<p>So...</p>
<p>I was accepted to a bunch of schools all over the country, but I can't leave the Los Angeles area for another year at least. I thought that I would be able to, but family issues are keeping me at home. Now I am left with the choice of attending LMU or going to Santa Monica College and then transfering to a "Better" school after two years. I am torn between the two choices, because I did not get an amazing Fin Aid package from LMU and will have to spend a lot of money for a possibly "2nd rate" education.</p>
<p>Things I love about LMU
-Close to home
-Strong Political Science Department
-Possible Hansard Scholars appointment (LSE study plus Internship with a memeber of the Labour Party for a semester)
-London Semester
-Oxford Summer Scholars
-Washington D.C. Semester (Most schools have this option, so nothing too special here.)
-Center for the Study of Los Angeles</p>
<p>Things I dislike about LMU
-feels like high school
-lots of people who don't put much effort into their studies (also that their greatest effort usually comes across as mediocre)
-Greek scene rules the school
-lack of name brand/ upper mobility
-I might become bored
-looked at as the reject school of USC</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Also take into consideration that it is becoming much more difficult to transfer out, because of the high number of "top" students being rejected the first time around. A transfer from Santa Monica College, a California community college, to a top school would be the harder route to take. (though it might also be worth the struggle...) </p>
<p>The other option is to go to LMU, give it a chance, and then transfer out from there. At that point though I would not have the CCC advantage of articulation and collaborative agreements with schools.</p>
<p>I really like Loyola Marymount for many reasons. First of all the campus is amazing. It is the perfect size because you could walk across it in about 15 min, but it doesn't feel small and confining. The buildings, streets, walkways, and grassy areas are always really clean. The views are amazing. You can see the beach, the hollywood sign, and downtown LA. The weather is always perfect. 70 degrees year round. The beach is about 5 minutes away. Other great spots like Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, and Westwood are only 15 minutes away. The housing on campus is really nice and the dining services are great. They have a pretty big selection and there's a Jamba Juice on campus. The student body is attractive and nice. There could be more students, but 7k is a pretty good number. The atmosphere is chill and not too intellectual. The school has pretty good school spirit at things like basketball and midnight madness. Greek Life is pretty big, but with everything in LA, it definitely isn't necessary to be a part of it. It has great connections in the LA area. And it didn't seem like high school to me. It seemed like a nice college perched on a bluff overlooking everything LA has to offer.</p>
<p>I personally think it is underrated, and it definitely is one of my favorite schools.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>LL:</p>
<p>I see you are a non-traditional student with great test scores. Thus, you will likely do well whereever you go. But, if you are interested in political science and IR, I'd prolly recommend the juco route. Make sure you get into the honors program there, which has a very high rate of transfers to UCLA and the other UCs. USC also accepts a lot of transfers for a private school, if you need to stay in SoCal. </p>
<p>Also suggest you post on the parent's forum, since several of them have non-traditional students. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>