Anonymous wrote:I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.

PResumably you would have had a friend group at a larger school and gone through the same thing. This is not the fault of the LAC.

Not exactly this but similar (public to public) Our kid transferred from a large state school (35,000+ students) with a STEM bent to a much smaller (@6000 students) with more of a humanties focus but excellent sciences which is their major. One of the main academic drivers was the size and quality of teaching in lab environments but it was more social than that.
The transition was relatively smooth. It took a couple of semesters for our kid to find their social groove but academics clicked right away.
Good luck to your kid.

Anonymous wrote:Rather than going for the name of the school and what you consider bragging rights (top4) why didn't your kid tour the school or do a tiny bit of research. The class sizes etc are well publicized and there a million websites detailing the life on campus.

In our case it was because our 17yo DC didn’t really know what would or wouldn’t work for them. Scads of students go off to big publics and have positive experiences. All types of kids with all types of personalities and all sorts of different experiences. Heck, it might have even worked for our kid if they’d stuck it out, but they decided to make a change and they like the midsized experience in a different location better. My next kid, based on who they are at 16, would definitely do better at a smaller school, but that’s not what they think they want either.

I think you need to make sure that you aren’t the only transfer.

Also, some colleges have rush sophomore year. So, I would encourage that even if you are not interested in Greek life as a way to jump start your social life.

Anonymous wrote:I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.

No break-up necessary. Small community gossip similar to small town gossip. After a few semesters, the smallness will get uncomfortable which may be why so many LAC students study abroad for an academic year.

Additional larger LACs are Holy Cross at 3,300 students and Bucknell at over 3,900 kids.

Rather than going for the name of the school and what you consider bragging rights (top4) why didn't your kid tour the school or do a tiny bit of research. The class sizes etc are well publicized and there a million websites detailing the life on campus.

I'd look for LACs on the larger side, like Wesleyan. More social opportunity and variety, but still the small classes and intimacy of a LAC. 3,000 students vs. 2,000 students actually makes a difference.

I believe it will be important for the OP's child to find the right LAC, not just an LAC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.

Wow, does this resonate with me! I had a similar experience after a breakup. The school was so small that it became a big drama among friend groups and I felt like I was right back in high school. Meanwhile, my own daughter had a breakup at her large school and while it was painful, she didn't have to worry about seeing her ex everywhere or finding new friend groups. It's been a much healthier situation, and I only wish in retrospect that I had gone to a large school. So many more opportunities - both academically and socially.

I don’t relate to this at all. What kind of people are around here who have these massive breakups that are tearing up their lacs. People broke up all the time at Williams. We moved on with our business.

My kid transferred from a state flagship to a midsized private and is having a much better educational experience. They didn’t like their large public for all the same reasons you listed, OP. The transfer hasn’t been perfect, they’re still working on making friends, but see acquaintances around campus multiple times a day so feel less lonely than they did at their previous school.

Anonymous wrote:I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.

Wow, does this resonate with me! I had a similar experience after a breakup. The school was so small that it became a big drama among friend groups and I felt like I was right back in high school. Meanwhile, my own daughter had a breakup at her large school and while it was painful, she didn't have to worry about seeing her ex everywhere or finding new friend groups. It's been a much healthier situation, and I only wish in retrospect that I had gone to a large school. So many more opportunities - both academically and socially.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. A midsize wouldn’t be that different and kid would have to start over.

I have a kid at an LAC. There are no lectures, all classes are small and profs really know the students. Kid is now in year 2 and said she can go to her favorite dining hall and always find people she knows. Just walking around with her she bumps into friends.

Don’t know about the transfer experience thought.

What liberal arts college? Even at the tiniest one I know, there are lecture courses in the sciences.

Even introductory science courses may be capped at, say, 30 students, however.

But they aren’t. Once again, bots here lying about how liberal arts colleges work.

My freshman at a highly ranked LAC had no more than 30 kids in any class first semester. STEM major.

Doesn’t mean there’s a cap. Please be a liberal arts education and read

I was a separate poster than the one who claimed the cap. However, I just checked with my daughter, and yes there was a cap. No, they did not over enroll her classes.

Sweetie, I love how you swipe at me about "reading" when you struggle with writing a coherent sentence and fail to use punctuation. Bless your heart.

You're write that they used the wrong verb, but the punctuation is fine.

Whoa, “write” ???? And nope, there was no punctuation at the end of the sentence.

Anonymous wrote:I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.

Did not have that experience at all at my lac. This issue stems from nosey people with interpersonal issues. There’s no guarantee your ex won’t be friends with your friends at a larger school. Stay out of other people’s mess and they won’t know yours.

I went to an LAC. Although wonderful academically with many resources, I found it so exhausting socially. People knew everyone's business and after a breakup, I felt like I had to make new friends since my ex was in the same group. I was so ready to study abroad.

I personally would look into mid-size schools that have smaller classes but more people to make friends with; transferring is different as some LACs might have very few transfers.