<p>I'm currently a freshman at the University of Michigan. I ended my first semester with a 4.0, but my course load wasn't extremely rigorous-- mostly first-year and intro classes. I'm also in the Residential College, so 8 credits of my first semester came from an Intensive Spanish program. </p>
<p>I know that Michigan is a good school, but as a lifelong Michigan resident, I never wanted to end up here. I don't particularly like sports, and I don't party or drink, so adjusting to the frat-centered social scene and football obsession has been tough for me. Ann Arbor is great, so I'm never bored, but I feel like I don't really fit into the social atmosphere of UM and I constantly wish I went to a different college. Most of the time, I think I belong at a smaller college. My first choice was Northwestern because of its proximity to Chicago and its School of Communication, but I didn't get accepted as a freshman applicant last year. I was also seriously considering DePaul in Chicago, but opted for the academic reputation of Michigan instead. </p>
<p>My high school stats were good-- I had a 4.19 weighted GPA, lots of strong extracurriculars, and writing has always been my strong suit. However, my ACT composite was only a 29 (though I got scores of 33/35 on my reading and English sections), so I think that worked against me. </p>
<p>I'm planning on being a film major, but I'm also interested in American Studies and several other departments. I sort of want to become Tina Fey... that's how I generally describe my career ambitions, haha. Do you think it would be worth it to try and transfer to somewhere I'd be happier on a personal level? I know that Michigan has a lot to offer academically, but I'm just not happy with my life in Ann Arbor. I truly feel like the community I'm looking for exists somewhere else. I am, however, nervous about financial aid at some of the colleges I'm considering for transfer (Barnard, NYU, maybe Northwestern again...).</p>
<p>Basically, I'm just looking for advice as to whether or not I should transfer for Fall 2011, and, if so, which schools should I consider?</p>
<p>NYU will not give transfer aid. Or if they do, it will be minimal at best. If you need aid, cross NYU off the list. Northwestern gives great aid to transfers (Although I’m unsure if they meet full need).</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the suggestions. I’m definitely open to liberal arts schools, as long as they have some sort of cinema-related major. As for U Chicago, I’ve considered applying. I feel like I’m in the very early stages at the moment, and it’s all fairly overwhelming. Why did you decide to transfer to Wellesley?</p>
<p>University of Michigan is a very good school; it ranks in top 30.
I have always wanted to go to U of M, but application required way too many essays to write so I gave up…
But if you are really unhappy with your life there, and you don’t feel like you don’t belong to the school, then you should look into transferring.</p>
<p>I think the transfer rate for Northwestern is <30%, which is not too bad.
Seems like you already have a decent gpa, good hs transcript, and good reasons to transfer out of U of M: write stellar essays, and you will have a good chance. </p>
<p>If you are worried about your ACT score, you can retake it.</p>
<p>I was also rejected from Northwestern when I applied as a senior at high school, but I was accepted as a transfer.</p>
<p>Thanks! Northwestern is definitely still on my list as of now. I’m just torn because my best friend currently attends (she was accepted on the same day I was rejected) and I sort of feel like it would create an awkward situation for us. But I also realize that I can’t let my academic happiness be influenced by her too much. Ugh, stress. Haha.</p>
