<p>One of my best friends, now a rising college senior, attends a small, fairly selective LAC . On paper, this school looks like it would be a wonderful fit for her–“quirky,” liberal student body, strong international focus (foreign language double major), “right” type of environment (both in terms of urban/suburban location and area of the country), etc. She visited it before applying and really liked it, and it was probably either tied for first choice or a close second choice when she applied and was admitted. However, she hasn’t really liked it all too much–the professors have been a very mixed bag, the student body seems wholly apathetic (perhaps the flipside of “laid back”?) and/or drunk (not a school with a huge drinking rep, either), and even the always-well-spoken-of study abroad program had some serious issues. It hasn’t been downright awful, and she’s made the best of it, but I’ve been genuinely surprised by how mediocre to poor her experience at this “good fit” has been (and, no, she’s not an inherently negative person in the least or, to my knowledge, one who is or was clinically depressed).</p>
<p>On the flipside, I’ve been much more pleasently surprised by my experiences at a medium sized (and much less selective) state u, especially one with a purported “drinking culture,” which hasn’t been an issue for me, a non-drinker, at all. (Of course, there’s been some unexpected negatives as well, but isn’t there always?). </p>
<p>So, has anyone else seen this when a supposed “good fit” turns out to be a “not-so-great fit”?</p>
<p>It happens all of the time, and that’s why lots of students transfer. A school that seems perfect on paper or even during an overnight visit is very different when one is living there. Another possibility is that a student can change including developing new interests. Consequently a school may not remain a good fit.</p>
<p>I do wonder why your friend decided to stay at a college where it sounds like for good reasons, she wasn’t happy.</p>
<p>Well, I guess this just shows that selecting a college, just like selecting a career or a spouse, is an inexact science. Or in the case of the concept of “fit,” no science at all - just opinion, subjectivity, personal preference, and emotion. Whether spouse, job, or school, sometimes your choice works out and sometimes it doesn’t.</p>
<p>Yes, it happens all the time. There is only so much you can tell about a place from visiting, and some people are not able to visit. A friend of mine in high school got admitted to scads of colleges with Brown being the best of the group. She went there and hated it and transfered after a year. My cousin went to Harvard, hated it, but stayed and didn’t get much out of the experience.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why she never transfered, but I’d guess probably a combination of lack of aid (esp. merit) for transfers and the fact that she was never “miserable,” just not happy. What gets me is that I’ve gotten my head bitten off for mentioning my friend’s experiences at this school on CC, on the basis that I must be wrong in some way if my somewhat quirky, liberal, internationally-focused friend hasn’t loved this college, which is known for being all of those things.</p>
<p>There are lots of intangibles that make up the college experience. Even if several key factors appear to be a great match there’s no guarantee a student is going to connect with a given school. I think the concept of “fit” is merely a person’s best attempt to lessen the odds of disatisfaction. It’s just a good estimate (read: guess) in trying to match certain personal qualities and interests with reasonable expectations. Both sides of that equation are so full of variables that you just have to know it won’t work out for everyone no matter how good it looks in the beginning. And as others will point out, the opposite is also true.</p>
<p>Could she/ should she have found a school with a better fit? I wouldn’t be surprised if the friend still thinks that her college was a good choice, just maybe not head and shoulders above what other choices would have been. Everywhere is a mixed bag. The proportions in the mix might be a little different, but it’s still a mix. Friend will probably graduate with a good education, some good experiences, and a few good friends. Maybe not amazing in any category, but nothing to wring our hands over.</p>
<p>I wonder also whether some students have some pretty high, or narrow, expectations. Someone banking on quirkiness might be disappointed to learn kids are kids, even where they are a little quirky.</p>