<p>Why do you want to leave your LAC in South Carolina? The description of the school you are looking for is going to be another LAC I am afraid and you dont want any big cities so that narrows it down substantially. Further you dont want preppy and a lot of kids in private LAC’s are preppy by definition. The diversity you seek is more likely found at state schools. Your gpa is high so you are likely near the top of your class. Why not hang on until graduation and then go to graduate school somewhere else? Its not clear what your motivation is. Its certainly not academic. And your family income is low and getting financial aid as a transfer student is not impossible, but generally I have heard its not usually as good as it is for incoming freshmen. Transfer-itis is common with college kids who think the grass is always greener somewhere else, or they are trying to get away from an ex-boyfriend or something. Only transfer for a very specific reason, such as a specific program and improving your situation, or if you are dreadfully unhappy then you have to look really deep in the mirror and analyze that and make sure you arent jumping from the furnace into the firepit. Be careful.</p>
<p>Grad school is so different than undergrad school. Trust me.</p>