<p>I'm currently a freshman at a USNWR Top 20 school-my former "dream school", actually. I am also the recipient of a merit-based scholarship that's worth the cost of tuition - approximately 40k/year. Here's the thing...I'm absolutely miserable! I can't imagine having to spend the next three years of my life here. So, I'm thinking about transferring for next fall. I am in the process of submitting my applications- all are public schools and none are nearly as prestigious as my current school. It's also probably worth mentioning that all of the schools I'm considering transferring to are out-of-state and don't typically offer merit aid to out-of-state transfer students, especially this late in the application cycle. Having said that, I'd most likely have to take out 5k-10k/yr in loans to attend most of the schools I'm looking at.</p>
<p>What do you think? Should I suck it up and just get by for the next 3 years at my current school without having to worry about money? Or is my being happy worth the stress of changing schools and taking on loans?</p>
<p>I'm so lost and confused. I would really love to hear any advice or thoughts you might have..</p>
<p>But, do think long and hard about the money situation, and talk that factor over with your parents. How do they feel about shelling out 30k+ each year while you take out 5k to 10k in loans? Is there no home-state university that would work for you? Remember that the only loans that you are guaranteed to qualify for are the federal loans like Stafford. You would need to have a co-signer for a private loan in excess of the Stafford amounts. Do you have a co-signer lined up yet?</p>
<p>Could you stand your current university one more year? That would mean only two years of expenses wherever you transfer to, and would give you more time to track down affordable options.</p>
<p>Maybe diagnose why you aren’t happy and make some radical changes in order to stay at your current free-ride school.</p>
<p>Change to another major. Take a semester abroad. Take a lighter/easier course load for a semester and chill out a bit. Join a choir or a new club and make different friends. Take yoga and learn how to relax. </p>
<p>Be sure that whatever you are running away from doesn’t follow you in some form to your tier-3 school.</p>
<p>Sometimes just dropping out of the college rat-race is the right choice, but I wouldn’t advise it lightly considering you are at least at face value, academically capable of succeeding at your top-20 school.</p>
<p>I agree with the other people. Maybe the problem isn’t the school, it’s YOU. Have you joined clubs? Made an attempt to get to know people? Are you not doing well in your classes? I would think long and hard before giving up a full ride particularly. You’re not gonna get that anywhere else.</p>
<p>People do go to their “dream” school and don’t like it once there. It goes against some of our long-held “best years of your life” mantras, but it is not the end of the world.</p>
<p>We don’t know why you hate it and what you’ve tried to do to change that.</p>
<p>Me? I’d recommend you find ways to make the best of it, because of the financial benefits. A relative of mine hated the “first choice” school once there, thought about transferring but stuck it out. In retrospect, doesn’t feel any better about the school. But got a great job upon graduation and moved on.</p>