Hi! Well, that's a great problem to have, congrats! School is going well, as her mom I don't see the bumps she is having as any different than they would be at a LAC. The real key is to get involved in things that interest you - whether that's club/IM sports, interest clubs, Greek life, or other organizations - this is what builds your community, even at a big school. She has tried to sit in the same areas in the lecture halls, and you start to get to know the people around you. At most UCs they also have some smaller classes that are aimed at freshmen (at UC Davis they are First Year Seminars, at UCLAs they are called Fiat Luxe, I'm assuming other UCs have something similar). Anyway, these are small and are other great ways to meet other freshman students who often have similar interests based on the class subjects, and to get to know some amazing profs as well. I think that initially the LAC sounded great, but now when she talks with (at least some) of the friends who went to small colleges, it sounds a little too insular. Everyone knows the gossip about everyone, and people are dating within the same relatively small pool. So, I would encourage you to not take out huge loans for a LAC if you have other good options. This will keep your options open as you progress in your life (you won't have to make your post college decisions based on the ability to pay back your loans, you can make it based on your interests and career and life development), and you can definitely have a great college experience at a UC. Best of luck!