No 'gut' feeling....except that burning sensation...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Note: Both choices are really good schools; in no way am I meant to offense anyone going to either...thus said, I'm choosing between a 2nd tier (~#81) state university and a top 100 LAC (~# 65). </p>

<p>Also, if you don't have anything nice/helpful to say please don't post. I'm freaking out enough as it is...the 'burning sensation' in my stomach happens when i'm really freaking out...and... guess what? i'm really freaking out...</p>

<p>Okay: I'm deciding between Iowa State University and Beloit College. I've visted both schools, twice, and did not have a 'gut' feeling. At either. </p>

<p>Beloit has a really strong academic program in the areas that I'm interested in(International Relations, Psychology, Sociology, and Foreign Language) as of now. The super small classes are a major plus for me, and the profs that I met were really nice. I've looked through their programs/outcomes and their graduates go to top schools. I think about 66% of their grads go on to grad school. The internships/research/study abroad options are great (all things I want in a college program). The thing I'm worried about is the social atmosphere. I never really found a comfort zone in high school. When I was at Beloit, I met some really laid back people, some really accepting/cool people, and some really scary ones too...The social life there kind of felt small and highschool-ish like - I don't want to go through what I went through high school again... It's about 8 hours away from home..</p>

<p>ISU has a strong academic program although it's stronger in the sciences than in the liberal arts. It has the programs I want, but not to the quality of Beloit's. (Of course, Beloit is an LAC...) I couldn't find the outcome stats for their graduates for the programs of my interest. I think about 30% of their grads go on to grad school. It has other programs that I like such as study abroad/internships/research also. But it's going to be much harder/expenseive to do these things at ISU than Beloit. It's so big that I'm not worried about meeting people or making friends. Going to ISU, I will already be in Honors and the MVP program (multicultural program). Through these two groups, I'm almost sure I'll meet a few good buddies. Though, when I was there, I felt that the school was kind of corporate too...and the large classes put me off. It's about 3 1/2 hours away from home...</p>

<p>The financial aid given by both institutions are practically the same cost. So that's not really a deciding factor...</p>

<p>I've tried talking to my counselor, my teacher, and my friend. I've also talked to other students (at beloit) and admissions counselors (isu, beloit). They say, "just make the best choice for you". I'm not sure what it is though...I need some objective feedback please...this is really affecting my grades and relationships. I'm so stressed about this decision....I thought about transfering, but if I decide to go to, say, ISU and transfer to Beloit. Doesn't that mean I would lose the fin.aid they had tried to give me already? Sorry if this doesn't make total sense..freaking out..typing fast...: ?</p>

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<p>Being in an atmosphere with a large amount of other people doesn't always necessarily make the social scene any better or make it easier to find a group of friends. Just a note.</p>

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<p>Don't freak out. Things will work out. You could probably make a great go of it at either school. But from just reading what you wrote, it sounds like ISU might be an easier place for you to find your niche. More people to meet, probably more clubs and organizations to try for other opps to meet people. and the Honors program sounds good -- that would probably put you in a smaller college-type group of people more like you within the large university. To me, that sounds better than the "high-schoolish" feel you found at Beloit. That could become suffocating.
Just my opinions.
Have you made a list of pros and cons of each? Sometimes seeing them written out can help.
I wish you luck. Just breathe..... Relax and give yourself a quiet time to think about it. You will come to the right decision.</p>

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<p>Just because a school is bigger doesn't guarantee you'll find what you're looking for socially. Even if you go to Beloit, you will never meet everyone in the school. Cliques are at every college, they're just harder to notice on gigantic campuses.</p>

<p>Something to think about -- if Beloit has programs that are a better fit for you interest-wise, isn't it likely that the people who are attending are also strongly interested in those programs? If Beloit specializes in a field you're into, you'll find that a lot of other people are there for the same reason, and you may have a lot in common.</p>

<p>I'm an LAC girl myself, so I'm very biased, but I'd choose Beloit. There is so much to be said for having a personal relationship with your professors -- being on a first-name basis, having their cell number when you need help, hanging out in their office, eating lunch with them in the cafeteria. You may meet other students like you in their office, or have your professor mention someone to you that they think you should hang out with (happened to me).</p>

<p>Either way though, you should be proud of yourself. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>Back in the last century I graduated from a very small intense LAC. After drifting in and out of jobs for two years, I went back to school at Iowa State in a new field of study in order to get the courses I needed to continue in a graduate program. Iowa State is big and that can be a bit intimidating. And yes, I did have a couple of huge lecture classes (I think there were like 500 in one of them). BUT I found that the professors on the whole were approachable, and the Teaching Assistants who led the review sections and laboratories were friendly and helpful. In an environment like that, you have to be more pro-active in creating relationships with the faculty than you would have to be at a small LAC. If you make an effort to get to know your professors, and if you do well in your classes, they will be happy to write the letters of recommendation you need when it comes time to apply to grad school. By the time you are in upper-level courses the classes can be quite small, and you can get to know your professors well.</p>

<p>I made great friends with a couple people in my department, a couple people I met in an extra curricular, a couple more that I met through a food coop (I lived off campus while I was there), and many, many more through a series of student jobs at the library.</p>

<p>The small LAC environment is truly distinct from that of a large public university. You can be happy at either place if you choose to be so.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best, where ever you choose to go!</p>

6

<p>First off, I just want to say thanks to all those who wished me luck. It's very sweet of you. I've just finished talking with my dad. All he could say, by the end, was that he now understood my struggle. </p>

<p>@bengalmom- yes, i did write out pros and cons. Turns out that Beloit leads both pros and cons. IMO, it had just as much to offer me as it did to turn me off. Iowa State was and still feels like a saftey place. </p>

<p>@fetou and pretzelbreaker - yes, i understand what you guys are saying and thanks..there was a part of me that realize it...but Idk...I guess I still haven't gotten over high school...and that I'm afraid that lonliness will follow me if i went to a smaller-type school. </p>

<p>@bengalmom - it's really nice to hear that from you. I've heard a lot of the same thing from others -that I have to be pro-active. A part of me feels like I need a class or two where I can just be one of 500, yet another part of me feels like I need a lot of guidence...IDK, but thanks for the advice</p>

<p>I want to make the best decision for me in the long run, but I feel like I'm about to hit a dead end...</p>

<p>Any more advice/expriences would be great</p>

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<p>I think you should pick one that you are most comfortable with for right now. If this happens to not be the right decision then you can always transfer later on. If you keep your grades, you should be able to transfer to lots of schools.</p>

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<p>High school is so terrible because you have no freedom, a horrible schedule, horrible cliche personalities and immature things happening everywhere. From what I have heard, college is a much more open experience, you can make it whatever you want it to be. I don't think anything could be as smothering as high school from a social stand point. If you go into either of the schools approaching people and trying to fit into some groups or finding individual friends, I'm sure you will turn out much happier than you were in high school. Just my opinion.</p>

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<p>I'd personally pick Iowa State. </p>

<p>I grew up in WI, and Beloit has always struck me as being...not a very fun place to go to school. The social life isn't known for being anything great. It is very small, it feels very small. And the town isn't the best. </p>

<p>Iowa State probably has more of a vibrant, college town feel. A wider variety of people and things to do as well.</p>