<p>I am a prospective Transfer student trying to scope out the greater world of Colleges. I have a few standards that I’m looking for but it’s really hard to find Colleges based on these standards on my own so I was hoping a few of you could recommend some names to me! Especially those parents out there who might know more about what schools are like that their kids go to. </p>
<p>Required Aspects:
Strong Academic Rigor - Not necessarily competitive, but a school where you can get a great education and where students want to learn.
Strong focus on work experience, such as Co-Op programs, support for internships and Study Abroad.
Academics wise I am looking for a school with a Middle Eastern Studies department, but I could settle for something like Religion or History or International Relations/Business if such a program could be centered on the Middle East.
Good Language programs. Not just breadth of languages offered but the level of teaching and programs meant to ensure language learning, etc.
A close-knit community, or a place that focuses more on academics then drug use and partying. </p>
<p>Everything else is up in the air! If you can think of any schools that fit these requirements, please let me know! I don’t care where they are on the range of selectiveness or prestige or geographic location. </p>
<p>What’s your college GPA and how many credits do you have?
Look into Northeastern; if you have enough money to pay OOS tuition (or live in Ohio), UCincinnati.</p>
<p>I go to Hampshire College so I do not have a GPA, but I am doing very well here and have fantastic narrative evaluations, which are our equivalent to grades. I have 44 courses completed so far, but some of that is independent study.</p>
<p>I’m going to second Northeastern. The program is built around co-op, and they are now making a very strong push for more international co-ops and study abroad. I’m not sure if there is an middle eastern studies program, but I know that the international business program is quite strong. </p>
<p>SAT/ACT scores? Many universities require them of transfer applicants. I think they are likely to have additional weight for a Hampshire candidate without quantified grades.</p>
<p>If you are a Hampshire student, why not supplement your course work with courses at the other consortium colleges, including UMass? The consortium colleges also have a career center sharing agreement with UMass’ career center, so you may want to see if co-op job searches there can be done as a Hampshire student.</p>
<p>Oops, forgot these: William and Mary (especially their St. Andrews/Scotland option) and Elon in NC (amazing internships abroad, reasonable tuition, and much more diverse student population than one might imagine).</p>
<p>Another vote for Dickinson. The Washington Semester is a good way to get some internship experience AND credit for the semester. However, I am not sure if this will work for a transfer student, you will have to look into it. Because a certain number of credits has to be completed on campus for you to graduate. </p>
<p>Why do you want to transfer? You have the option to take some of your classes at the other colleges in your consortium, which seems to me it could make up for academic deficiencies in a given course area. And regarding work/internship/co-op experience, colleges don’t really “find” these opportunities for you. They provide insight into where to apply, help you brush up your resume and interview skills, etc. You still have to go find the internships, apply, interview, and get the job. Like @ucbalumnus said, possibly you could leverage the UMass career center. I am not sure how much 44 courses is at Hampshire, but it seems like you are pretty far along there. Doesn’t seem like you would get much benefit from transferring to me.</p>