Hey y’all! So this is my first thread ever.
I am an incoming freshman at NYU (Liberal Studies Core - plan for Economics major)! I love the school, area, academics, etc. I am also from a low-income family, so the only reason why we’re able to afford NYU is that I got a great scholarship (based on my income) and multiple scholarships/grants. However, my father will soon be able to get a job (he finally got diagnosed with something and will get treated soon - in the next year or two) and this will most likely dramatically increase our average income (he’s an engineer), and can risk my 30k+ scholarship (based on income). I have always considered transferring after my freshman/sophomore year, however, I don’t know which year I should transfer (although I have heard sophomore year is best) and what I should do to increase my chances of transferring into another great school.
I really would like to transfer to UC Berkeley or UCLA because I’m from California and the tuition would be much less, but I have no idea what extracurriculars, internships, or grades I need!
In my opinion…starting at good School A (albeit most likely virtually) with a plan to transfer to comparably good School B is a bad plan. Doing so based on a series of ‘possibles’ (diagnosis = successful treatment = successful new job = sufficient new income, all in 2 years) is an even worse idea. When School B has a 3% admit rate for transfers from outside the California public system it gets even worse.
Here is info on transfer stats for UCLA: http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof19.htm
Here is info on transferring to UCLA (only Junior transfers are allowed btw): http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_tr/UCLA_TAG.pdf
I strongly suggest that you put your heart into NYU and not undercut that experience by having one foot out the door right from the start- or start at a CA CC.
If you really want to go to UC Berkeley or UCLA, why didn’t you start there? Did you apply and not get in, or was NYU cheaper because of the aid they gave you? If you already applied and were rejected, I wouldn’t count on getting in as a transfer. You should never start at one school assuming you going to transfer.
Next issue, financial aid is based on two years prior financials so if your father has his medical issues resolved in the “next year or two” and then is able to successfully get a new job, this might not even happen in time to affect any of your aid. You don’t need to disclose more here, but the description of having his problem fixed “soon” meaning the “next year or two”. Is pretty strange. I can’t imagine putting off treatment for something that is affecting employment for a year or two.
Both issues combined, it seems to me you should just plan to stay at NYU.