<p>Hanna,
you said: << viewing college cynically as just a machine to get you into the best possible grad school is a good way to miss out on the best times of your life.>>
I agree with you. I wasn't advocating cynicism--if transferring to Swarthmore works out for OP , good for her, but I get the impression she is suffering somewhat from a "grass is greener" syndrome... Smith may not be the best fit for her, but if transferring doesn't work out, I imagine she could still find enough worthwhile endeavours at Smith to make it more than a waste of her time. ( Somehow, I find it hard to imagine Bowdoin would be all that much "better") I only meant to imply that grad school is another chance to find your intellectual peers and top experts in your field, so all is not lost if undergrad leaves something to be desired.</p>