Spelman College or UC Santa Barbara?

Question

I'm currently a freshwoman at Spelman College, the prestigious, historically black, women's college in Atlanta. It's a really great school that I know will open a lot of doors in the future, for summer internships, grad schools, jobs, ect, simply because of it's reputation. Truly, it's a great institution that has the potential to make my life a lot easier in the future.

However, a small piece of me of doesn't quite feel at home here. I've always been drawn to spending my undergraduate years in California, and UCSB always stuck out to me when I was researching universities. After a lot of influence from my family, I ended up at Spelman, but I'm debating transferring if I'm completely miserable by Christmas.

So, I'm torn. Should I stay at my current school because it could potentially look better on resumes, or should I transfer to UCSB?

Any helpful information comparing the two, giving insight about UCSB,or any other good California institutions would be greatly appreciated :)

Answer 1

Many students transfer from HBC's (historically black colleges), to further their education. Spelman is an awesome college and has a great reputation, but if you truly feel out of place, by all means research other college campuses. UCSB is an impacted campus in general, so it may be difficult to transfer. Check the website to see if this is true in your major. While UCSB is also a dynamite school, some majors or departments are better than others. Use the internet to compare majors at different universities and see if the move would be worth your while.

Answer 2

I would give your Spelman experience a while longer before you decide for sure it's not for you.  There is a period of adjustment when starting any new school.  I would wait, as it's difficult to transfer the first year anyway.  There are better schools than SB in the UC system, and you should also consider your major and other interests when you are deciding on college.  For instance, if you were to be interested in life sciences, UCSD would be a much better choice.  Why don't you see if UCSB has any interesting summer programs, so that you can really what the school has to offer up close?  

Again, give it some time, make some new friends, join some activities that really interest you, and see what happens.  Best wishes for your first year.

Answer 3

Stay at Spelman, the recruiting for internships and jobs is worlds better there than at UCSB. SB is just another non flagship state school where kids graduate into mediocre jobs. Spelman draws top employeers looking for talented minorities for elite jobs. No contest.