I recently moved in and have transferred to a larger less competitive (15,000) state university after attending a top 40 LAC (2,500). I’ve been regretting the decision a lot - I was thinking of being a studio art major at my old school (the program was competitive and well funded). The arts/liberal arts programs here are getting defunded as they try to shift their focus to STEM - something I didnt see before I came here. I don’t feel like wasting money + time on an art degree that wont give me a competitive edge as it is a competitive field, though I know personal effort is also important. I took a semester off of school to understand what I wanted to do after a bit of a rocky first year and a half (my GPA at my old school was a 3.2 but I was below minimum courseload from withdrawing from 1 out of my 4 classes my second semester freshman year / first semester sophomore year. I got pretty much straight As my first semester). I transferred to my new school, after working as a preschool and afterschool teacher for a few months, as an Art Education major with a Sign Language minor (learning ASL was also interesting to me). I’ve come to realize the issue was not completely my school but personal issues with disorganization, ADHD, and anxiety / getting overly caught up in the small school drama. I was terrified of coming back just to find I’d slip into my same bad academic habits + feel “trapped in the bubble” . Overall I feel my old school would have given me more opportunity to develop creatively, and I also really miss my old friends. Since I left I’ve gotten medication for my anxiety and developed better coping skills, and generally matured. Going back would be logistically difficult - I signed a yearlong lease here with two roommates (who are lovely) and would have to apply for readmission and sublet my room. Part of the reason I signed it was my parents didn’t want me to take more time off or go back to a place where I was scared to go back and encouraged me to go ahead with it, though I was very hesitant and unsure of what was best for me at the time. Things have just been very stressful, and I wonder if I should just give this place some more time to establish deeper friendships, but I just don’t know if it can replace what I had at my old school. I feel like I have to keep this all a secret here to avoid looking sad to my new friends in case I stay!! Looking for some ~~ solidarity in these trying indecisive times. kinda just wanted to vent somewhere I guess. Peace + luv <3
IF you TRULY want to return to your old school, you need to give the Transfer Admissions dept a reason to accept you again. But that may not be easy, since most top LAC’s have few openings for transfer students. Do some research and review at their Common Data set for the # of transfer students who apply and how many are accepted.
The fact the the liberal arts programs at your current college are being defunded IS a valid reason to ask your old college to accept you again. Missing your old friends there will not move the needle.
I’d call the admissions office and ask to speak to someone who handles transfer admissions.
Good luck
My child transferred from a mid-sized private to a large public…realized he’d made a mistake and wanted to return to the first school. He reapplied while in his first semester at school #2 and was not considered a transfer student. Contact admissions at your original school; you may find out they will not handle your case as a transfer but as a readmit.
I also think this is true. I’m gonna give it the year and figure out switching next semester if it is possible / a good choice. I looked at their readmittance form and everything, I am a withdrawn student so that is how they would handle my case. Knowing your sons experience was validating though. Thank you!!!
did you end up transferring back?