Or perhaps they just don’t want to spend 4 years (ok 2 in this case) entirely contained within the college campus, regardless how amazing a college it might be.
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Students at any of the 5CC colleges can cross-enroll at UMass Amherst. Same with the quaker consortium and UPenn although there are enrollment limits depending on the university (I think Swarthmore limits students to 1 per semester while the others allow 2?) and unlike with the 5CC, undergrads can’t take graduate classes at Penn.
Seconding Rochester, it has a pretty nerdy reputation and a LAC vibe.
You don’t need to answer this here but with the recent issues, is it preferable to be somewhat close to a supportive home when she re-starts college. Would going across country and living in a cold climate be an issue?
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Thanks for the question! Ideally, yes, she would be closer to us in Berkeley, California, but she says she’s willing to go anywhere for the right “match” of a school, and for her the most important goal is a small supportive community where it would be easier for a socially awkward, math and board game loving geek to make friends. For me, I’m also looking for a school that is willing to look at her application wholistically, rather than focusing on her academically disastrous junior year at Cal.
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George Mason, in the Virginia suburbs of DC has a program that provides social supports to students with autism. Virginia is neither the best nor the worst in terms of trans rights, but the DC area is very liberal.
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It sounds to me as if UCB was the perfect place for this trans student who is extremely strong in math. Very close to home (you said you live in Berkeley?), extremely strong math program, liberal state, liberal school, probably has a very strong LGBTQ+ society. And yet, she had social problems there, which led to depression, and academic problems. I don’t think that a small school far away from home, or frankly, any school far from home, is the answer. She’s not going to be able to transfer to Stanford, and everything else is too far, or not at her level.
She earned very good grades for the first two years. As challenging as it may be for a person with autism to connect socially as a freshman, it’s going to be far, far more challenging as a junior - it is for any transfer student. Frankly, it’s going to be virtually impossible, unless she is lucky enough to be taken under the wing of a more socially adept social leader in the LGBTQ+, math, or ling “nerd” group at that new school. Don’t look at this as a re-do, as a fresh social start at a new college. Focus on getting her through, getting her degree. From what you describe, she’s probably going to go to grad school. Things may be a bit easier for her there, socially, because everyone will share her intense academic interests.
I would urge you to have her live at home this next year, get therapy, possibly antidepressant medication, and have her take a math or ling class or two as a non-matric student nearby, hopefully at UCB if they’ll let her, and have her go to the LGBTQ+ club, the ling club, the gaming clubs. Assuming she is doing better after a semester, I would recommend asking for her to be readmitted to UCB to finish her degree there, living at home, not on campus. The goal is finishing college, at this point, and I suspect that is best done at UCB, close to home, while living at home (if you can make home a safe and welcoming, supportive place for her). Her “fresh start”, socially, will come in grad school. The sooner you get her through her degree and on to grad school, where she is going to find more people who share her intense academic interests, the better.
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I always recommend colleges in Worcester for trans kids. MA is very trans friendly and Worcester has declared itself a sanctuary city for the trans community.
Clark would have the small supportive classes you are looking for and sounds like a good match for your student socially. I don’t know if they how their math offerings stack up.
WPI would be a good match for math and student body, but they are on the quarter system and things move quickly. There are also a lot of group projects which may be challenging.
The good thing is that WPI and Clark are both in the Worcester College Consortium. So you could make something work out.
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I don’t think academics (even WPI fast pace) are going to be this kid’s challenge if they took calc pre-HS. Not discounting WPI (amazing school), but if they did well academically first 2 years at Berkeley should be fine. and WPI seems super transfer friendly from what I can gather based on mail we get from them trying to get my 25 to transfer:)
They also have invested heavily in mental health from what I have heard.
I think BOTH these suggestions are spot, if Clark has enough math and related classes to meet kids’ needs…
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This is very good food for thought. Will consider!
Clark attracts the nicest kids. Just the nicest. And Holy Cross is a VERY embracing culture which you might not expect from a Catholic institution. Both very solid suggestions!
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If this is a path of interest, the readmission procedure after academic disqualification is given here:
Airports are another place that my trans kid worries about.
There are many wonderful schools where I am sure he would have a wonderful experience on campus, but he deserves to be safe and feel safe 100% of the time. OP’s daughter does too.
Another school to consider is Goucher in MD. Its proximity to Towson might allow graduate level math classes while living in a small supportive community.
ETA: I just double checked and Goucher also offers cross registration with Johns Hopkins which would definitely allow higher level math.
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Lovely and kind kids at Goucher…great suggestion!
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I’m not sure anyone can assure friends - at small schools you may run out of potential friends. Big schools give you more opportunities but still no one can give it.
To go from doing well to plummeting, and I understand coming out played a role but I’m wondering if there are deeper issues. UCB is going to be liberal so simply attending another school, no matter how great it sounds on paper, may not resolve things.
I hope the student is seeking counseling or other supports - to get past whatever issues caused them to go from doing very well to failing. I’m not sure a simple change of scenery fixes that.
Highly recommend Stevens Institute of Technology. They are very inclusive and supportive. Look into the ISTEM program. My student is a queer kid with ASD (freshman) and he loves it. Lots of quirky kids, huge emphasis on mental wellbeing, and the disability office is a dream to work with.
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