Hi!
I just finished my first semester as a PR major at Suffolk University and am considering transferring to either Northeastern or Emerson for Fall 2022.
In high school, I got a 4.45/5 GPA and was sixth in my graduating class. At Suffolk, I have a 4.0/4.0. I applied to both schools last year and got rejected from northeastern and accepted into Emerson- though I couldn’t afford to go. At Suffolk, I have a near full-tuition scholarship, and they accepted all 51 of my AP credits for my gen-ed courses. It was too good of an offer at the time to pass up on, but now that I’m here I’m not happy.
For extracurriculars in high school, I only did sports and work. At Suffolk, I’m currently starting a club, have my work-study, worked at a non-profit over the summer, and I plan on joining another club this semester.
My fear is that if I get into these schools, I won’t get enough aid to be able to transfer. I was wondering what the chances are that these schools would match/come close to the financial aid packages that I have at Suffolk? My other fear is that since Suffolk accepted all of my AP credits, I can graduate in just 5 semesters here. The other schools won’t likely do that and if I don’t get much money from them, then it’s even less affordable.
I feel so conflicted since I know I have such a wonderful financial opportunity at Suffolk, but I’m just so unhappy there. The only way I can attend another school is if I get the same level of aid, and I don’t know if that’s possible.
Thank you so much 
During this pandemic era, consider staying at Suffolk and graduating after 5 semesters.
Earning a perfect 4.0 GPA in college should help with getting job interviews.
Consider other schools for any graduate degree that would help your career objectives / path.
If you stay at Suffolk beyond 5 semesters,will your scholarship continue so that you may complete more than one major ?
3 Likes
It is unlikely that Emerson will give better financial aid to a transfer student than they give to a freshman applicant.
Northeastern says it’s meets 100% demonstrated need for admitted students. No mention if they’re need aware for transfer students.
1 Like
I think that this is a very realistic fear. MOST students are significantly constrained in terms of which universities they can afford to attend in the US.
I do not see any harm in applying and seeing what happens. However, I would be mildly surprised if you will get anything even close to the great deal that you have at Suffolk. The financial deal is great. However, the fact that they have accepted so many of your credits is also great, and not guaranteed to repeat elsewhere.
I am inclined to agree with @Publisher. I think that you can do very well with a degree from Suffolk. It also sounds like you can get this degree in quite a bit less than four years, or could go for a double major if this appeals to you. I would be inclined to get your bachelor’s where you are, get a year of two of work experience, and then consider whether or not you want to go for a master’s degree or other graduate degree or certificate.
You might be underestimating Suffolk. You should get to know your professors and ask them about anything that you might be particularly interested in, or anything that you are having trouble with (although with a 4.0 you do not seem to be having any trouble). You can get extra work in an area that you are interested in, and if you are already doing well this is not nearly as crazy as it might sound at first. You might want to look for internships while you are at Suffolk.
Also, a lot of students have been unhappy over the past couple of years due to the pandemic. COVID does cut back a great deal on the opportunities to have fun while you are a student. This would be a problem anywhere. We can all hope that it will end soon, but there is probably no way to know. This “pandemic” thing is something we as a world do not do very often.
3 Likes
What were your AP scores?
NEU only takes 4 and 5s and up to 32 credits for in-bound students. So if you got 3s or unless you want to lose at least 20 credits - that’s a big thing right there!!
I get it - Suffolk doesn’t have the rep of NEU or Emerson…or at least the rep you’ve allowed to build in your mind from articles, advertising and the rest of the PR game colleges play to tug at the emotions of consumers - like you and I.
But you are doing PR. It’s a low paying field…very low. It’s difficult to get a job and where you go doesn’t matter. Sure - NEU might get you a co-op but you can get an internship on your own. In fact, many students today are finding internships on their own - and even if NEU could place you, is it worth the $50K a year it might cost?
Do you have 8 semesters of scholarship - perhaps you can apply it to their grad school at Suffolk.
Unless you qualify for need aid, even if you got a half scholarship from either school - and you won’t…it’s still a lot of $$.
Frankly, if you were my kid and you got into NEU or Emerson (you did) and it was full pay, I’d be sending you to Suffolk…especially for PR. It’s not even a question…total no brainer.
Unless you hate it, I’d be staying.
You’ll be the envy of many PR professionals that graduate from those schools - because unless they had rich parents, while you’re banking your salary, they’ll be sending a big chunk into the loan servicers. I think your NEU rejection was the best thing that could have happened to you quite frankly (unless you have need they’d meet).
Good luck in whatever you decide.
I was just wondering if you applied to transfer or not. My DD has been accepted to Suffolk and they are offering her a great package. She also got into NE, but it was their NEBound program with minimal aid. She is considering going to Suffolk and then possibly applying to transfer to NE.
I actually just wrote another post about transferring. I’ve decided to finally do it. The package was great, but the culture wasn’t for me and I never really made any friends during my first year. We’ll see how it goes. Good luck!!