<p>That is a great point, Oswin. It’s a hard question to get a good answer to, though. And I think sometimes you just never know how that experience will be. My D hung out with many students at her current school, both at a campus visit and when she auditioned. They were frank about a lot of things … but still she found out surprises when she got there. </p>
<p>I’m really sorry you had trouble with fit, and I applaud your decision to try to transfer. In general I’m a big fan of that. But also there are sometimes just emotional shifts people go through, whether because they are teenagers, or just in general. What someone describes as a “love fest” can be exactly what someone else sees as hyper-competitive. These are hard factors to examine.</p>
<p>The point is, do as much research as possible, and be willing to accept that things might not work out exactly as you expected. It sounds like you had done some really great thinking along those lines, even when choosing the “wrong” school, and you are still very able to switch gears and take risks to get what you want. Good luck!</p>