<p>I've been thinking about it since September and I've done drafts, but I've got nothing solid or close to finished and I'm freaking out. The thing is, I really don't like it here and the thought of coming back next year kills me. The school is a terrible fit and the lack of diversity kills me. The academics are ok, but the school is in the middle of nowhere, it's ALWAYS raining or snowing, and there's nothing to do but drink or study.</p>
<p>Those are essentially the reasons. It's a funny thing - I must have told at least ten people precisely why I want to transfer, but when it comes to putting it down on paper, I hit a brick wall every time. Each time I start writing, I feel as though I am complaining needlessly. My major is econ/music, and I can do that anywhere. I'd love to be back in NYC (my hometown), because that's where everything happens - Wall Street, Carnegie Hall, just to name a few global cultural and economic centers - but I'm only applying to one school in the city (Columbia) and that's a crapshoot.</p>
<p>I'm having so much trouble writing because I feel as if my reasons aren't good enough, as if I'm not thankful enough for what I have. The thing is - I can't put it into words, I just don't feel good here. I visited other schools (my best friend is at Cornell, for example) and instantly felt better and made many friends with whom I still keep in touch. It's not me, I know it, because I act the same here and there, I just need a more diverse environment to thrive. </p>
<p>“if I’m not thankful enough for what I have”</p>
<p>This attitude will keep you at SUNY. When the academic dean at my school said that I was ungrateful for wanting to transfer, I felt bad. I thought that I had it all but I was too egocentric and wanted more. This kept me from moving on in my academic life and now, I am spending more time at my current school than I wanted.</p>
<p>You know that you want to transfer but when you ask people about it or when you start complaining, you are not telling them that the school is bad but you are asking them for their approval. You should be assertive and just say “I want to transfer". You know better than anyone what is rioght for you. Don’t forget all the risk that transferring would implied. There is rearely scholarship or finaid for transfers</p>
<p>The best thing you can do with this essay is to write about what you are looking for in another college. For example: The school, the city, the social life and the opportunity to network with people who are in your field of interest. I mean in the metro, you can randomly meet some great people but in your middle of nowhere, you can’t really do that. Don’t trash SUNY; don’t say that it is terrible there. If you don’t complain about SUNY, you will see it in a better light. Get rid of the negative thoughts. This will help you approach the essay with more maturity. I don’t regret spending an extra semester at my school, because I am sure that if I had wrote my essay during my first year, I would have presented the school in such a negative way that the transfer school would have rejected me.</p>
<p>You were hoping that you would like SUNY but you realized that it is not the best place for you, because of: Academic, social, geographical reasons. You have some great teachers, but you will feel better in a more [put your own word] environment.
There are several threads on CC that have the information that you are looking for. By the way, if you don’t like it there, leave it. If you feel that you will screw up next year, don’t stay there. I had the presentiment that I would fail one semester at my school because I was so unhappy and hated the place. Idid fail.</p>
<p>The reason why you are having trouble writing a transfer essay is because most of the reasons you dislike Bing seem to be social in nature, instead of academic. Try to remove the terrible social aspect of Bing when you’re writing essays, because the strongest and most compelling transfer essays will always communicate “academic fit” first. Talk about specific course, programs of studies, and opportunities at these universities that would be unavailable at Bing. For example, when I was drafting my Penn essay as a South Asian Studies major, I talked about how Penn was one of *only three * universities in the U.S. to offer Pashto language courses, which is the main language of Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Hi! I really agree with what everyone said so far and I would like to add that don’t be afraid to put the social aspect in it. Sure, focus on academics but the people make the university. If you had a totally empty university with the same curriculum, prestige etc and took out all the people that attend it and put different people in, it wouldn’t be the same university you’ve been wanting to transfer to. The people make it. They’re everything. They’re the difference between a 5 am convo about marxism and the matrix or going out and drinking. </p>