<p>I just started at Oregon State and I feel like it's not the best fit for me. I feel like my decision to settle and come here (ACT 32) as opposed to a school that was more selective was a mistake. So I am thinking about transferring to a college with a more intellectual student body. The main issue with this is that almost every college with my major (food science) probably has a similar student body to Oregon State in that they are state schools with low selectivity. What should I do?</p>
<p>You have set up 2 conflicting demands: a food science major, and an intellectual (liberal-artsy?) environment. Which is more important? What do you expect to do with a food science major, and how would you go about doing the same thing if you graduated with, say, a microbiology major?</p>
<p>If you want more intellectual stimulation, and you are committed to Food Science, start making friends with the graduate students in your department and with the professors. Find out how soon you can get to work on someone’s research team.</p>
<p>Another thing that you can do is to haunt the library. Who is studying there when most of the campus is out partying? What are they reading/studying? Do they look friendly? You can also deliberately select courses that attract the intellectual type - traditional picks along this line would be philosophy, comparative literature, classical languages, but any advanced theoretical branch of science or math would be good too.</p>
<p>One important thing to remember about state universities that admit just about anyone who has a pulse, is that large numbers of those students won’t still be there at Thanksgiving, and even more won’t be back after Winter Vacation. Another lot will be gone by this time next year. Before you know it, your classes will be populated by hardworking survivors, and it will be much easier to spot students more like yourself.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>There are many schools with a food science department, including some better rated public schools. Some of the UC system schools (Davis or river side for example), some schools in the mid-west (Purdue for example is more selective than Oregon ), all have very good programs in food science and are definitely more selective than Oregon State. So are some of the East coast schools. Most food science programs are associated with schools that have a strong agricultural program, usually land grant universities. So your choices are as follows:</p>
<p>1) Stay on in Oregon State but get involved in undergraduate research. I know that there are some opportunities within Oregon State thought it may not be as easy to find or common as in other universities. Talk to professors and graduate students, you have to be proactive at Oregon State more so than other schools.<br>
2) Find summer research and education opportunities at other schools or use a exchange option to get classes in another university. Try for an internship or other research grant. there are several out there.
3)Contact some of the labs in the Corvallis/Eugene/Albany and even Salem Area (there are few food producers within about 50 miles) and they may have some openings where you can learn as you study. Try for a job is their food testing lab at Oregon State, that will give you some exposure to this area.
3) If you want to transfer, make a list of schools that are highly ranked in your area and contact them. Look at other options like bio-chemistry, food technology etc. There are some very good schools in these areas which may not call themselves food science but work extensively in that area.</p>
<p>As happymomof1 suggests, follow some of her advice. Also as she points out, many state schools are less restrictive about admission and you will get a mixed bag, the committed students, the party students and a lot in between. Obliviously, there will be a lot more challenge in some of the other universities, especially the better rated ones. Davis for example has lot more opportunities than Oregon State has but you will be out of state, so costs will go up. So you need to make a decision if you want to stick it out at Oregon State and do a lot of stuff on you own/ good luck to you</p>