u/InterestingFlight750

I'm transferring from cc this fall and i'm trying to decide between Reed College and Gonzaga University. Let me preface by saying this decision is so hard for me because they are both good options but i think will offer me different things.

Reed did give me a better financial aid package but they didn't accept as many of my credits so i'll be coming in as a sophomore instead of a junior so financially they even out in the end. Reed is very academically challenging which i like, but i'm worried about the social scene as its a very small school and seems slightly isolated. They also have grade deflation making their average gpa like a 3.2 or something, it seems like grad schools understand reed's grading system and takes that into account but law schools don't. (im still deciding whether i'll want to go do grad school or law school after my bachelors)

On the other hand, Gonzaga is still a smaller school (which i wanted) but seems to have a very strong sense of community which is a huge plus for me. From what I know Gonzaga still has a good program and will challenge me, just not as much as Reed. I am a bit worried about the financial aid aspect, but I'm pretty sure by next fafsa application i'll be 24 and considered an independent which might increase my financial aid next year. And even though Reed is a great school, Gonzaga is more well known (not a huge factor for me) and also seems to have a much stronger alumni network.

Because there's no 'right' answer, I'm just trying to collect as much data as possible lol. I'm majoring in psychology, I want strong academics, i love learning, and i like to be challenged. But i also don't want to end up miserable because i have no friends or feel out of place.

Literally any information about either school will be helpful (dorms, food, social life, academics, city, etc.)

I am planning on transferring into Reed this fall but as i've been looking more and more into the school some concerns have popped up, that hopefully some current students can help me get a better understanding.

I am transferring in from cc as a sophomore but I will be 23 coming in.

My first concern is that I'll have more trouble finding a good group of friends, because i'm coming in as a transfer so other new students will mostly be 18/19 year olds, i'm a bit worried that I will feel more like a 'big sister' rather then a peer (my most recent job i was working with a lot of 17-19 year olds and felt super old and very 'big sister' lol). I'm also a bit worried because i've seen a few posts saying that there's somewhat a high school vibe (bullying, petty drama, etc.) because of how small the school is, and being 23 and having been out of high school for a long time I don't necessarily want to be back in that environment.

So are there a good amount of older transfers? is there a lot of interaction between under and upperclassmen? do you feel that there is that high school feeling?

My other concern is coming from a cc, even though i did very well and i do have a very strong work ethic, i am a bit worried that cc didn't exactly prepare me for the amount of work expected at Reed. I wanted a school that would challenge me, but whats concerning me is the comments i see about mental health issues and drug abuse from the stress.

Are there any cc transfers who can tell me what sort of experience they had (academically and/or socially)? Are professors understanding? And what support does Reed offer transfer students?

Thank you in advance, and if there are any other things about Reed that you love or hate I would love to hear!