<p>Some rhetorical questions you should ask yourself (or, feel free to post them here, others could probably give you better advice):</p>
<p>Have you tried talking with your dean, or with a career counselor at your current LAC? Have you talked with the philosophy professors at the state flagship school? Have you sat in on their classes? Do you like the course offerings there? How interested do they seem to be in their students? Are there are other professors of philosophy who you could work with instead at your current school?</p>
<p>Have you talked to whomever organizes study abroad at both schools? Have you made a list of the features of study abroad programs at both schools? Have you identified a country you’re interested in? Have you compared the study abroad program in this country at both schools? Have you talked with students at both schools in that particular country/abroad school to see what their study abroad experiences have actually been like?</p>
<p>If your grades in physics and calculus had been comparable to the other grades you have at your current LAC, what kind of GPA would you have? Assuming that you only take classes for the next four years that are suited to you (mostly writing intensive classes), how long would it take/is it possible for you to bring your GPA up to a 3.3? A 3.6?</p>
<p>How are you as a student in talking with your professors outside of class hours? Do you shoot the breeze with them, show your interest in the subject? Consult them on assignments? Do you talk with your dean when you feel like you are getting into academic trouble (experiencing a lot of stress, not completing assignments on time, etc.) Do you think that these habits are something you’d be willing to work on, and eventually improve? </p>
<p>Do you take a lot of writing intensive courses? Are you a good writer? Are you willing to work on your writing? (If you take a lot of writing intensive courses, and you are serious about your academics, you will probably improve your writing.) Do you go to the writing center when you have difficulty writing an essay?</p>
<p>Do you enjoy the learning experience at your current LAC? Do you enjoy the learning experience at your state college?</p>
<p>What percentage of students at your LAC get into law school, what are their statistics, and to what kinds of law schools are they being accepted? Then ask this series of questions about your state school; and then about grad school at both your LAC and your state school. If possible, you’ll want to look at philosophy students getting into law and grad school at both your LAC and state school.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>I dunno, I personally feel like it’s too early for you to say that you should transfer. It seems like you have a lot of unanswered questions; or maybe you have answered these already. I would suggest that you wait another semester, if not another year, and see what happens. Then make your decision. The reason I say, wait a year, is because I remember that in my sophomore year I happened on a variety of study skills–talking extensively with profs, dean, managing my time better–that increased my grades like whoa. Also, becoming a better writer is critical in college, and you will undoubtably become better the more you write.</p>
<p>You said that the classes at your state school are far less intensive. Chances are, you’re going to learn less at a less intensive school, but you will have a better GPA. So, I think it would be good for you to really think hard about leaving that learning experience behind. You’ll probably learn better skills for life at a more intensive school than a less intensive school.</p>
<p>Ultimately, though, GPA is critical for law school (as is your LSAT score–only two things that matter), but not so much for grad school. Grad school admissions are a bit fuzzier, from what I hear.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>