<p>I think he is figuring that there would be more kids like him at a bigger school.</p>
<p>That’s where I was coming from. My kids have said that they’ve never seen the football players/jocks around their dorms because my kids’ housing is on the north side of campus, while the jocks are all in a couple of dorms on the south side of campus. At schools (like theirs) where you can select your residence hall, you can control what you want.</p>
<p>At a large campus, you will get the full range of kids - the quiet studious types, the moderately social types, and the “where’s the next party” types. </p>
<p>Another benefit to larger schools is that they often have some “themed housing” for those that want that…such as dorms for business students, dorms for French students, dorms for engineering students, dorms for nursing students. That can also help the student who wants a more serious environment for their dorm. Of course, large schools also have mixed dorms for those who want kids with all majors in their dorms.</p>
<p>My kids are in “super suites” where each child has a private room within a 4 bedroom suite. This lets them be social in their suite’s living room, but also seek peace and quite in their own rooms when it’s time for study or sleep. There are several schools that offer these suites, so if that’s desirable for your son…</p>
<p>I still tend to think that a smaller school is best for him academically. But assuming he shows that he can handle the academics (that is, is able to get a 3.0 or better – which he is on track to have next semester), then I don’t have any objection to him going to a larger school.</p>
<p>*I still tend to think that a smaller school is best for him academically. But assuming he shows that he can handle the academics (that is, is able to get a 3.0 or better – which he is on track to have next semester), then I don’t have any objection to him going to a larger school. *</p>
<p>When does he have to submit apps as a transfer student? </p>
<p>As for his grades for next semester. I know this is off-topic, but did your son choose a mix of ligher courses with difficult courses last semester? Or, did he take a too challenging load for a first semester freshman? </p>
<p>Some new freshmen, with the best of intentions, unintentionally sabotage themselves by taking too many hard classes their first semester. Adjusting to college is hard enough, without also adding the stress of too many hard classes.</p>
<p>Looks like apps have to be in by March or April for transfers – depends on the schools. But earlier is probably better.</p>
<p>If 5 is a really difficult course load and 1 is a really easy load, I’d say my son was about a 2 – not too bad except for the one required course that he struggled with. I think that will go up to a 3.5 next semester. Hopefully, the lessons that he learned this semester will stand him in good stead.</p>
<p>One class that causes some real struggling can be overwelming to a new freshman. When you add the fact that he wasn’t really liking the jocky/stoner housing and the lack of off-campus activities, it can just add to one’s morale and effectiveness.</p>
<p>Some smaller schools with strong basketball teams which would seem likely to accept him are Siena, LaSalle, Seton Hall and St. Josephs (it appears to be a Catholic list). Some larger schools with active sports which might accept him are URI, Pitt, UMD, Temple and UMA. I do not know if UConn, Rutgers or UDel get easier at the transfer level. I take it from your post that Midwestern and deep south flagships are not an option.</p>
<pre><code> What a shame that a CTCL school would turn out to have obnoxious jocks and stoners in such quantities, especially the jocks.
</code></pre>
<p>Thanks, yabeybe2, for your ideas. As of right now, the Midwestern schools are not an option due to the weather (he doesn’t like the cold) but I have suggested to him that he’s limiting his options by wanting to be south of the Mason/Dixon line. He agreed to give that some thought.</p>
<p>It is very interesting – I think at some of these small schools that have a lot of varsity teams, there ends up being a relatively high percentage of the student body who is on a team. So the jock influence is noticeable. At a bigger school, there may be a lot of fans but most of the students have little or no contact with the kids who are on the teams. I mean, as we watch the Sugar Bowl, I am wondering how many students at UF have every seen Tim Tebow off the football field?</p>
<p>At my son’s school, they have a very successful Div III men’s team in a tough sport with lots of players – that has to affect the atmosphere on campus, no?</p>
<p>*At a bigger school, there may be a lot of fans but most of the students have little or no contact with the kids who are on the teams. I mean, as we watch the Sugar Bowl, I am wondering how many students at UF have every seen Tim Tebow off the football field?
*</p>
<p>LOL…</p>
<p>I asked my kids if they’ve ever seen Greg McElroy (Alabama’s QB) on campus, and both have said, “no.” I think my older son had someone on the swimming team in one of his classes.</p>
<p>S1 used to spot basketball players around NCSU because they were so tall and because some of them rode motor scooters to class which was pretty funny.</p>
<p>If the goal is warm weather plus sports, but not the deep South, how about Arizona or Arizona State? </p>
<p>I think you are correct in noting that even Div. 3 schools can be dominated by jocks if they work hard at recruiting them, especially in football or lacrosse, which field large teams. At larger schools, they often have their own dorms and stick to classes selected by the coaches–which I think is contrary to the college ideal in its own way.</p>
<p>It sounds like the OP’s son wants to be within driving distance of his home, which I think is somewhere along the lower Atlantic coast - but not as low as Florida.</p>
<p>BTW…some of the schools in the so-called Deep South are no longer “deep southish” because of heavy recruiting that have been done to get more out of state students, and also because some of those states have many transplants living in them now, and their kids go to those schools.</p>
<p>Thanks again, yabeyabe2. I think AZ would be too far from home for my son, although it certainly would fit the weather criteria! (Ironically, I do have a contact at UA who could probably help him with admission.) Because he has been unhappy socially at his current college, I think he would be resistant to having his high school friends that far away – and maybe mom & dad too (she said hopefully!). </p>
<p>He has not been home from college except for official school breaks (that is, he hasn’t been coming home for weekends), but he knows he wouldn’t be home even as much as he has been if he was that far away.</p>
There are several schools that offer these suites, so if that’s desirable for your son…</p>