<p>I'm just looking into transfering for the 2006-07 school year, and was wondering what you all thought of:</p>
<p>Pitzer (of The Claremont Colleges, collectively it's like a small-to-medium school)
Columbia
Georgetown
U Penn
Syracuse
U Texas-Austin
Ohio State
Indiana U-Bloomington
U Oregon</p>
<p>TIA.</p>
<p>what major are you looking at? i'm starting penn as a sophomore transfer in sept. for mech. engineering. those are all good schools. where are you now? why do you want to leave?</p>
<p>the claremont colleges are great, so I hear.</p>
<p>yeah, the claremont schools are great. Pomona is a little more well-respected than the rest, but all of them are great.</p>
<p>Hey Trills...</p>
<p>I'm in Cambridge, but it's way not what I expected. A bit uptight and angry, some of them.</p>
<p>Gabew & Easy...</p>
<p>I've heard the same thing. The other Claremonts....well, I'm concerned that they might be like my present school, althought they are in CA...</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna is really good I think.</p>
<p>Gab...</p>
<p>Yep. I like McKenna as well as Pitzer. Pomona...has a bit of East Coast feel to it...and Harvey Mudd is engineering-ish. :)</p>
<p>Its just about impossible to get into Pomona as a transfer. Just FYI. They take about 10 a year.</p>
<p>That's a rather diverse list of schools. What is it exactly that you are looking for?</p>
<p>Clay:</p>
<p>I'm looking for a medium to large school (public or private) that does not have high strung students....active and involved, yes, but somewhat laid back. I know that Columbia does not fit this as well as the others, but it does not have the smugness of Harvard. CU stoudents are urbane for sure, but I can deal with that.</p>
<p>All the state schools are safeties, except for U Texas. I tend to like middle of the road to liberal schools that have good philosophy/political science departments....But, I'm open.</p>
<p>Any other suggestions would be welcome.</p>
<p>TIA.</p>
<p>i'd definitely recommend the claremont's (i'd take pitzer over cm, it's kind of stuck up there from what I hear. high schoolish. Though they are the poli sci school, more so than pitzer.) And of course Pomona rocks my collective world, but its nearly impossible to get in, unfortuneatly. I would wager that pitzer is more liberal and laid back than cm.</p>
<p>U Oregon is a pretty good school and definitely laid back. (I'm from Oregon). Though you have to decide whether you want a university style or a liberal arts style curriculum (e.g. UO = univ, Harvard = Liberal arts).I'm from Oregon. We're having major budget problems, so this isn't the worlds best time to get into the public school system. But aside from that, (as long as you don't mind rain. lots of rain). Oregon is a great place and I would recommend it. </p>
<p>I'm not thinking you would like U Texas. It's probably not going to be liberal. It's also HUGE. HUGE. You'd be a number.</p>
<p>I think UPenn is laid back, but it also has a reputation for being a bit snobby. They do have amazing rescources and academics though, and a good balance between studying and partying. And actual school spirit <em>gasp</em></p>
<p>Gtown would be great. Just remember that though it has amazing poli sci, you'll be in a sea of other poli sci majors. </p>
<p>I also reccomend George Washington University. It's laid back and has great poli sci. </p>
<p>I hear syracuse is slightly depressing. lots of snow and beer. </p>
<p>Other reccomendations</p>
<p>BROWN: Good poli sci, liberal, laid back students, teachers who care, and (here's the big one) a HIGH transfer acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Tulane: I went here my freshman year and I didn't like it all that much (transferring to Brown), but you may. It's definitely laid back. But its also a party school, and there is a large greek scene that kind of dominates the cool people (and there are a ton of cool people too). Their poli sci is good. Small classes and good teachers. I'm a science major, so my classes were big and few teachers cared, so it may be better for you. There is very little sense of community and a lot of apathy. Don't expect to discuss things outside of class very often or protest things. But Tulane is a great school. I will miss many aspects of it. I had some great teachers, made some cool friends, and totally loved New Orleans. They also have a FREAKISHLY high transfer rate. I recommend it with reservation, and I would think twice about going here. Many people love it, many don't. But it might be a good place for you. </p>
