I am a junior at Virginia Tech studying engineering, and although VT is a highly ranked school with a beautiful campus and many opportunities, I’m still not sure if it’s the place for me. I’ve been considering transferring to Ohio State or Michigan for some time now, but I’m not sure if that’s a smart idea. I would change schools for the fall semester of my senior year. I am considering staying in school for an extra year to add a minor, so I could potentially be at a new school for 2 years.
I have a respectable GPA considering the caliber of VT, I have been involved with activities and clubs, and I have internship exerpience. Would I be accepted to OSU or Michigan? Is it uncommon for students to transfer after their junior year? Would the majority of my completed credits in my engineering department be accepted for technical credits elsewhere?
For Michigan specifically, you can check to see if your credits will transfer at:
https://www.ugadmiss.umich.edu/TCE/Public/CT_TCESearch.aspx
I would also recommend looking to see if either school has a minimum amount of credits that must be completed on campus. In regards to acceptance to UMich or OSU, I think you would have to go into a bit more detail on your GPA and course rigor. Maybe check to see how your GPA compares to the average accepted transfer (specifically engineering) student’s GPA.
Few students transfer at the end of junior year because most places will require that the student attend for two years. Shelling out an extra year of tuition, fees, and housing is rarely justifiable.
Transferring as an engineering major also poses challenges because so many courses must be taken in sequence, and the sequences aren’t necessarily compatible. You might find that you need three years to complete degree requirements, not just one or two.
Have you looked into the optionof a semester or year-long exchange? That would get you out of VT for a period of time, let you experience a different part of the countryand a somewhat different academic focus, but would keep you on track to graduate and enter the workforce on your current schedule.
Instead of waiting to transfer after ending your junior year, you also should consider taking next semester off. That would allow you to transfer after 2 1/2 years whne you are still essentially a sophomore.
What, specifically, is the reason for wanting to transfer? Ask yourself if it is possible to put up with it for three more semesters? Transferring as a Senior is not usually a very effective thing to do, particularly for engineering. Exchange programs are often not compatible with engineering so taking some time off might be your best bet if your answers to the above questions are that you really must transfer.