Should I transfer?

Hello! I’m a Freshman at Seattle University in Seattle, WA. My first quarter here is quickly coming to a close. I’m grateful to Seattle itself for the awesome opportunities that are available to me (though I don’t take advantage of them often enough), but I’m not liking the school. I don’t like the personalities of the students here, and though I’m in the honors program, my peers in our cohort do not share the same intellectual interests as I do, so when we discuss topics in class I often get bored or my thoughts are moved past. The school also doesn’t offer support for my interests (I enjoy learning German and Esperanto, dance, and musical theatre, none of which the school offers), though I tried to start up an Esperanto club. Seattle U was not my first choice, it was my cheapest choice. I have a second cousin and great aunt living up here, so it’s nice to know that they’re there when I need it. My parents are splitting the cost after financial aid, and I’m taking out loans, about $7k/year, which really is not that bad, but I also have a work-study award and have not found a job yet, so if I don’t get a job here then I’ll be taking out $4k in private loans. I’m currently trying to decide whether to return home after this quarter or to stay here at Seattle U. The pros of going home and attending community college would be a lower cost, I could probably work my way through school, and I would hopefully end up transferring to a school that fits me better. The cons of going home include lower opportunity to explore my interests (home offers pretty much nothing), and missed friendships here in Seattle. I’m just not sure what to do. I’m thinking that I’ll regret it either way, so I’m afraid to make a choice. I don’t want to stay up here and regret spending a ton of money to stay at a school that I don’t like too much, but I don’t want to regret the missed opportunities in Seattle.

Stay. You are settling in. You made a prudent decision based on all the options available to you. “Home offers pretty much nothing” is reason enough to remain where you are. I venture to guess that in time you will report a more positive feeling about your school. Relax and focus on the positives.

Stay. You are settling in. You made a prudent decision based on all the options available to you. “Home offers pretty much nothing” is reason enough to remain where you are. I venture to guess that in time you will report a more positive feeling about your school. Relax and focus on the positives.

How are you doing academically? Will you end first semester with a solid GPA? If so, you should stay at least the year. It takes many kids more than a semester to settle in. Give it more of a chance. Are there other options between staying at SU and going back home to CC? You might consider sending out a couple of transfer options to other schools for Fall 2018 admissions. It sounds like finances are a factor, so you most likely would stick to state schools. Are you a Washington resident? Research other options and transfer deadlines. Consider sending out one or two to have in your back pocket. Was SU the only affordable option where you were accepted? Really, you sound like an intelligent, rational person who appreciates education. Don’t make a rash decision. You’ll have winter break to think through / research your options - one of which is obviously to stay put and give it more of a chance.

Thank you for all of your advice, I truly appreciate it!

As far as I know, my GPA is around 3.3 right now. I’m technically a resident of Texas and my mom is a resident of New Mexico (which is a state in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, where I can get slightly reduced tuition to state schools outside of NM, but they still end up pretty expensive. Utah was about 27k and Colorado State was around 24k after it was all said and done. I applied to UNM as a Texas resident because I thought that I would get a scholarship and ended up not getting it, so it was around 24k for me to go to UNM in the end), but my dad is still a resident of Texas. I used both of their addresses to apply to school, but I didn’t apply to many Texas schools. I shouldn’t be considered a Washington resident until next year, but I’m not sure if I’ll get there if I go home over the summer. I’ve been looking at transfer options, but I’m just not sure where to go, since the places I want to be (women’s colleges, out-of-state public schools) are just too expensive.

Sounds like there might be options through the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Identify a few you’re interested in and research deadlines for fall transfers. Doesn’t mean you will apply. You just want to be aware of deadlines. You could email admissions at any Texas school and confirm you would be considered in-state due to your father’s address.

Then go back to SU for spring semester. You really do want the full-year under your belt. And a 3.3 for first semester is solid. Have you declared a major yet? If the school truly doesn’t have the major you are interested in, that’s a solid reason for wanting to transfer. Talk to your parents over winter break about your concerns.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thank you! I’ll most definitely be talking to my family over the break. I have paperwork ready to apply for a leave-of-absence for the next quarter, just because I want to leave my options open in case I end up going home for break and absolutely not want to come back (I’m still unsure about that though, which leaves me currently wanting to come back for next quarter and see what happens, I’m just worried about finances). We’ll see what happens when I get back home next week, and I’ll be sure to update you all!

Hello all! Just as an update: I decided to come back this quarter against my better judgment. I am enjoying my classes more this quarter and am happier because of it. I am only taking 14 credits and have a lot of free time, so I just accepted a work-study position (which I should have gotten a long time ago). We’ll see how that goes! I’m trying to start a synchronized swimming club team but am having trouble contacting university recreation to get that started. I appreciate everyone’s support and will be offering occasional updates here! I am in the midst of filling out transfer applications, which is a ton of work because I have no idea where I want to be!!