>End longwinded post.</p>

2

<p>^ Some of my favorite schools. Several of them do offer merit scholarships, but I don’t know if any go to transfers. I doubt it.</p>

<p>So you’d need about $50K or so in loans. More for Reed. Hmm. That seems like a lot to me, especially given your alternatives as a California resident. I think you’ll find that huge lecture classes at the more selective UCs are concentrated in the lower level courses. Berkeley offers what, about 3000 classes in its catalog? Most of them probably get rather small enrollments.</p>

<p>I get the appeal of these colleges. I just don’t think $50K in debt is a good idea when you could attend one of the UCs for no debt at all.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your response.</p>

<p>You bring up a good point. I am sure that the upper division courses would be smaller than the massive lectures my friends tell me about, I just don’t know how much interaction would be permitted with the professors (call me a jerk, but I need to befriend some of these profs so I can get letters of rec for law school). </p>

<p>Perhaps I am just overthinking this. You’re right, it is a lot of debt when I could be graduating with none from a UC (although I will rack up quite a bill at law school), I guess I just want the option to choose between the UCs and smaller schools after I start getting acceptances.</p>