Hello everyone! I have a lot to say to explain myself so hopefully you guys can bear with me because I’m really struggling here!
So I just started my first semester at Ohio State as a transfer student. I transferred here from Miami University of Ohio because it was cheaper and I thought it would have a better dental program and more access to opportunities in the dental field (as far as shadowing and volunteering and such) since it is in a bigger city with more facilities and organizations geared towards things like this. This is the reason I tell people who ask why I transferred but honestly the main reason was because my mom could not afford to keep sending me to Miami so I basically had no other choice but to transfer. The thing is, though, I absolutely LOVED Miami. I had a great group of friends, I loved the campus, classes felt so much more personal because it was a lot smaller and I just really thrived there in general and I basically left crying, kicking and screaming (in my head). I applied to OSU in high school and got in but I never really liked the school and really did not want to go here. The only reason I’ve ever applied was because of the price and my family loves it because it’s closer to home and they’re buckeye fans. I’m not into the whole buckeye thing, I’m not too fond of the campus and it’s really hard for me to make friends and be more involved on campus as a commuter student when I lived almost 30 minutes away. I was prepared to deal with this when I started getting emails from Miami about tons of opportunities with dental experience and shadowing and service projects, while I can barely get anyone from the OSU dental school to email me back! I guess my question is, am I just being dramatic and need to give OSU a fighting chance or should I actually consider transferring back to Miami for my happiness and opportunities and just try to find a better financial aid package?
Hopefully that make sense! Any input helps!
How would you find a better FA package as a transfer if it was unaffordable as a freshman? That’s unrealistic. If your previous school was too expensive, it was too expensive.
Unless you get more money from Miami, you are probably going to need to stay where you are.
How long have you been attending your new school? What year of schooling are you in? Are you planning on a career as a dentist? If so, how will you fund your dental school years? It is always a good idea to limit debt in undergrad when you know you have grad school tuition in your future.
There is no magical financial aid package that is going to fund your original college. Your need based package is based on your family’s info input into FAFSA. Living at home now, although it makes for a totally different college experience, may be what it takes for you to get a college degree. And that is the ultimate goal, right? To get an undergrad degree, keep a good GPA, and connect with professors that will write you strong letters of recommendation for dental school.
I suggest you take some time to mourn your loss of attending your original school, and then dive in to find the good things at your new school that can help you reach your goal of becoming a dentist. It is up to you to search out new friends/study partners, reach out to professors by going to see them during office hours, and figuring out how to be involved in campus activities as a commuter.
Every town has dentists, so you should be able to make contact and ask about opportunities for shadowing, volunteering, or even getting a part-time job at a dental office.
Yes, it is sad that finances are the reason you had to transfer. This is your chance to prove that you are capable of surviving and thriving no matter the obstacles. Choose to refocus on the positives. Find the small bits of joy in your situation. And thank your parents for providing for you. Parents sacrifice a lot, and it is easy to come to EXPECT that sacrifice instead of appreciating it.
ETA: Just now seeing that this was posted in CC Community. Not sure if parent comments are welcome here. Moderator, please delete if this is inappropriate.
Did Ohio eventually workout? I ask because I am in a similar situation now and am thinking of transferring.