<p>I'm well aware of the differences posted on CC (LAC - small, seeing same faces, small classes, no grad students, personalized, focused on teaching undergrads rather than research, little/no TA's, intimate, tend to be in isolated areas to promote community, vast majority of students live on-campus, "life-of-the-mind" oriented, etc). </p>
<p>I recently got accepted as a transfer into both a prestigious uni. and a few LACs so far. I'll be happier in either of them than my current uni, but I just don't know which type suits me. I can't visit because I can't afford to and schools don't have an Accepted Students weekend for transfers. I've never visited and I only have a few weeks to reply, so everything I know about the schools comes from CC and hearsay. I still have decisions on the way (until June...ugh.), but I'd like to know what to expect for future reference.</p>
<p>I have the academics & my programs of interest covered, and each school I got into so far costs about the same.</p>
<p>Here's what I want:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Less bureaucracy. I feel like my current school values paperwork and technicalities more than actual human interaction. I know it's to expedite the process since there are more than 20K students, but it just feels so impersonal. One thing I noticed when contacting schools about FA is that when I needed to submit additional documents, the LACs readily accepted them via email while the private universities wanted me to fill out forms and then submit them (sometimes via mail instead). Trifling as it seems, the way the LACs just accepted them without question or redirecting me to even more forms sorta shows how caring they are.</p></li>
<li><p>Smaller size & more intimate/personal. Both the LACs and the private uni. are MUCH smaller than my current school, so it's pretty much a win-win on this aspect. I just can't draw the line between "cozy" and "stifling" simply because I haven't visited or have gotten a feel of it yet. I can say, however, that my HS only had about 800 students overall (220 for my graduating class). I saw the same faces almost every day, and I loved it that feeling. The class sizes also matter. Granted, I'm pre-med and I should expect large Gen. Chem/O.Chem/Biology classes, but I feel as though even those types of classes in LACs would be fairly small (looking for validation here). My intended major once I transfer is not very popular, so I should have small classes in that department wherever I go (I guess it'll be a difference between double-digit and single-digit enrollment in those classes?). </p></li>
<li><p>Vibrant residential and campus life. Coming from a commuter school, the weekends leave something to be desired. Ideally, I'd like it if residential and campus life were part of the same dynamic. My dorm life is great, and it feels like a community, but I feel as though it's a totally separate world from the school. Maybe it's supposed to be that way, but I'd like it if the two lives would intermingle a bit. Would an LAC or uni likely have more things to do during the weekend on campus? </p></li>
<li><p>Sports & School spirit/interest. It's funny; as a senior in high school, I never liked the idea of going to a school with "spirit" because I thought it didn't match my personality. As a college freshman in a commuter school, however, I'm beginning to see the opposite. My school has no football team, and the school spirit is nonexistent. While it lends itself into a nice and quiet setting, it feels like something's missing. I'm not a sports fan, but for some odd reason I can't help but notice an uncomfortable silence. My friends from ND and UT always rave about tailgates and screaming fans, and I can't help but wonder what I'm missing. I do wonder if the thrill of tailgates and such will simply die out within a few months.</p></li>
<li><p>A bit less quirky. I can dig students who are passionate about what they study, and I like intellectual discussion at times. But in my current school, the prevailing culture is the gaming type. Students are proud of their love of Star Wars, World of Warcraft, anime, and K-pop. I'm not. Maybe this is just one type of "quirky," but I don't like this type, and I really hope this isn't the only type. When I try to talk to some fellow classmates, they're sometimes clueless about pop culture references and only recognize Star Wars/Trek references. I just find it a bit more difficult to hold a conversation with them. And these types of students are in almost every one of my classes, so it's not simply confined into a niche. It's just because of this I'm a bit more wary of going into a quirky/niche school. But my mind still remains open to experience. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry for the long post, but I didn't really have the luxury of considering these factors as an incoming freshman. Now that I do, I need guidance. Thanks!</p>