Smart, quirky college student needs to transfer

<p>My child is a very smart & quirky kid. Think Jimmy Fallon-esque. His writing/english is outstanding. Incredibly sharp wit. He thought high school was stupid and did the minimum until he saw the light and started working Junior year. Went from C's and D's to A's & B's and had a demanding course schedule - including AP classes. Did well on SAT and ACT. Got 4's and 5's on his AP exams. </p>

<p>He got into 5 of 6 of the colleges he applied to, but didn't set his sights very high due to the average grade point. So he finds himself in a small school (which he wanted), in a small town (which he didn't want), but the big issue is that the classes are too easy, he is bored and hasn't found other smart, quirky types to connect with on campus.</p>

<p>So, any suggestions on colleges where he would fit in? Would probably need strong english and political science departments. Small town OK if there is a stimulating culture on campus.</p>

<p>Thank in advance for your sharing your ideas.</p>

<p>I don’t know what his college grades are like or what his SAT or ACT scores were a year ago. Wesleyan? Hamilton? Oberlin? They are relatively small, strong in the humanities and from what I have heard, open to diversity among students.</p>

<p>Has he only been at school for a couple of months? Is the school small enough that he has gone through all the possibilities in looking for his niche? How much can you afford? No way to tell what might match without any grade/score info.</p>

<p>Some ideas might be Reed, Wesleyan, Oberlin, Skidmore, Bard, Grinnell, Kenyon. You can go through the list of USNWR Liberal Arts Colleges not for the ratings, but more because it is a good list of schools and maybe you can find some other schools to look into. [National</a> Liberal Arts College Rankings | Top Liberal Arts Colleges | US News Best Colleges](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges]National”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges)</p>

<p>But I’m not sure how many transfer students these schools would have room for, there is often minimal financial aid available for transfers, and for students with less than two years of college schools typically want the HS transcripts and that will likely play a role on the admissions process.</p>

<p>I would suggest that your S try to make his current situation work as well as possible. He will likely be there at least for the remainder of this year if not longer. Encourage him to take more upper level classes, get involved with professors and see if there are research opportunities, join clubs/activities that are interesting and stimulating etc.</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback.</p>

<p>Here are some stats:
ACT 32
Currently getting A’s
Current school only 900 kids on campus, 200 freshmen, mostly within 100 miles of campus (not very diverse)</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Are you full pay and willing? Sounds like he’d be a candidate to step up to a more selective LAC. Or one of the easier to get into of a consortium, like Hampshire. He will make a case in his application for a school where the students are more on par with his ACT score and his last 2 years of HS. Have him go through the Fiske Guide and Colleges that Change Lives looking for a more vibrant college community. Good English is a given at any LAC. Poly sci is something to look for more. Search old threads. Would he be interested in American U? Good internship opportunities, I think.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/398216-best-political-science-lac.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/398216-best-political-science-lac.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>How about something like American University in DC?</p>

<p>All kinds of students. A lot of intellectual stimulation, on campus and off.(sorry–Brown parent and I think alike) or for a more LAC experience, Goucher? still has some DC exposure</p>

<p>Check out Rice</p>