Advice for Telling People I Want to Transfer

I am currently a freshmen nursing major at a small university in Pennsylvania. I thought about transferring when I first got here due to lack of diversity in the people/classes. And I still want to transfer at the start of my junior year so fall 2021. However, since my school is super small (less than 2000 undergrads) and a Christian school, the community is tight. I appreciate this but I still feel like I don’t belong in a certain group. I have a group of friends which I am around most of the time but I don’t have the same interests as them and it makes me feel lonely even with people around me. So, I am so scared to tell my friends that I may be leaving to another school.

I am also scared to tell my advisor that I want to transfer. One of main reasons that I want to transfer is due to money/economic problems with my family. I live in NY where the rent is $4k+ a month, in a small apartment for 5 people, including me; next year, all my siblings will be going to college so $20-30k each for 3 people, my parents work life is not going to great). Also, because of the stuff I mentioned above. I fear that my advisor will judge me and rebuke me and make me stay (although I am just being paranoid). I plan to schedule an appointment with her the beginning of sophomore year b/c I am home due to COVID-19.

I really want to switch to a cheaper school and one that is close so I can commute. However, I don’t know what will happen. Any advice for this situation?

It really, truly, is OK to say that you need to transfer because of financial reasons. No one can contest that. In fact, you might go ahead and start the process now. It probably isn’t too late to get admitted to a community college that you can commute to for the fall, or to a SUNY or other NYS college/university for second semester. Lots of people will transfer this year because COVID-19 is changing their learning goals, their financial situation, and their family’s need to have them closer to home.