Small school for B student
KM0564
1 replies1 threads New Member
Hello,
I'm hoping someone can give some suggestions for a school for my very shy son, who is a freshman at a mid-sized state school. I'm looking for a school with an accepting student body, especially for kids with quirky personalities. He is doing okay academically at his current school, but not socially at all. Really hasn't made any friends. He lives on campus, and although he likes his roommate, they don't hang out socially. He comes home every weekend and if he has to stay for some reason gets really, really anxious. This is not typical for him because he went to boarding school and also worked at summer camps where he lived there, so it's not his first time being away from home. He is not a big party person, although I'm sure he would love to hang out in someone's room and have a few beers if he had the opportunity. He is attempting to join a community service club, so we are holding out some hope he will meet someone there, but in the event things don't get better, he would like to look into transferring.
We live in Connecticut so New England/New York/Northeast Pennsylvania is where we are looking. I realize it will be difficult as a transfer student, but I think he would do better at a very small school where most kids know each other. He is definitely a B student, so top ranked liberal arts colleges are out. He is still undecided for his major.
Thanks for you any input you may have,
Kate
46 replies I'm hoping someone can give some suggestions for a school for my very shy son, who is a freshman at a mid-sized state school. I'm looking for a school with an accepting student body, especially for kids with quirky personalities. He is doing okay academically at his current school, but not socially at all. Really hasn't made any friends. He lives on campus, and although he likes his roommate, they don't hang out socially. He comes home every weekend and if he has to stay for some reason gets really, really anxious. This is not typical for him because he went to boarding school and also worked at summer camps where he lived there, so it's not his first time being away from home. He is not a big party person, although I'm sure he would love to hang out in someone's room and have a few beers if he had the opportunity. He is attempting to join a community service club, so we are holding out some hope he will meet someone there, but in the event things don't get better, he would like to look into transferring.
We live in Connecticut so New England/New York/Northeast Pennsylvania is where we are looking. I realize it will be difficult as a transfer student, but I think he would do better at a very small school where most kids know each other. He is definitely a B student, so top ranked liberal arts colleges are out. He is still undecided for his major.
Thanks for you any input you may have,
Kate
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Replies to: Small school for B student
Good luck!
Does he need fin aid? (That will make it tougher.)
Throw a dart at a map of the northeast, and you should find scads of perfectly fine LACs and small universities within driving distance. But frankly, I'd focus on the anxiety right now. Is this new, or did he exhibit that while in boarding school? Did he come home every weekend then too? If this is new behavior, what has changed in the last year?
A leave of absence while his menatal health get sorted out might be a better plan than a transfer.
I would also google the "Colleges that Change Lives" (CTCL) list of schools as that could have some very good ideas and some schools on that list may be better suited for a "quirky" personality. Goucher is one CTCL school that comes to mind.
Perhaps Sarah Lawrence is worth a look as well.
Agree that a gap year or a leave of absence may be a good idea.
BTW - letting him come home on the weekends is not going to help him get involved etc. My own introverted /shy kid at Michigan surprised us all and took charge to join a meet up group, found a kid he connects with. Started a tech student org. Has been a leader in that and gives small talks to the group weekly and is putting on a tech conference this spring. Trust me, this is not the same kid that we set off to college. College really matured him.
We told him before going off to college that it's his choice but he didn't have to be the same kid he was in high school. He could sorta reinvent himself in college. He did and he's happy.
Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. (2,200 students)
I could list a dozen or more small colleges in your targeted geographical area. But it is just guessing without more info.
Which boarding school or what is his current school ?
Specifically what did he like about his boarding school ? And dislike about his college or university ?
Subjects he likes & dislikes. Activities he likes & dislikes.
Any career plans or goals ?
Athletic ?
Meets none of your stated parameters but:
Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida (about 2,600 students 65% female)
Eckerd College in St. Pete, Fla. (1,910 students) (66% female)
Can you define your son quirkiness ?
https://www.appstate.edu/
One of the hidden gems of North Carolina nestled up in the mountains, UNC Asheville. It is a public LAC in the mountains of Asheville. It has a quirky population and offers a fantastic education with the resources of UNC but a smaller and diversified campus.
Another campus (UNC) nearby in Boone, NC is Appalachian State. Both are on the smallish side compared to NC State and UNC Chapel Hill. Both offer unique and varied majors often not seen at the other larger campuses. I have a niece and nephew who both attend App State and rave about the school, classes, friends and education. She is in the nursing program and he has participated in some great internships. Both are on the shy side so it was a perfect fit (with one also suffering from anxiety).
Hope this helps.
Kat
Environment & campus culture is more important than size of school.
I think that a school where everyone knows one another can be risky for a quirky student.