I recently got into Conn College (a small liberal arts school) off the waitlist and am currently committed to UCSB. I’ve never visited Conn College and have lived in California my whole life so any input you have about the school and even how the East Coast culture is different from California (Bay Area) would be appreciated. My major is currently Undeclared but I’m most interested in Environmental Studies, Economics, and Political Science. Most people that I have talked to about my decision in my area have never heard of Conn College, so they aren’t the biggest help. Conn College gave me a good financial aid package, so it’s still a few thousand more than UCSB but it’s not a huge difference. I like the idea of small classes at Conn College, but I’m unsure if it would be too small as I love socializing with different groups of people. I also noticed that Conn College isn’t very ethnically diverse and wonder how that would be for me since I’m half Asian and grew up in a diverse area. What worries me about UCSB is that it be might too big as I love discussions in class and may not get that in the huge lecture classes. I also worry a bit about the party school reputation as I’m not the biggest partier.
Any advice?
Because no one has answered you yet but I don’t have much to say—the kids that I know that go to Conn College are all very nice and down to earth. My neighbors daughter attends and loves it. The campus I believe is on the water and is beautiful. I’m sure the kids do road trips to Boston in less than two hours and perhaps NYC in over two hours. I don’t think that you have to worry too much about culture shock. Good luck!
I doubt the smaller size will have any impact on your social life unless you normally have 2,000 close friends.
New England is relatively liberal but not like the San Fran area. Personal responsibility is a big part of New England culture and whining and sticking your hand out is simply not a part of it.
Connecticut College is pretty progressive, not only are the dorms coed, but so are many of the bathrooms. After freshman year you can even room with a person of the opposite sex.
The other strength of CC is that it is part of NESCAC, which means the sports teams are in the same conference with ten other top schools in the area and they have great rivalries. So that could mean road tripping to Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts or upstate New York.
These schools have a lot of character and school spirit and you probably would enjoy the experience very much.
Very, Very unique experience compared to a big state school.
They are very different schools. Go with the best fit.
Getting away and living in a different part of the country can be a great experience. The East coast is a lot closer geographically than what you’re used to in CA. Its possible to visit different cities with a few hours drive or train ride. You’ll experience real winters. And there are some aspects of life there that just have no equivalent in CA and may come as a surprise. For one example, many college kids spend summers living on the beach (Jersey Shore, the Cape, etc) working in restaurants and living in a house they share with friends. Beach areas in the East tend to swell with summer visitors, as opposed to CA beaches that are occupied year round.
However your concern about ethnic diversity is worth looking into. I knew a kid from a large diverse LA school who had a teacher that sold him on the small LAC that teacher attended and loved. Unfortunately this kid felt quite out of place once he got there as one of the handful of Asians at that school in the Midwest. I know nothing about Conn College, but they have a student group for Asians http://www.conncoll.edu/campus-life/unity-house/student-clubs/ The link only goes to a Facebook page and I would not suggest posting anything using your real name or Facebook account, but perhaps you can get in touch with someone in that group and ask them about their experience. Students tend to be quite open and honest with prospective students.
I must say, thought, that I wonder a bit about your choice of applying to this school if you don’t really know a lot about it. For a LAC fit is quite important because there are less than 500 kids per grade level, less than in many CA public HS. Just about anyone can find their niche at a UC, that is not really true at a LAC.