The Philadelphia Inquirer tracks the freshman churn:
Call it the freshman churn, the students who bail before sophomore year. Most first-year students stay put, but in every class an antsy minority switches schools, spurred by homesickness, a creepy roommate, social anxiety, geographic shock, or financial or academic concerns. The place is too small, too big, too cold, too remote...At Drexel University, 20 percent of last year's freshmen did not return for their second year. At Temple University, 16 percent flew the coop. At Lincoln University, about 32 percent transferred, dropped out, or left for another reason. There are valid reasons to switch schools, but unrealistic expectations about college life or a lack of research often lead students to make that decision before they give their institutions a chance, school officials and counselors say.
Now add an increasingly common phenomenon: Many high school seniors get so caught up in the "trophy hunt" - the mania to get into a brand-name college - that they fail to search their hearts and honestly assess what they will need to flourish, admissions authorities say.
I agree entirely that you should switch schools if you feel out of place your freshmen year, even if (as one student did) you realize this on your first day. The "best" schools aren't always the right one. One parent sums it up:
"Friends of ours [who are] parents said, 'I can't believe you didn't make her stay. I can't believe she left so soon,' " Patty Penrose said.Posted by kswygert at January 30, 2006 05:39 PM"What would be the point? She wasn't failing me in any way. She was just switching schools."