Transferring out of Wesleyan

Transfer Students
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I currently attend Wesleyan University and I have been considering transferring to another school. Despite being a institution that promotes diversity, the lack of diversity of thought whether that be about politics or else is concerning. Additionally, I don’t fit in with the student culture (overtly political, activist, extraordinarily artsy, and drug-heavy) The student body seem to stick to their own kind (international students with each other, athletes with one another, etc.)

As a student of color from a low-income background, the political correctness and the oppression Olympics of the privileged private-school/full pay students is overbearing. This has caused problems in my social life and towards the end of last semester, I felt a type of depression I haven’t felt in years. I have tried joining a few clubs, but it still feels as if I would not vibe with the students there. Additionally, I do not see myself staying in Middletown for the next 3 years. I don’t enjoy the campus and the surrounding town as much as I thought I would when I visited as a junior, which adds slightly to the reason of leaving.

There are some positives. Academically, I have felt very fulfilled and feel very supported by my professors. They are very caring and interested in the success of their students (though I believe this can be true at most liberal arts schools). The administration seems to be supportive in me as a FGLI student and Wesleyan has offered me pretty good financial aid.

I know the entire school is not like this but as of right now, if I were to look back years later, I don’t believe I can be proud to call myself a Wesleyan alum or to graduate alongside my peers.

Honestly, I’m not sure if the problems I’m facing will be solved by leaving Wesleyan as most SLACs are quite similar to one another, but I intend to at least put in a few applications if my situation worsens so I have the ability to choose should things not go my way. In the meanwhile, I will try to make the most of the Wesleyan community and the resources available to me.

A few schools I have considered applying to transfer to are Bowdoin, Hamilton, Denison, and Kenyon. They seem to have more picturesque campuses, tighter communities, they value the importance of learning to write well, and the students seem to be less of what Wes is. I would include more liberal arts schools but other top NESCACs, even the ones I listed above, take very few transfers (ex. Williams, Bates, and Middlebury).

A few concerns I have:

I am concerned about transferring into bigger schools such as Northwestern or Vanderbilt.
I value the close student-professor relationships and tight-knit community that SLACs provide and I have not solidified my major/interests to be able to take advantage of advanced research or upper-level courses. If I were to transfer into bigger schools, there will definitely be a adjustment into being in a lecture hall with 300 students and being taught by graduate students. The up-side is that I will have a higher chance of finding my people at a larger school.

Since the only graduate school I might consider attending is law school (I have no plans to pursue a PhD), job outcomes right out of college might be important. Some of these other liberal arts colleges seem to have administrative problems and their career center is not as helpful as Wesleyan’s.

I know prestige should not really be a factor in choosing a college, but as someone who is first-generation, I am worried about the opportunities, name-recognition, and NESCAC connection that I would give up should I transfer to less well-known schools. Finally, having good financial aid is important and I understand that transfer student aid is very different from first-years’ aid. Would I get a comparable amount of aid from these other schools?

Another note to add is that I do not believe transferring into my state school is a good option as it would likely cost more due to Wesleyan’s generous financial aid and would feel like a continuation of high school rather than a place for me to grow (though I am still applying in case of the worst).

Stats:

Intended major: Political Science/Government + Music
College GPA 3.78 (1 A, and 2 A-s)
HS GPA 3.8
SAT 1480

ECs: Lots of music clubs and competitions

I suppose I just need some affirmation that I am making the right choices. I know that was a lot. Any advice, whether that be for what to do in my current situation, schools to recommend, or advice in general, would be very much appreciated! Thanks!

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Chance son at range of LACs and State Universities [MI resident, 3.75 GPA, 1550 SAT, <$30k; math, physics, classics]
NESCAC Spoken Here:
Good College Fit Inquiry - I'm hoping for Indie, chill, nerdy vibes :)
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Are you a freshman? Have you made hew friends at Wesleyan?

Grinnell, Wellesley, Bates, and Pomona tend to have almost all social activities completely covered (no fees) which limits income inequality hindering participation as well as not highlighting who is low income.

Another angle: poc friendly SLACsas reflected by 10 year black acceptance rate:

68% - Middlebury
65% - Macalester
58% - Carleton
57% - Oberlin
56% - Bowdoin
55% - Williams
53% - Amherst
53% - Colby
52% - Hamilton
52% - Trinity
50% - Mount Holyoke
49% - Pomona

And then there’s this: SLACs where African American students graduate at equal or higher rates than their peers:

  1. Claremont McKenna
  2. Haverford
  3. Wesleyan
  4. Swarthmore
  5. Barnard
  6. Oberlin
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Did you apply to any of these schools last year? Did you have any other affordable acceptances? You might start with those schools for transfer consideration. If you are certain you want to have transfer options you will have to cast a wider net as all these schools are reaches for transfers.

