That’s just an introvert.
The Explorations advisement program in the Experimental College. Two students teach a class and act as peer advisors to the freshmen taking the class. In addition, a faculty/staff member is the academic advisor. I don’t know enough to say how well this model of advising works but the experimental college classes are usually pretty popular and interesting.
This is such a strange post for me to read–not because there is anything strange or unwarranted about it, but because I really don’t know what to think. 30 years ago I transferred away from my first school after one semester (DePauw University, a yikes then and now for people with my politics and personality) and went to my state school. It was the best move of my life. Yes, the state school was unchallenging in many classes, but its amazing diversity was exactly what I needed (I made good friends), and I stepped up for grad school. I also spent a year abroad. When I hear that someone isn’t happy with the social scene at Tufts, I think of the posts I’ve read in which multiple people have said that the tour guides are cold and disengaged. As we all know, that doesn’t mean much statistically. However, if there is a campus atmosphere, it can be hard for one person’s warmth to change it. Then I read that the discontented student has put U Chicago on his list of possible transfer schools. This is not a school that anyone looking for a better social life should turn to first, according to every person who posts on here! To me, the best advice seems to come from people offering schools known for having a happy or more mellow social life (Emory, for example). Perhaps the student doesn’t even know what kind of atmosphere will make him happy until he gets to the campus–but he would be a rare duck if the extremely high-pressure schools made him happier. Those ar ejust my ruminations–maybe there is something I’ve missed in the original posts. I hope he finds a great place.
As a general consideration, a recent survey found journalism to be the most regretted college major:
Should your son want to pursue journalism as a career, he may want to develop skills in this area through a college newspaper, while pursuing a major in another personal area of interest. Moreover, this path would broaden potentially suitable transfer destinations to include those without formal journalism programs. Nonetheless, colleges that emphasize writing in general may be of particular interest, especially since law could be in his future. For this, this U.S. News site could offer him ideas for schools to research further: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/writing-programs.
IMO that is a misconception about Chicago. All the kids I met love it. It is just that they rather sit around having a discussion about the meaning of life, or attend trivia night, instead of going to a stereotypical college party. Interestingly, my nephew just transferred to Emory and while he is liking it much better than his previous school, he feels like everyone is too heads down…
Honestly, the whole thing just goes to illustrate that fit really matters.
Regarding academic rigor, it is possible that pre-frosh advising at some colleges tends to err on the side to too low placement (e.g. repeating one’s AP credit) in order to avoid too high placement (e.g. taking maximum allowed advanced placement for an AP score but finding that the class is too hard). Perhaps this is because correct placement is not always obvious (though the old final exam method may be used to give a more informed decision), but also because new frosh may be distracted by the adjustment to college.
I am curious if OP is finding classes easy/boring or the conversation’s in and outside the classroom not particularly engaging. These are two different things and really matter. My D had this issue in MS and occasionally at her selective HS. Excellent teachers and curriculum, but no one really engaging with the discussions or debating interesting points of view.
There do appear to be some nearby-to-USC light rail stops.
Really great question. Some classes are very engaging and professors are great. One class is particularly unchallenging, but he was able to get a years credit by testing out. I think he imagined deep and engaging conversation with peers. I suspect that could come. Tufts is full of bright minds. I’m just wondering f some freshman may be a bit hesitant to share until they feel comfortable where they fit in. he’s just so ready to dive in. I also think / hope that as courses become more demanding and when he’s in his major that conversations will organically evolve. He’s a fun person. But he’s also a serious person who is very interested in social justice.
He has reached out and I think it has been of some benefit. He has very good relationships with professors. He has even reached out to professors that don’t teach courses he’s currently taking. That has helped to provide some extra stimulation and engagement and a couple of professors have been especially helpful and encouraging.
My guy would love to sit around discussing the meaning of life!
Wow, this is interesting. He is very interested in social justice. He’s a great writer. I think he imagines journalism or law as ways he could change the world for the better.
