Middlebury, Smith, Lehigh or Hamilton?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Middlebury College
1

<p>This is from a thread I had posted a couple of weeks ago. I've applied to CUNY and am in the process of applying to Lehigh. I'm still iffy about applying Middlebury, Hamilton, Smith, Mt Holyoke or Grinnell. I am limiting myself to 6-7 colleges.
So here it is:
I am a junior transfer from NYU Economics and Psych - probably going to study Psych and English because of my problems with Math. I've had a lot of issues during the two years I attended which culminated in a diagnosis of anxiety disorder, depression and ADHD. NYU medicated me (literally DRUGGED ME) and I had a terrible Fall 09 semester, and I had to take incompletes in all my classes and retake the exams the next semester. That resulted in two Cs where I should have gotten Bs and a B where I should have gotten an A. I got 3 As and one C+ Spring 10 semester. This summer, I visited my father who abandoned my mother and me years ago. He had offered to pay for college, which is why I accepted NYU despite the $$.( My mom and I live in another country, and she doesn't earn very much. NYU gave me a 50% scholarship deal despite having no real EFC. I am a US citizen, grew up here.) My father turned out to be very angry and abusive, unemployed and grudging me for the money he had spent. It was the most miserable two weeks of my life. I dropped out of NYU subsequently so I would be independent and could apply to universities that would give me more aid and thus freedom from him. I also wanted to graduate with low debt so I can pursue my dream of writing/the arts without getting stuck i the corporate world to pay back all the loans. I view this transfer as new beginning so that I can grad with less debt, be a writer, and start my GPA over again.</p>

<p>My GPA in college is 3.43, a huge dip from the 3.6 average I had because of the Cs and the rough semester I had. Besides the anxiety disorder, the finances weighed heavily down on me. I hated the cut-throat competition at NYU and the shoddy teachers. </p>

<p>I was the topper in my high school, which has a different system from the US. I did really well and had loads of ECs and excellent recommendations. I figure I can manage some pretty good recs still, and I have a couple of spectacular ECs from college (student government, a special program at NYU, highly involved in NGOs and stuff in my home country).</p>

<p>My question is: I want to go to a liberal arts college, a place with more campus-y feel and where I can be more focused. I was thinking of Hamilton, Grinnell (even though it's in Iowa it's big on the finaid!), Colgate, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Wesleyan, Middlebury. Wesleyan is need-aware for transfers, however, and I think my academics barely make the cut as it is. I probably won't apply there unless anyone directs me otherwise. I will apply to CUNY as a safety. I may have to get fee waivers from my college adviser because I literally cannot afford the app fee. I am living with a family friend in Brooklyn until I get a Spring 2011 transfer.</p>

<p>Could anyone chance me? Give me some advice? PM for further info?? I would really appreciate any information. I have a list of colleges with question marks in my book: Washington and Lee, Oberline, Colby, Kenyon, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon (it has a great wiring program and I'm a legacy).</p>

2

<p>my bad, oberlin*</p>

3

<p>To be honest, I think you’re going to have a hard time getting accepted at Middlebury. I’d love to encourage you to transfer there, but I think it’s a real long shot. It sounds like Smith would be a good fit for you, but again, it may be a bit of a stretch.</p>

4

<p>Transferring in from a good school like NYU theoretically should be a bit easier than getting in as a freshman. The problem with transferring into top LACs is lack of space. LACs are small compared to most universities, including NYU. And the leading LACs don’t usually have significant retention issues, so space for additional students is limited. </p>

<p>Still, I’ve never heard of an LAC that never accepts transfers. Your family circumstances are unique and may be taken into consideration. I say go for it, and don’t hold back on describing what you’ve gone through. My question for you is have you really studied the cultures at the schools you’ve listed? Washington and Lee is going to be significantly different culturally than Oberlin or Grinnell. W&L is relatively conservative for an LAC, the other two are very liberal. Tiny liberal bastions in the midwest are a different experience than the South. Lehigh is in the north but unlike most of the schools you’ve listed it is majority male and politically center-right, which probably makes it a very different environment than NYU. Greek life rules at Lehigh. Whereas at an LAC like Oberlin, there is no Greek life. Students reject frats and sororities totally. Wesleyan is another very liberal college. It’s a lot like Oberlin but in the northeast. Bucknell is more like Lehigh than Wesleyan. Lehigh and Carnegie Mellon, by the way, are not LACs.</p>

<p>I always find it curious when students simply list outstanding schools with no regard to cultural differences and environment, as if the only thing you need to know is that they are very selective.</p>

<p>Ask yourself some questions about what you want out of college life, what kind of environment would be most comfortable for you, and then make a list of colleges. I’m not advocating conservative or liberal or middle-of-the-road. I’m simply saying, colleges like other organizations - your future employers - have cultures. You don’t want to pick the wrong one and find yourself miserable there.</p>

5

<p>Plainsman -
most of the colleges I listed are ones that are stronger in financial aid than NYU. I do know that Lehigh and CMU are not LACs, but I have applied to Lehigh because of the $$. I have also taken into account the strength of their Psych and English programs.
I am politically ambivalent and conservatives don’t bother me, even after the raging liberal atmosphere at NYU. In my two years of college, I have paid little attention to this - though I do agree this makes for a different environment.</p>

<p>Wesleyan is need-aware for transfers, which takes it off my list (it would be amazing to go to to school there, initially it was my first-choice before I read more about the need-aware policy. That would completely go against me.) I am still considering applying there anyway, simply because I like whatever I’ve read about it so far. My high school only gave me seven transcripts, and I’ve already sent six of them out - which leaves one very important question - do I want to apply to a reach or a match? According to urbanslaughter, some of the schools on my list are more of a reach. I have applied to CUNY so I shouldn’t be left with all rejections.
I could apply to Cornell (for the big name, as you noted) - my family is very Indian and prefer the prestige. Especially because, according to some of them, I have applied to some lesser known colleges. However, Cornell’s deadline is in one and a half days and I probably should not waste my last application there. My dad used to work at WashU, and I have several old friends who go there - I am considering that as well. This is turning out be like freshman applications - ill-informed and random. Thanks for all the info though :slight_smile: I wrote my transfer essay alluding to some of what I wrote here and the people who’ve read it find it quite moving.</p>