<p>So I have been a student at The Ohio State University for a year now. Despite being in the honors program and getting a summer internship in Silicon Valley, I feel like my opportunities are a bit lackluster compared to what some other universities offer, so I've been throwing around the idea of transferring after this next year of school.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, my financial situation is tight, which means that I would have to get a large amount of tuition in merit aid to afford some of the "better" schools, so I was wondering: what are some universities you know of that offer large merit scholarships to transferring engineering students, or separate engineering scholarships for transfer students?</p>
<p>Merit aid for transfer students is effectively no existent (as a freshman, they want to buy you with merit aid to help their ranking; as a transfer student, they don’t get rewarded or penalized in anyway based on the stats of students they admit). I particularly doubt you’ll find any merit aid for transfer students at a school “better” than OSU.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if it’s a case of finances being tight (and not you having a lot of money that you just don’t want to pay), there are a number of schools, particularly top schools, that will meet 100% of your demonstrated need if you’re admitted.</p>
<p>There are some schools where you could potentially get good merit aid as a transfer, but the ones I could name would be considered a step or more down from TOSU, e.g. Louisiana Tech. </p>
<p>Merit aid for transfers is generally based on college GPA. In many cases it is primarily targeting Community College students, and therefore expects the student to have 2 years of credits.</p>
<p>Are you in the Silicon Valley at your internship right now? Bet you thought OSU was just fine until you started comparing notes with other interns. Guess what? OSU got you where you are right now…just like any of the swankier schools you think you are hearing about now.</p>
<p>OSU has plenty of opportunity on the grad and undergrad level. Since you’ve interned in Silicon Valley, maybe the next internship could be at one of the national laboratories with research in your area of engineering. That’d be a nice addition to your future grad school or job apps.</p>
<p>Regarding the Silicon Valley thing, I feel like OSU did nothing to get me here other than prove that I am in fact getting a degree. It was my previous job, my personal projects, and my high level of interest that contributed to me getting an offer (out of the ~100 applications I put in - the process was not easy).</p>
<p>And yes, I have heard about the great things some of the other schools people are going to offer, mainly classes that offer actual substance (rather than the classes I’ve spent learning about more interesting topics during the lectures so I don’t fall asleep from boredom) and people that are actually interested in excelling and changing the world.</p>
<p>I was just throwing around this idea to see if I could make my undergrad life and job-hunting future a little better, but it sounds like from what everyone has said that transferring is not worth the extra costs and hassle.</p>
<p>Perhaps they simply made better elective choices than you did. Assuming the same engineering major, it is likely that they will have taken similar core courses as you (math, physics, etc.), so it is not like the topics in those courses will be radically different at other schools.</p>
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<p>There should be some such people at any big state flagship university.</p>
<p>""“Regarding the Silicon Valley thing, I feel like OSU did nothing to get me here other than prove that I am in fact getting a degree. It was my previous job, my personal projects, and my high level of interest that contributed to me getting an offer (out of the ~100 applications I put in - the process was not easy).”""</p>
<p>I am guessing that when you applied, you were still a frosh in college. Many frosh dont get internships, so that may be why tOSU wasnt much help/source at this point. Likely as you move forward, you will be learning about other opps. However, with your SV connection, is that something that you will continue next year?</p>
<p>You just finished your first year, and a number of your classsmates have been weeded out. as you move along in and get into upperdivision classes, you will find that students with newly learned skills applying those skills and becoming more creative.</p>
<p>I dont know how many “change the world” students anyone is going to find in frosh classes. that may be expecting too much. most students (anywhere) have not had SV experience prior to going to college as you have.</p>
<p>You just completed your FRESHMAN year? Is that correct? You have three years if upper level courses to take…those are not huge lecture halls.</p>
<p>Go ahead and send out some transfer applications…but be prepared to walk away from any acceptances without sufficient money.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, you are going to want to get a good job, or go to a good grad school program with full funding. Since you view yourself as a cut above everyone else at OSU, you should be quite the stand out there, and this should help you.</p>
<p>But, I would also suggest you consider the attitude you are presenting here…which is one that sounds like you think you are so much better than all the others attending OSU. Having an "I’m the greatest " attitude is not going to bode you well in the future.</p>
<p>Did something happen at your internship that has formed your atttitude. Are many of the other interns in upper division classes at other schools?</p>