I just read an article talking about an epidemic of loneliness on college campuses, with some students saying that they fear saying anything controversial even in private conversations due to concern about being reported to a microaggression hotline or otherwise facing sanctions or judgement. While this sort of thing can be blown out of proportion and also probably varies by school, I could imagine that there could be a dampening of deep conversation among students who don’t know each other well…and it takes a while to know people well. It wasn’t until your most recent update that I realized that the concern wasn’t about meeting people, but about deep conversation, and the article seemed possibly relevant. I don’t know what your son likes to talk about in deep conversations, but depending on the topics it could be that students who aren’t yet friends are uncomfortable being that open. If that’s the case, then going somewhere else may put him with a group that is more comfortable speaking their mind, or it could put him back at square 1 as far as have people who feel like they’ve known him long enough to speak freely.
Maybe I missed it on this long thread, but what was his second choice behind Tufts. Wouldn’t that be a great transfer option.
I agree that you should be supportive of his potential transfer options. If he truly is unhappy and no real chance it will change then he should transfer. However I am still unsure what he thinks would be a better fit. He is at a medium size, very strong academic school in the outskirts of a big city. Does he want a bigger school, does he want more urban etc. As others have stated if he wants law the major and undergraduate school really doesn’t matter other than going some place that makes him happy. He just needs to take classes he loves and make great grades. Then study hard for LSAT and he will get into law schools.
Journalism, if that is his goal, would seem to be a whole different kettle of fish. As others have said if he wants Journalism then there are schools that are head and tails above the others. Columbia, Northwestern, Missouri, Syracuse to name a few.
He sounds like a great kid who will ultimately figure it out. Also you seem like a very supportive parent. I think just let it play out a bit more and if he decides he needs a change really try to get him to hone in on what it is he really wants out of his college career and ultimately what he hopes to go after college.
Good luck go you both.
If your son was starting from scratch, I might have recommended colleges such as Reed, Williams, Vassar and Hamilton for him. Nonetheless, colleges from this group may still be worth a look.
Don’t assume that courses will automatically become more challenging. I don’t think my S18 found any of his courses challenging. And most of the conversations in his major (Public Affairs) were unfortunately dominated by a bunch of activist students who were seemingly resistant to doing any hard work (complaining about homework, finals, etc.).
Instead he found the most stimulating activities were in working with professors on research projects and participating in ECs (he ran a large political organization on campus, edited the law journal and was elected to the local council). He did have a bunch of good friends, but that was for social stuff, going to sports games, meals out, weekend trips, etc rather than “deep conversations”.
Reed was where he was first accepted with a lovely custom welcome packet. It sounds cool but he found that is has a reputation, perhaps undeserved as a place with a big drug culture which is not his thing. I also think a city or an area with more of a social scene would be his thing. We never visited Reed so I may be off
Any reasons you think the others would work? Thank you
Yes, say anything about the Israeli / Palestinian conflict and be branded a supporter of either oppression or terrorism…
This is a great idea. Way back when, I got a campus job in the dining halls and met a lot of people that way – not just other student workers but students who came to eat during my shifts and became familiar faces. My daughter, who’s a first-year, got a campus job for the college communications office: five hours a week photographing various events and writing them up for Instagram posts and other college publicity materials. She’s a journalist who does a lot of photography, so it’s right up her alley, and she’s gotten to go to a lot of events (sports, readings, concerts) that she might not have attended otherwise, and she’s met people in all of these settings. Not much of a time commitment, but she’s earning a little spending cash, and it’s a great way to get to know the college.
I think he would love U Chicago. He sounds just like my friend’s son - very sweet, nice but also mature, focused on deep topics and discussions. I heard U Chicago does take sophomore transfers especially if you are full pay and from a highly regarded school like Tufts. They need to replace the tuition of those students who drop out due to rigor. For sure at Chicago he will be challenged!
It is literally right next to the campus. There has been an issue with the homeless and violence on the rail but it should be ok during the day especially since it will have a lot of downtown workers.
There is also free Lyft for those in the zone around USC.