<p>I think Yale would also meet your requirements. It's got great poli sci and philosophy. and students who are much more laid back than at other ivies. And the residential college system is pretty out of this world. Its also liberal nad artsy. There will still be many blue bloods though. However, it, like Pomona, is nearly imposible to get into</p>
<p>Cornell is also good. I think the students are laid back in general but really high strung about the academics because they are so incredibly hard.</p>
<p>Also look into Tufts. It has amazing international relations, so i would presume poli sci would also be good. People there are laid back, but I hear it's kind of cliquey. </p>
<p>If you're willing to go a bit smaller, like 2500, DEFINITELY look into Vassar, Oberlin, and Weslyan. All three are VERY laid back, are liberal, and have progressive curriculums. And students that really care. GREAT schools. Though Weslyan's campus is hideous. Teachers really care too. Brown, Vassar, and Oberlin are known for being incredibly liberal, often too much for a moderate or republican, so take that into consideration. </p>
<p>Also look at Carnegie Mellon. I don't know a lot about it, but I think it may fit your criteria. I don't think its snobby there. </p>
<p>A safety for you could be University of Puget Sound in Washington. It's a pretty good school, very laid back adn friendly</p>
<p>I'd reccomend Brown the most. But I'm biased :D</p>
<p>That's all I got.
I'm out. </p>
<p>Cheers</p>
<p>Clay:</p>
<p>Hey...thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>I did look at Vassar...but they were a bit aloof in the admissions office.</p>
<p>Oberlin, I like it but it seems like they are cutting back on programs and have some financial issues (at least according to their student paper).</p>
<p>Wesleyan....way too close to family...have relatives at both Wesleyan and Yale (as profs and as students).</p>
<p>I do like Brown, however (as well as Columbia & UPenn). :)</p>
<p>Cornell....seems a bit high pressure, in a different way than those schools mentioned above.</p>
<p>Ahhh...Yale, have alumni and faculty connections, but (IMHO) Brown, Columbia, UPenn, Dartmouth, Princeton do better on the undergrad level.</p>
<p>Anyhow, thank you for the tips...will go look.</p>
<p>Ciao.</p>
<p>Yale is great on the undergrad level! Far more than Penn! (It's so much smaller) Also, don't take aloofness in the admissions office as a determining factor. My interactions with them have been nothing but extremely helpful and friendly. The person you talked to may have had a bad day! And by the way I don't think Princeton accepts transfers. </p>
<p>I'm glad I could be of help. Good luck</p>
<p>Hey Clay:</p>
<p>Yale is an awesome place, but it's too close to family.....and it's definately a pressure cooker....5 classes instead of 4 a semester....it's gotta be stressful. Most of the other Ivies (except Princeton & Dartmouth) seem to be more balanced with reguard to academic pressure....or are tempered by location...either outdoorsy or urbane.</p>
<p>Dunno.:)</p>
<p>I was accepted to Pitzer this year (I just graduated from high school a month ago) and I visited several times and liked it very much (though I won't be attending).</p>
<p>To tell you some about it: it's very small, and doesn't look like a typical college campus at all. As you may know, it has an artsy/activist vibe. People dress any way they want, there is little if no racial tension, homosexuality is completely accepted, and they are often somewhat highly ranked for recreational drug use. They also smoke a lot. It's sort of known as a hippie school. </p>
<p>It's also looked down upon by many from the other Claremonts (though not by all). Though it isn't a complete cake-walk to get accepted, Pitzer is the easiest of the five to get into (I'm not sure about transfers, however), and considered academically leight-weight by many, especially compared to Claremont-McKenna and Pomona. It's not very highly ranked like Pomona, or known for ambitious and "leadership-embodying" students from CMC; it's not techie like Harvey Mudd, and it's not "study your butt off" like Scripps (the women's college of the Claremonts). Like I said, it has the "stigma" of being sort of a hippie/easy school.</p>
