Should I transfer from Vanderbilt?

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm currently a student at Vanderbilt, where I'm in the Blair School of Music as a singer. I'm really really liking the school so far, but I've found I'm really missing doing track (they're D1 here and don't have a club team. They have running clubs, but I'm a jumper), and the price is a little insane. We were not offered aid, and I would be graduating with around $40k in debt. I also have to pay for grad school by myself. Vanderbilt is really far from my home, so I also have to pay for plane tickets, cabs to the airport, shipping to send my stuff back home, etc. The school is wonderful, I'm loving my classes, but I've gotta say, I'm not really liking being this far away. It's making it really hard for friends/family to visit, and I have a really young sister who's not really understanding where I went. It would definitely be nice to be closer. That being said, the pros of being here are: all my professors have been AMAZING. They are all brilliant, dedicated, and very approachable. The campus is gorgeous. The student body is much more diverse than people give it credit for! The name recognition is also a plus! Nashville is also a great city to be in when studying singing.</p>

<p>My other options: </p>

<p>I could transfer to UMass. They said they would take me for second semester and I wouldn't have to reapply. UMass would be about 18k a year, I would graduate with NO debt, and my parents could help me with some grad school costs. However, I couldn't do track there either, and it would definitely be tough going from all amazing professors to some amazing professors and a lot of TA's (I have a lot of good friends at UMass who told me about this). This would only solve my debt and being far away problems.</p>

<p>I could also transfer to Bowdoin. They are building up their music program a lot-- they just built a whole new music building in '07. I could also do track there, and it's close to home. The student body is also a little bit more of my type, it seems like. However, Bowdoin's tuition is about as expensive as Vanderbilt's... little hidden fees like shipping my stuff, plane tickets, cabs, etc, would be taken out though! And I would only have to pay for 3 yrs of music lessons as a major as opposed to the 4 years I have to pay for here. The campus is also gorgeous, and close to the ocean. I'm considering adding a major of some sort of animal or life science, and Bowdoin's location and design-your-own-major program seem great for this.</p>

<p>Thoughts? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I would say that since you like Vandy so far, it would be silly to leave.</p>

<p>You have a new life now—at college.</p>

<p>Your life at home is now OVER.</p>

<p>You shouldn’t be worrying that your family and your high school friends can’t easily visit you. They shouldn’t EVEN BE visiting.</p>

<p>You should be thinking about the next party coming up, and the next exam, rather than worrying that it is hard for family to visit. </p>

<p>My family did not not come to visit me when I went to college, and neither did my high school friends. </p>

<p>My high school friends had their new lives at their own schools. </p>

<p>Eventually, you will drift apart from your high school friends. </p>

<p>If you get a great job out of college, are you going to turn it down because it is far from home? </p>

<p>You should thank your lucky stars that you have the opportunity to go to Vandy, and that you like the college you selected. VANDY is now your home. And your college friends are your NEW family.</p>

<p>You will see your regular family during holiday breaks.</p>

<p>I must say, in all frankness, that I find it actually a bit strange that as a brand new college student, that you are worried about the costs of plane tickets home and shipping things home. My kid is applying to colleges now. I would not want HIM thinking like that. </p>

<p>Again, forget about “home”. Concentrate on your new life. If your parents care about your welfare first, they will give you the same advice. </p>

<p>From the tone of your voice, you sound female. I would suggest that you get a great boyfriend. Then you won’t even want to come home.</p>

<p>That’s the WAY it SHOULD be. You have grown up. The baby bird has left the nest. There is no going back.</p>

<p>The toothpaste is out of the tube.</p>

<p>Now, your young sister is a different story. Her feelings are obviously important. Set up something on your computer so you can talk to her, face to face. Email her a couple minutes each day, and have her email you back. My brother has 4 kids. Three have gone away to college. It must be hard for the last one, who no longer has siblings at home.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your input! I would just like to articulate, however, that my main concern is NOT that my family/friends have a hard time visiting… it is the cost of the school. I realize this is a great school and I am very lucky to be here, but I do not have the experience to know if jobs will really care that much where I went to undergrad. What I am really wondering, I guess I should say, is whether or not $40k of undergrad debt at a school with a great reputation + all of grad school debt is better than no debt at a school with a not-as-great reputation + not as much grad school debt. My concern with flight costs, etc, is that it is extra $$ which will come out of my pocket. While it may seem like something I shouldn’t be worried about, I would still like to plan ahead so I know exactly what I am dealing with. I would not like to be in a sticky money situation later on down the road because I made the wrong decision now.</p>

<p>Thanks again for any responses!</p>

4

<p>First, what is it that makes Vanderbilt’s program so much better? Is it a wider variety of course offerings in your major, more talented and helpful professors, equipment, etc.? Which of these will have the greatest impact on what you can accomplish, and ultimately give you the best future? </p>

<p>I agree with you that cost is a very important consideration. My parents are NOT paying for my education, so I certainly had to keep that in perspective. Consider your chances of getting to the career you want to have. Will staying at or leaving Vanderbilt make or break your chances? By how much? </p>

<p>Also, school reputation is over-rated most of the time. It is what YOU bring to the table, your talents and how you take advantage of the opportunities given to you. I admittedly know little about your major, but there are plenty of resources for you to go to, including your professors. They may know some of the faculty at one of those schools or give you some insights you may not have thought about. Don’t automatically assume that they will all try to talk you into staying at Vanderbilt - they may give you more honest feedback that is right for /you/. </p>

<p>College is not all about the parties and the “new life.” Because after it’s over, what are you left with, and what do you /want/ to be left with? A ton of silly memories from parties? A ton of debt? Still have relationships with your old friends and family? A good job?</p>

<p>Of course turning down a school is different from turning down a great job far away. A job can offer years of stable income. A school drains the bank account when the same experiences may be found elsewhere for cheaper.</p>

<p>I hope I have given you some things to think about to help your decision. No one should come in here and give you a “yes, leave!” or “no, stay!” answer. You couldn’t possibly provide us with all of the details in a single post, and we do not know you, your friends, or your family to provide a black or white answer. Good luck!</p>