Objective opinions on transferring please? :)

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi, everyone, </p>

<p>I’m considering transferring universities and I would really love your opinion. </p>

<p>I’ve dreamed of attending the College of William and Mary since I was eleven. My high school experience was tough – I was at a difficult public high school, trying to juggle a very rigorous academic course load with an emotionally abusive relationship and various other issues. I applied early decision to W&M, but I was rejected. The rejection precipitated a meltdown and my second semester was mostly an unhappy time. </p>

<p>I’m currently a freshman at a private, religious university in Texas. When I applied to colleges during my senior year, the school was actually my last choice, but due to a variety of circumstances, I ended up here. I’m a history/political science double major, and a French minor. I’m in the honors program and have a fairly substantial academic scholarship. I’m also only 75 minutes away from home, and I have priority registration and the best housing on campus. I also have amazing relationships with all of my professors, and I haven’t taken a single bad class or had a bad professor. That said, school has not been academically challenging whatsoever. I have a 4.0 GPA with relatively little effort, and my experience has not been, at all, what I imagined college would be like. Though I was told otherwise, the student body is very homogenous, very conservative, and very religious, and I haven’t found anyone that I really connect with intellectually. I find the environment stifling socially, which is frustrating. </p>

<p>I applied to transfer to William and Mary and I found out today that I was accepted. I was obviously thrilled. But now that I have W&M as an option, I’m starting to have second thoughts. I don’t know if I should give up everything I have now (listed above) for an unknown experience. At W&M, I’d have last choice registration and housing (and on-campus housing isn’t guaranteed for transfers), and as someone who has a difficult enough time meeting people, I don’t know if transferring is a good idea. I’d be far away from home. I was a transfer student in high school and I absolutely hated it, so I’d likely hate being a transfer student in college. I’m also really set on going to graduate school, and I think I’d likely have a better chance of being accepted to a prestigious program from my current university (because it’s easier to get good grades and good professor recommendations, but also because there aren’t very many graduate school applications in political science from my university). But old dreams are dying hard. </p>

<p>I’m really conflicted, and I’d love an objective opinion. No one at my current school knows. My best friends think I should transfer, and my parents think I should stay where I am. Any advice or insight you have would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you so much!</p>

2

<p>I’m in almost the exact boat, though I’m coming from a top 50 LAC in another state, and was also accepted to W&M today. I’m happy enough with my academic situation, but feel that people at my current school are all very like-minded and the overall campus mentality is stifling. I’m definitely transferring for the same reasons as you, but I am not completely sure where to yet. Try the coin flipping trick – heads for staying, tails for transferring. If you find yourself wishing the coin would land a certain way while it’s in the air, I’d probably go with what you wish.</p>

3

<p>Moylan, congratulations on your acceptance! So exciting! Go Tribe :)</p>

4

<p>Transfer! At Willliam and Mary, which is in close proximity to Washington DC, you can further your career goals. You are a political science major and William an Mary will open more doors than your current college. William and Mary is also regarded as one of the best public schools in the nation. Transfer. You’ll make friends eventually.</p>

5

<p>First off, congratulations. From what you have shared, this is a wonderful accomplishment, and you should be so proud–a commendation which only precipitates my next statement. That’s just it–you’ve worked so hard for this moment and fear of the unknown shouldn’t stop you from such an opportunity. But also realize you worked hard so that you could earn the choice. Now that it’s here, do what you can to follow your gut. Realize you may be afraid now, but regret can be worse than fear!</p>

6

<p>Sounds like its time to spread your wings and take on challenges. College shouldn’t be a time to tuck into a safety zone and stay lose to home if you have options. You will not grow at an easy, too comfortable college.</p>

7

<p>Transfer, and don’t look back.</p>

<p>That stifling feeling at your current school will only get worse and worse. That fear of not making any friends at W&M, however, will disappear after a semester, maybe two.</p>