<p>Good advice, Bromfield.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your responses, everyone. I will definitely be taking your advise and contacting financial aid in the next couple of days. I really appreciate all the help, as I have no one who can give me advice except those of you on CC, and I will keep you guys posted on my situation.</p>
<p>To answer a question:</p>
<p>
[quote]
What do you perceive as being the difference between the feel of Smith and Holyoke, vs Wellesley and Bryn Mawr?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>First of all, let me just say I have not visited any of these yet. I am planning to do so over my spring break, which is earlier than most colleges. (My plane ticket will be my only Christmas and birthday present. I have already talked it over with my mom. That's how important transferring is to me.)</p>
<p>But having done a lot of research on the women's colleges, reading Princeton review, here, and some other sites, here are my basic impressions:</p>
<p>I see both Smith and Mt. Holyoke as having a really good sense of community; very intelligent, open-minded students who are interested in world issues and politics; interesting, skilled professors who are very helpful; and they are also easier to get into (transfer acceptance rate of a little over 40%). I also really like the Five College Consortium. I like Smith a little better because of the house system, the Northampton area, the free curriculum, and a few other minor details.</p>
<p>I see Wellesley as a little more preppy than the others, but still has some of the community spirit I'm looking for. I don't like their "societies" because they remind me of sororities. It is definitely a lot harder to get into, especially transfer-wise (acceptance rate of only 15%).</p>
<p>I think Bryn Mawr is more nerdy and very competitive. I feel like the competition would bother me a little and create less of a community. I feel like academics there might take too much priority over lasting friendships and making a difference in the world. I was also a little creeped out by stories of students wearing capes, etc. I don't know if that would bother me or not once I got there. And I don't think the 3 College relations in that area are as good as the 5 Colleges in MA. It is also harder to get into, especially transfer-wise (acceptance rate of only 21%).</p>
<p>All: very good academics, excellent student-professor relations</p>
<p>Since you're low income, you might want to wait until you're accepted to see the colleges. That way, you won't waste money on colleges that may not accept you. I know that some colleges will fly in low income accepted students. Perhaps some colleges do the same for low income transfer students. </p>
<p>The most important thing right now, though, is to connect with financial aid officers to find out your prospects for aid particularly since you have a father who's not in the picture.</p>
<p>More good advice. Northstarmom--what do you think of Berea? I don't know why I'm fixated on it at the moment. Perhaps because I've had a glass of wine ... and Berea College is only about 40 minutes away from where I now sit?</p>
<p>Everything I've read about Berea indicates it offers an excellent free education for bright, motivated low income students. I agree that it sounds like it could be a good choice for the OP.
Berea</a> College - Public Relations - Quick Facts</p>
<p>
[quote]
Since you're low income, you might want to wait until you're accepted to see the colleges. That way, you won't waste money on colleges that may not accept you.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But don't they only give you a couple of weeks to respond? I'm worried I'll get an accepted decision and not be able to miss classes or worse, exams, and then I'll just have to guess at whether I want to go without having seen it.</p>
<p>Which brings me to another question: How can I compare financial aid packages if decisions come at different times and I only have a couple weeks to respond?</p>
<p>By the way, Berea sounds very interesting. I looked at it when I first starting thinking seriously of transferring, maybe a month ago, and then I forgot all about it! So I will definitely be considering applying there too.</p>
<p>This is from the Berea site re: transfer students. ... Berea's a neat little town--a lovely arts community and home to one of the biggest arts festivals in the Midwest. </p>
<p>Berea</a> College - Prospective Students - Applying for Admission: Transfer Students</p>
<p>Eeeee, I don't like this quote:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Students who have completed more than 44 semester hours of college credit may not be eligible for admission.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I will have 49 hours completed at the end of this semester and 64 by the end of the year. :(</p>
<p>I guess I'll be e-mailing them about that too.</p>
<p>"I see Wellesley as a little more preppy than the others, but still has some of the community spirit I'm looking for. I don't like their "societies" because they remind me of sororities. It is definitely a lot harder to get into, especially transfer-wise (acceptance rate of only 15%)."</p>
<p>The couple of small society houses at Wellesley are a very, very small presence on campus involving a tiny minority of students and are nothing at all like the sorority scene you describe. There is an enormous amount of community spirit, both during the undergrad years and beyond.</p>
<p>In the past, it is probably fair to say, both Smith and Wellesley were slightly "preppier" than Holyoke. Whether that is true today is another matter.</p>
<p>Just to play devil's advocate here, have you considered if it will be "worth it" financially to transfer if it would mean you and/or your family taking out loans? You sound like the type of student who would go to grad and law school, and getting your bachelor's for almost nothing could give you more freedom in that endeavor.</p>
<p>bump...........</p>