<p>I know of 3.0 GPA and like 1100-1200 SAT kids who have been accepted. Therefore: Pitzer isn't obessed with stats. They aren't terribly easy to get into, but it's not close to as difficult to gain acceptance as Pomona or even Scripps.</p>
<p>Really, though, I don't think Pitzer kids could give a lesser crap about all the prestige stuff. It's a pretty good school, except for crappy dorms (really old and smelly-ugh). The diversity level is pretty darn good, and the different types of people are known for interacting easily to boot. The weather is good, the actual campus isn't too bad to look at, though not typical. </p>
<p>Also: Pitzer kids tend to be pretty well-off. I've heard some refer to Pitzer as more "poser-hippie" than really, truly hippie. That's because tuition is like 42,000 dollars a year and only 40% of the kids recieve financial support from the school. That means fair over half of the Pitzer students pay FULL TUITION. If that doesn't say "I'm a well-off student who wants a grungier/funkier/more artsy college experience", I'm not sure what does.</p>
<p>Also: you can paint almost anywhere on the campus is you want. You have to find a blank, unused wall/surface on campus and you have to ask for permission. But other than that, the very campus buildings-- interior, exterior-- are your canvas. I saw a lot of politically-minded paintings and drawings around, in the halls, along staircases, etc. It was nice.</p>
<p>Also: they have chickens! Pitzer students raise a bunch of chickens (and odd as it is to say, these are really nice chickens, not the sickly white kind you see in PETA ads). They're kept in a coop behind one of the dining areas on campus. Pitzer students DON'T eat the chickens-- they use the eggs for cooking-- so, if you end up there, you can have truly fresh eggs to eat in the morning, LOL. That same dining place has it's own garden-- tomatoes, lettuce, etc. So fresh veggies, too.</p>
<p>Also: Pitzer sports teams are combined with Pomona. The two schools pool their athletes. They're called the Sagehens. It's very funny. The sagehen is an animal that looks like a big chicken. It buries its head in the ground when its under attack/afraid. The illustrated mascot looks like an aggravated, I'll-spit-in-your-eye big chicken. </p>
<p>Pitzer's cool. I don't know how hard it is to get accepted as transfer, but it might be worth a shot. Look at the other Claremonts, too.</p>
<p>Common stereotypes for other Claremonts (not necessarily true, but not all false either):
Pomona: best of the Claremonts. Some students often look down on the other schools.
Claremont-McKenna: very ambitious students who drink a heck of a lot. Snobby, high-school mentality prevalent among some
Scripps: very studious, ambitious women
Harvey Mudd: typical techie nerds, but mostly nice guys</p>
<p>That's just what I've heard and learned over the admissions process. I'm sure you'll find others who will tell you different.</p>
<p>Peals...</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. :) Awsome information....I'm liking the vibe of Pitzer, and I'm not status conscious. After all, I'm an Oregonian....heh, heh.</p>
<p>I'll seriously take a close look...I only know that it's like Evergreen, Whitman, and Reed. I like the company Pitzer keeps, and I like that I can take classes at the other Claremont Colleges.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'll keep you posted. :)</p>
<p>Ciao.</p>
<p>Well... for the state schools, I've narrowed and refined it a bit:</p>
<p>UVA
UT-Austin (Honors)
Indiana U (honors)
UW-Madison (ILS)
UMinnesota-Twin Cities (Honors)
UMaryland-College Park (Honors)
UOregon (Honors)</p>
<p>Any thoughts? TIA.</p>
<p>Alric: Hey, I'm from Oregon too! I'm from Corvallis. Where are you from?</p>
<p>Hey there Clay:</p>
<p>I'm from the big 'ol Portland. :0 How do you like the odd weather we're having right now??? Strange, huh....although we are used to rain.</p>
<p>i'd definately throw tufts and u chicago into your pool.</p>