<p>Hey, I'm a freshman at Wesleyan University. I've been doing really well academically, I'm taking pretty solid courses (I think), and I'm interested in majoring in philosophy plus comparative literature and linguistics. </p>
<p>Wesleyan doesn't have comparative literature or linguistics departments. I know that's not the reason why I'm dissatisfied here. I don't know exactly what it is that I want... maybe a bigger school, proximity to a city, a better philosophy program... adventure... something. I'm having a midlife crisis, except that this means I'm only going to live to be 36. </p>
<p>I've always been the kind of person who enjoys change, except when it came to picking a college... I chickened out and went with the east coast school, close to home. </p>
<p>Should I transfer? Where should I go? What should I do? If I do transfer, I just don't know where I would even have a shot at getting in. I'll probably have a 4.0 this semester at least, but I don't have many ECs. All I do is tutor underprivileged kids for the SATs. And I study. And I read a lot. </p>
<p>Dear wise CC contributors, hear my plea and give me answers!</p>
<p>Are you happy at Wesleyan? If so, don't transfer. I am sure you can find enough Philosophy and Comparative Lit classes there. I heard Wesleyan has good offerings in Philosophy. In fact, a couple of Michigan's Philosophy professors, (Michigan's Philosophy faculty is considered one of the top 4 or 5 in the World), did their undergraduate studies at Wesleyan. </p>
<p>But if you aren't happy or don't care one way or the other, transfering may be a viable option. Here are some excellent options: </p>
<p>If you want to remain in a LAC:
Amherst College
Bates College
Colby College
Colgate University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Haverford College
Oberlin College
Pomona College</p>
<p>Among the larger schools:
Brandeis University
Brown University
Columbia University
Cornell University
College of William and Mary
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New York University
Princeton University(can't transfer there though)
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh</p>
<p>Since you want an intense intellectual experience, you would fit in well at the University of Chicago. Check it out and see if it has the academic programs you want. It's an amazing place. You'd have a good chance for admission. Your lack of ECs probably would not be a problem.</p>
<p>It really depends on what you'd like to do. If you plan to go to law school, then transferring might be a reasonable option if you're <em>really</em> unsatisfied with course offerings. If you plan to go to grad school, it might be better to stay where you are. Most Comp Lit grad programs require reading knowledge of at least two languages (in addition to English), so getting a good background in languages would be more important than a lit background for an undergrad, although lit classes are a bonus. </p>
<p>As for linguistics, exactly what are you looking for? If you're more into the semantics/syntax side of things, you might see if someone in the English department has similar interests. If you're into the cognitive aspects, the psychology faculty might be somewhere to look. </p>
<p>There's no need to have a, um, quarter-life crisis. Every college has its advantages and drawbacks, and the grass can often seem greener elsewhere. Give Wesleyan a bit of time...it's a great school, and there should be enough options to satisfy you. Try to pin down the things you don't like about Wesleyan. Some of them may be avoidable or fixable. If some of them, like location, are problematic, then thinking about transferring wouldn't be a bad thing.</p>