<p>My son is at a small LAC in New England. He has decided he wants to transfer for sophomore year. He likes his professors and the academics where he is (he's a History kid, with an interest also in Theater), but he feels he doesn't fit in. Although the school has no Greek life, the kids start partying on Thursday night (or looking for a party), continue all weekend, then cram in the library on Sunday. His school offers little else to do for non-drinkers/partiers. It's pretty much out in the boondocks, so no nearby city to go to. The social atmosphere of the school is his main reason for transferring. My question is this, though: other than visiting BYU in Utah, how do you go about researching the "social atmosphere" of any college he might be thinking of transferring to? There are some good comments on CC about social atmosphere of colleges, and he knows about Insider's Guide, but how do you really find out what the social scene is like? I don't want him to repeat the same mistake at at college in a different state. Also, for some reason, his LAC doesn't have a computer science department, and that is one thing he is looking for when transferring (he likes computers and currently works at his college's Help Desk in the library.) Any suggestions?</p>
<p>(Yes, small rural college in New England fits the profile of high drinking…)</p>
<p>State of residency?</p>
<p>Many state flagship universities have good CS departments, and tend to be more transfer-friendly than most private schools. If they are in more urban areas, then there may be more to do besides party and drink when not studying, sleeping, or eating.</p>
<p>Big state flagship universities often do have rows of fraternities, but they may consist of only a small percentage of students (but large in absolute numbers). But the number of students not in fraternities will be much greater, so the fraternities are far from the only social scene.</p>
<p>College courses and grades will be the biggest factor in determining what transfer targets are realistic for being admitted to. But sophomore level transfers will typically also need to submit high school based credentials (high school records, SAT or ACT scores) which will have significant effect, since the amount of college work will be limited.</p>
<p>Personally, these are the criteria I would use when compiling a list of prospective transfer schools…</p>
<p>The Practical:
~Financial Aid, including Need Based Aid and/or Transfer Scholarships
~Transfer Credit Policy (Will you have to petition the Registrar to accept the credits you’ve already earned?)
~Course Offerings (In general, do you find the courses listed on the college’s website interesting/appealing?)
~Size (LAC or Large University?)
~Housing (Some schools don’t guarantee housing for Transfer Students!)</p>
<p>The Social Atmosphere:
~Transfer Resources (How does the college help its Transfer Students assimilate? Counseling? Special Orientations? Other gatherings?)
~Sports/Athletic Facilities (Ex. I swim laps, so I need a college with a pool)
~Clubs (Ex. I would like to attend a college with a University Choir and opportunities for Political Activism)</p>
<p>Has your son tried using the SuperMatch listed on this website? I’ve found it be a very useful resource!</p>
<p>Good luck with your search!</p>