Hello!
I just finished my first year at Rhodes College and I don’t think it’s a good fit for me. I don’t like its ‘work hard play hard’ culture and am looking for a college that is more relaxed.
My college transcript is a bit of a mess because I had to take a medical leave during the first semester. My GPA is probably about a 2.5 and currently I only have 16 credits. This semester was very challenging for me because I was pressing charges against someone who assaulted me. My GPA in high school was in the mid 80s I believe and I got a 32 on the ACT. I know these grades make things harder for me, but I’m determined to spend next semester at Rhodes trying to boost my GPA so hopefully it will go up.
My priorities are:
-Strong elementary education program
-Liberal Arts College
-Generous financial aid for transfer students
-Urban environment preferred but not required
-Reputation for community service.
-Liberal, I’m not straight and I want to feel accepted.
I’m not opposed to religious schools as I’m Episcopalian, but I do want a school that attracts diversity. I’m especially looking for schools with socioeconomic diversity, currently I feel alienated at Rhodes because of how many wealthy people there are.
Two schools that caught my eye were Beloit in Wisconsin and Loyola Marymount in California. I don’t have personal experience with these schools though so I would like input from others. Also my mom would prefer that I don’t go further west than Memphis so Loyola Marymount may not even be an option…
Thank you all in advance for any help you can provide!
Why are you paying a premium for a degree in Elementary Education. Find the school in your state that produces the most teachers and start your search there. You can’t go to a school full of wealthy students and expect to find lots of diversity. What your wanting the schools you are looking at odds with each other.
@Grainraiser At Rhodes I received enough financial aid that it was cheaper than my instate flagship. I do better at small liberal arts colleges for a lot of reasons and that’s why I am choosing one. Diversity is a preference not a requirement for me, but I know that there are LACs with strong financial aid programs that attract Pell grant recipients.
@CheddarcheeseMN That’s true! The schools I listed I would be happy living in the surrounding area. I am planning to go to graduate school though so hopefully that will give me some flexibility in terms of location if it turns out an area is not the right fit for me.
I recently found Ohio Wesleyan, does anyone have any thoughts about that college?
First can you afford being full pay at a LAC? The VAST majority of scholarship $ are provided to incoming freshmen.
Are you a Pell recipient? If so looking at college that meet full need may be best, though those are also the schools with the fewest slots for transfers.
What is your home state? Some states have public LACs available.
I could not afford being full pay and I am a Pell grant recipient.
My home state is Massachusetts. I have no interest in living there, but if worst comes to worst I would. My family is moving to South Carolina by the end of the year, but I don’t believe that we would qualify for instate by the time I would be applying to transfer.
There are some really good elementary education schools that you should check out.
While they may not be as prestigious as Rhodes, they will provide you with an enriched major-specific education
close to a city and many will entertain your Transfer application for Fall of 2017:
Simmons
U Hartford
Marist
Towson
Drew
Russell Sage Colleges
Duquesne
Wheaton (MA)
Loyola Chicago
Loyola Maryland
Loyola Marymount
Loyola New Orleans
Most, if not all, of the above would give little or poor aid to a transfer student.
Who cares if these schools will accept this student??? Which of these would give a PELL student enough aid to transfer? Probably NONE of those schools.
The OP doesn’t seem to understand that many schools give lousy aid to transfer students.
Do not cut ties with your current school until you’ve seen the AID PKG of any targeted transfer school.