There are a lot of assumptions here, especially from an ‘outsider’. Regardless, you are going to find at many LACs (as well as other colleges) that students often self segregate, spending time with others like them (be that based on race, lifestyle choices, income level, internationals, religion, athletes, theater, art majors, etc.) I’m not saying that’s right and always encourage people to expand their social circles. This issue can seem more pronounced at an LAC simply because of their relatively small size.

I would encourage you to put in apps to larger schools like NU and Vandy. You can have close relationships with profs (that is 100% in your control) and there are not many classes at those schools that are 300+ students and/or taught by TAs.

Regarding job outcomes, no school/career center is going to get you a job. Networking is up to you. You should also be spending time right now looking for a summer job, if you don’t have one lined up already.

Financial aid at most of the schools you mentioned shouldn’t be an issue because they all meet full need for transfers. If your financial situation is straight forward I would expect the FA offers to be within range of Wesleyan’s. Some of the schools on your list are need aware though, meaning they may take your level of need into consideration when making the admission decision.

You are the only one who knows how you feel. If the fit isn’t right, you are probably correct. Whether or not that resolves once you find a core friend group is the issue. You will have the exact same issue if you transfer in terms of finding a core group. That takes time. I would generally say more than one semester. Put in some apps and go from there. As you said, continue trying new clubs and meeting more people at Wesleyan. Good luck.

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Based on survey information, this might represent the case at Bowdoin (from the schools on your short-list), perhaps more so than you have perceived at Wesleyan:

In contrast, by the same source, Wesleyan placed notably well by this attribute:

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OP- I don’t know a single adult who has ever cited a “picturesque” campus as being a reason they are proud to be an alum of XYZ college.

I think figuring out the two things you want to solve for with a transfer is your path forward. Two. So better connectivity with classmates/less social segregation. That’s one. And two- you pick. But once you develop a laundry list (after recognizing that your aid package is great, and that your professors are great) you are making a successful transfer/adjustment very, very difficult.

I’m not telling you that your issues aren’t legit. Just that no college town is perfect (some folks love Hanover NH, some think it’s a cold and rural dump. Some folks love Boston, some think it’s a crowded, noisy, dirty hellhole). So trying to improve the Middletown aspect, plus the social aspect, plus retaining great aid, plus a better social life/more people like you, plus excellent academics and interested faculty, plus terrific employment prospects/career services, etc. puts you in “thin ice” territory.

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Wesleyan FGLI alum here. I’m not sure whether you realize this or not, but Wesleyan is the largest of the trad SLACs within NESCAC. If you are feeling isolated at a school of 3,000 students, I have extremely serious doubts that you have better odds of finding your peep at schools that are 30-40% smaller:

Wesleyan - 3,000

Bowdoin - 1,800

Denison - 2,400

Kenyon - 1,800

Hamilton - 2,000

But I feel your pain. It’s difficult to realize at your age that you’ve already won a lottery ticket; you’ve landed at a college with a fantastic national reputation at a price your family can afford and it’s natural to look around and wonder, if you can do a smidgen better. So, go ahead. By all means, put in your applications for transfer. But be smart about it. You really want to trade Middletown for a small town in Ohio? Please. I beg of you. Visit some of these places before you make a final decision.

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I would maybe look at some of the PA schools- Gettysburg, Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall. I think they get a little overlooked in the LAC realm but are very good schools and a little bit more moderate as far as student body- Kenyon and Denison are also good ideas if you can handle Ohio. I agree visiting is a must.

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This site shows (one-year) figures compiled by JBHE:

However, acceptance rates for several of the liberal arts colleges included were in the teens or single digits.

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I think in life, people often self segregate. At work, at school, in neighborhoods. Wes is far more diverse than Kenyon, as an example, which is dominant near 2/3 Caucasian. Denison is 60%. I also think smaller schools have less diversity of anything - less to find your kind of individual matching interests.

I agree with moving up in size if possible.

I’m a big believer in picturesque. It sets a mindset. Picturesque is in the eye of the beholder.

I do worry about the money - you need need-blind for transfer and then a school with will take you.

What gender are you ? I ask because while not large, Agnes Scott is very diverse and part of the Atlanta consortium which might open other avenues.

I feel for you - money is typically the distinguisher on choice and those without may struggle. But I do think it’s ok to put in other apps. I’m not sure things will change though. Grinnell is a great choice - 52% white and Midwest values.

Have you spoken to a counselor or professor about your concerns?

Best of luck.

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At Amherst, it’s supposedly also very segregated. The rich kids hang out with the rich kids. The athletes stay together. International kids self segregate. And when there are only a couple of thousand kids, if you don’t “find your people/belong to a clique”, there arent many alternatives.

This is why both my kids avoided LACs.

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Even at large schools, people often segregate. This is not unique to Wes or LACs. It is fine to throw in some transfer applications but know that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Also, it sounds like you have a financial package that makes Wes work and that may be hard to replicate as a transfer student.

