<p>littlemusic- I agree that it may be a good idea not to speak with a person at the school you are leaving. However, I would disagree with you on the other point, depending upon your relationship with that person. The person I have spent the most time talking to about this actually does attend the school I am considering transferring to, and I have found this very helpful for a few reasons, such as:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>That person has been very patient with me whenever I have had questions on the school, and has provided a great deal of assistance with understanding the school's various requirements and providing insight to the school's programs and policies.</p></li>
<li><p>I have had the opportunity to meet a number of people at the school and see what some of the people there are like.</p></li>
<li><p>I was able to go to her classes with her for a day, which allowed me to see firsthand what the school had to offer, as well as to see what the profs and the students are like.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Although this is by no means a comprehensive list, these are a few of the reasons that I have found it helpful speaking to my friend.</p>
<p>However, I do not completely disagree with your statement- I would agree that it would be best to speak with someone who is objective. Fortunately for me, my friend has remained nearly completely objective throughout the numerous times we have spoken about this, especially considering the nature of our relationship, and I have not found anything she has said to be incorrect when I have looked it up elsewhere or seen what she has said for myself.</p>
<p>So, in short, I would agree that it is best to speak with someone whom you can trust to be objective. However, I would not necessarily agree that it is absolutely necessary to avoid speaking with someone who goes to the school you are transferring to (and, while I cannot speak on this, I would assume that, if you are speaking with someone whom you trust and is willing to think of your interests and needs, he or she would respect your decisions and be willing to listen or discuss it with you- I know that if my friend and I attended the same school rather than different schools, I would likely still be discussing this with her, although she would likely not have proven as helpful on the above points, although this would be expected, as she would not have had any insight into the other school).</p>