I am currently at a top research university and feel as if it is not the right fit. I no longer want the same things out of a school . I am pre-dental and feel as if a LAC would be a good place to be. I think that I would enjoy a smaller school that is more focused on real learning and have professors that really care about the students. Religion is a fairly large part of my life so I am mainly considering religious LAC. Has anyone transferred from a research university to a LAC? What are the pros and cons? Also, what makes a LAC so much different than a university? Is there anything that I should know before I really do transfer?
LAC courses are generally taught by professors not TAs. You generally get to know your profs better and earlier in a LAC. Generally speaking the class sizes are smaller although as you become a junior or senior at a U they probably get smaller too.
A small lac may have only one or two dining halls. The social life may differ depending on whether it’s a rural or urban location.
If you are pre dental I would investigate the grad school advising at your desired college as well
LACs’ main advantages (smaller classes) are greater in the frosh/soph years, while research universities’ main advantages (more upper level course offerings) are greater in the junior/senior years. Starting at a research university and transferring to a LAC would seem to minimize the advantages of each, while maximizing the disadvantages of each.
On the other hand, if a specific school is generally a better fit, that may be more important than the above consideration, since general type of school (LAC or research university) does not determine all aspects of how it fits a given student.