I’d put the focus on making Wes work for you – seeking out a friend group and activities you find interesting, getting the best education possible, and setting yourself up for future success.

Contrary to some people’s belief, college is not the best four years of every student’s life so focus on the positives. You might also consider taking a semester/year abroad or at a partner US program to expand your college experience.

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This is true. However, most schools have a fixed amount of athletes. And they play a more prominent role when there are 1,800 kids vs 8,000 kids.

Both my nephew and niece went to Amherst. And if you aren’t an athlete (or friends with athletes), you’re not invited to the parties.

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YMMV. My D (not an athlete) had a very broad/diverse group of friends at her LAC while a number of her HS friends at large colleges ended up with their “Jewish frats” “Chinese clubs” etc. being the hub of their social life.

In the end then OP has to figure out what is affordable and what they want in a college experience.

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Sure. It depends on the school. Statistically, you have a greater opportunity to meet more people at a larger school than a smaller school. IMO, it’s a numbers game. Doesnt mean you wont find friends but you have way more to choose from when there are more people.

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We should agree to disagree since debate is not allowed on CC.

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If you enjoy the academic experience but not the cliques, then you should do a lot of research because if your intution is correct, you may face the exact same situation at another LAC you are facing now.

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Again, cliques are at every college so it is important to visit and try to understand the landscape at any given college before considering a transfer.

Also keep in mind that a successful transfer can absolutely be done but it is not always easy. You will move to a school where many friendships have been established freshman year, where most students in your class will be in routines at the college while much will be new to you.

Eta: this was meant as a general reply, not directed to any one poster.

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Your concerns are unwarranted regarding NU. The only large classes at Northwestern are intro courses (100 level), none of which are taught by graduate students although small break-out discussion groups may be taught/led by a PhD student. Grad students tend to be very conscientious about their teaching responsibilities; lots of energy, knowledge, and dedication. But, no course, to the best of my understanding, is taught by a graduate student.

Northwestern University is well known for small classes as about 80% of all classes have 19 or fewer students and a significant percentage have nine (9) or fewer students.

Your concerns about your current situation are understandable. LACs, even larger ones, tend to have a dominant personality & lots of cliques. Works for some, but not for all.

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It appears you might desire to transfer largely because you believe that Wesleyan’s sociopolitical culture is, or borders on being, oppressive or restrictive, at least from your perspective. I might concur with this by saying that within the landscape of colleges on Wesleyan’s academic level, it does seem that schools with more ideologically relaxed atmospheres may be available.

On a more specific level, keep aware of academic programs that might enhance your educational experience. Hamilton, for example, offers term-length programs in D.C. and NYC, of which one or both may be suitable for you.

As an opinion, perhaps continue to consider a transfer, while also not losing sight of the advantages of Wesleyan, and what you might risk losing if you were to leave.

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I am also a person of color and my first campus was stunningly beautiful with ocean views. I was also on financial aid. I was at a medium-sized university and I had friends, but I didn’t feel at “home” at the university.

There were lots of people with a lot of money, based on just the cars that they drove. They were nice kids but I never felt “included” and that was OK. I’m not a partier but I was invited to parties.

I discovered that my university didn’t have a major that I was interested in pursuing. I had doubts about transferring to a larger university (40k students) because I had your similar concerns about the size issues. I transferred. It was the best decision I ever made.

The thing about large universities is that you can find your crew, your major, and your direction if you take advantage of your surroundings.

I had an excellent Graduate Assistant lab teacher. He had so many tricks that he taught us about the subject, but also about how to navigate a large school to get into jobs and research positions. He was going to make an excellent professor!

All of my professors knew me by name. They also knew the students who attended office hours.

Being at the larger university, I went to musical concerts for free using my student ID card.

I had access to the large medical when I was feeling ill or sick.

I went to plays put on by our fine arts department. I saw some really funny comedy shows.

I could attend sporting events for free.

There was always something going on at the campus.

Our student stores were humongous! We had a variety of franchise restaurants on campus 24/7. There were dozens of coffee carts all over campus. The food in the Commons restaurants was not that bad and breakfast was excellent.

We had safety blue lights all over campus who would respond within a minute, so I actually was able to feel somewhat safe after evening classes.

I went to some Frat parties with friends just to keep an eye on them and because I’m not a partier, I wasn’t impressed. That’s just who I am. That’s just how it is at a larger university. They don’t care what you do because there’s just so much going on to take advantage of that: you do you.

It sounds like you have been given a great opportunity to be at a top ranked school. That doesn’t happen to many of us. I think what you are looking for is a “dream school” and that doesn’t exist. It’s all about attitude. I don’t think you realize it’s only four years. That four years goes by extremely quickly. Take advantage of the fact that the professors like you. Someone is paying for your education.

The two schools that I attended were in the top 100. I was just thrilled that the state and government were paying for my education.

I would’ve still been stuck in my barrio had it not been for the financial aid from both schools and my part-time jobs.

Perspective will take you far.

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