While I’m still thinking about college in high school should I factor in transferring later in college?
My parents REALLY want me to stay within communting distance from home. But I have been to the community college here and I DID NOT LIKE IT. The other colleges around my area are either really expensive or have bad math programs (I have talk to people who’ve gone). I would be fine with going to one of these colleges for freshman year and then transferring though.
But should I start factoring that into my college search now? What has your experience been with transferring? Is it difficult? Expensive? A waste of time?
You definitely shouldn’t be thinking about transferring going into college, but especially not in high school. Although, I think the expectations for CCs are that you will transfer. Do you want to go to a CC first or 4-year university? Going to a 4-year university as a freshman will give you the highest chances of merit aid.
Transferring is easy, but it’s more expensive than coming in as a freshman. I am a transfer student and I was luckier than most in cost. If you don’t want a terrible FA package, you have to find a college with some merit for transfers. Even when colleges have merit for transfers, the maximum scholarship amount is little and the remainder of FA will be need-based (if you transfer to a meets need university).
I read through your other threads. It seems like you are bright and hard working and ambitious. That’s great! You are looking for a school near Albany that’s pretty affordable and is strong in math and has art opportunities.
What about the University of Albany? Would that be affordable? I’d think that would work for math.
I suspect you’d love Union College. I’m just not sure it’s affordable.
Anyway, to answer your question, I generally think it’s great if you can find a place you will be for four years. There are advantages to that. Of course, that is not always possible. If it’s not, it’s not. It’s always best to face things in a positive, forward-looking way. And, remember, we can all just influence or control what we can influence or control. The rest you just have to take it as it comes and deal with it the best you can. That’s true in choosing a college, and in life.
I live a few states away from NY. I understand the state has made a big commitment to making college affordable for everyone. I believe that financial aid is available. But I don’t know much about it. Maybe you could talk to your college counselor when you get back to school. It’s good to get to know them and to make them an ally. They can be very helpful. Good luck!
What have your parents told you about the money? What are they truly ready, willing, and able to pay each year, and under what conditions? Start with that. Help them run the Net Price Calculators at the websites of all the places that they consider to be within commuting distance. Work with them to develop a commuting cost budget - will you need a car? Car insurance? Gas & maintenance.? Or, can you take the bus? Is that bus free with a student ID?
Then pick out a couple interesting places that aren’t in commuting distance. Run the NPCs, and work up a living on campus budget. Don’t forget to include any savings they will have because you won’t be there to run up their grocery, electric, water, and heating bills. Do remember to include your own best estimates for traveling to and from campus several times each year. Add in the college/university health insurance if your family coverage won’t work at that location.
Talk with your parents about what you perceive to be the differences what all of these places offer for your major, and how those could affect yout time to graduation and your eventual post-college job options.
Do your best to understand their reasons for saying that they prefer you commute. Sometimes that is rooted in reasonable concerns about a student’s physical or mental health, sometimes it is because of tight budgets, and sometimes it is mostly their fear of missing their child too much.
If you’re in NYS near Albany then you have some excellent choices. Transferring can be expensive if you don’t get any grants. How much can your
parents pay per year? In your other thread it sounds like they may not be able to afford much. SUNY tuition is ~$6k tuition/year. If you qualify for the Excelsior Grant that will cover the tuition. If not, maybe you’ll be eligible for the TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) Grant. You can take the ~$5500/year federal student loan and if you work summers you can probably earn another ~$3k. Any of those options will make commuting to a SUNY affordable.
If you want to attend a private college or go OOS, you need merit and/or need based aid. Your stats have to be high to be eligible for either. Find out how much your parents are willing/able to pay and run the Net Price Calculators for some schools you’re interested in. The best aid generally goes to freshmen, so find a school that will be affordable all 4 years. If you can’t afford it as a freshman, you probably won’t be able to swing it as a transfer.
They want me to stay so that I won’t get raped and so I can learn how to “adult” here. They don’t seem concerned about the cost at all. E.G. “We’ll figure it out.” “You’ll get scholarships.” “Just take loans.” “God will find us a way.”
I’m only concerned about the academics. If there were colleges with good math programs in commuting distance I would totally stay. But there aren’t:/
My parents don’t seem to be very concerned about that. They just want me here and safe.
Your parents (and you) are headed for a lot of grief if all of you together don’t get a handle on the money issue. Figuring it out is not a plan. Sit down with them and run the net price calculators at the college websites. Talk about where the money can come from. Find out whether or not the Excelsior Grant and TAP will be enough for where you would need to study.
This looks like a future college money disaster if you and your parents do not think about the money now. Agree with reply #11 to start checking the net price calculators on various college web sites and looking into NY specific grants.
In terms of transferring, if you do not convince your parents to let you go to some college other than the commuter ones, then they may not let you transfer later. So they may be limiting you to whatever colleges are in commuting range in any case, so you may as well choose the four year school you can afford and are willing to graduate from. Planning to transfer would mostly make sense if you start at a community college to save money and then transfer to a four year school later.
Would it make sense for you to take a gap year before college to give you a bit more time for your parents to feel you are readt to “adult”? Maybe that would mean you could apply to a better list of places for your major, and to find the best financial aid packages.