Should I transfer?

Parents Corner
1

<p>As some of you may know, I'm pretty unhappy with the school I'm currently attending, so I've decided to be proactive and consider other options.</p>

<p>The Issues/Thoughts:
1. My current school (where I'm OOS) is cheaper than most in-state (IL) schools. I'm currently a sophomore in college & will be applying to transfer for Fall 2007.
2. I'm paying for college myself. I get the financial aid based off of my parents' info, but they can't pay a cent. Scholarships/merit aid/cheap tuition would be VERY nice. Financial aid is a must.
3. I'm planning on majoring in French and Russian. If I stayed at my current school, I might be able to study abroad in France or Russia. If I transfer, that is much less likely.
4. I will be working at least part-time while going to school. I would be willing to become a resident and/or an independent for lower tuition fees, and I'd also be willing to take more than 4 years to graduate if this were the case.
5. I'd be willing to move anywhere. In fact, I'd PREFER to move somewhere else. I like urban & rural life equally. I would like options for hiking and mountain biking. I'm also open to other countries, and I'm more or less fluent/functional in English, French, and Italian.
6. I would like the opportunity to take more languages, preferably Slavic, although I'd like to delve into Turkic/Semitic languages as well. I'd be willing to settle with German (if you could call that settling!).
7. I don't care about rank. As long as the school is relatively inexpensive and has my majors, I'll be happy.</p>

<p>High school stats: 28 ACT, 3.3 weighted GPA at graduation, graduated in the upper third of the class. Major rise in GPA from freshman year to graduation--2.2, 2.86, 3.14, 3.3. Went from no EC's to many; no honors/AP classes to several; etc.
College stats: 3.77 GPA after one year, and I don't think my GPA will be increasing or decreasing drastically any time soon. I'll have ~75 credits after the spring semester. I have a job, I'm a member of a couple of clubs, etc.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any suggestions for schools? How do I go about transferring? Applying while back in high school wasn't too awful, but this feels so much more overwhelming...</p>

<p>I would also be willing to consider options other than transferring. Should I consider dropping out for a few years and trying something new? AmeriCorps, working, interning, etc? (I don't especially want to drop out since I love learning, I just hate this school.) I've considered spending my junior year abroad, both to improve my language abilities and to get away from this place, but that would still mean coming back to the same situation for another year. I've considered graduating in 3 years with a French major/Russian minor, but again, I really don't want to be here any longer than I have to.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for your help,
(and for reading through this monster of a post!),
T</p>

2

<p>Yes, that is a lot of information.</p>

<p>My biggest concern is your need for financial aid - not knowing your EFC, it's hard to recommend particular schools. Schools known for good merit aid are not necessarily as generous with transfer students; many offer the merit awards only to incoming Freshmen, so that makes recommending schools for you more complicated.</p>

<p>I haven't followed other threads as to why you are unhappy, so don't know if it's worth the effort for you to transfer. Especially when you report that
[quote]
As long as the school is relatively inexpensive and has my majors, I'll be happy.

[/quote]
If that is the case, I'd like to hear more about why you want to leave where you are.</p>

3

<p>Long story short, I hated this school last year because I had an awful roommate and my classes were very average. I had issues making friends and it was just a bad situation all around.</p>

<p>This year, I have great roommates, (most of) my classes are pretty good, and I'm kept busy with my job and studies. But... I still hate the school. I just can't figure out why. Something about it and my personality just doesn't add up.</p>

4

<p>you need to figure out WHY you hate the school, otherwise you could end up a place you also dislike....what is the dynamic of the school you are in</p>

<p>is it greek
is it sports oriented
is it NOt sports oriented
is it too preppy, or not enough
is it the weather
is it too small or too big</p>

<p>you seem to have a lot to lose if you leave, so you need to be very clear in your head what is bothering you, and if all you can say is
I don't really know why
you are very likely to be unhappy elsewhere because other issues will pop up, like the study abroad aspect</p>

<p>so ask yourself some questions to avoid ending up at a place you may hate as well (for either the same or other reasons)</p>

5

<p>I think you will be better off staying where you are, and spending your junior year abroad - one semester in Russia, and one in France.</p>

6

<p>You have to figure out what it is you don't like. But, I tend to agree that you would be better off staying where you are - with a year abroad. If you've got good classes and good roommates -- what else is there?</p>

7

<p>as you go through life, you often have to compromise, great job, bad location, great location, bad boss, good pay, bored to tears, poor pay, but thrilled to go to work</p>

<p>i think you should stay and go abroad, whatever is "bugging" you about the school, until you can put your finger on it, you will probably not be happier because you will be giving up alot for something you not really sure you want</p>

8

<p>I hated my college freshman year. Then, they offered a semester in mexico program for the very first time, and I applied and was accepted. It got me away for a while. When I came back, I didn't care a whit about anything, just grades, because I knew I was going to transfer. Once I didn't care about people or anything, I started making friends. I wound up staying and graduating, and have wonderful, fond memories of the school. Still have firends from there. Even made my D go there and look at it. Alas, it wasn't a match for her. The break overseas will give you anew perspective, and an opportunity of a lifetime! Stay and go away.</p>

9

<p>I say, if you're unhappy, go for it. Find out ahead of time whether or not a school will let you go abroad as a transfer. Some actually will. There's no point staying if you have the option of going.</p>

10

<p>atm - Your post suggests that you are open-minded, even tempered and that you think things through. Your grades are excellent, your classes are better, and your roommate is aces. That's all excellent. But clearly something is bothering you about your current school, and I think figuring out what that is is really important. If you already know and aren't comfortable saying, well that makes it hard to answer your question. If you don't know then IMHO it's certainly worth the time, effort and introspection to figure out. So add me to the list of posters who have said better to stay and figure this out than jump to another school that may have the same issues that bother you at your current university. Good luck to you. Oh, and DEFINITELY do at least one semester abroad.</p>

11

<p>I'm with the posters who say you should stay at your current school and make plans to study abroad your junior year. I'm a big advocate of "Better the Devil you know than the Devil you DON'T know." And what you describe doesn't sound like strong reasons to transfer right now.</p>

<p>I'd also Google the phrase "sophomore slump" and read some of the articles you find, because it sounds like you're going through some of the same things right now, and they may help give you some direction and/or comfort. Even though I went to college in the Stone Ages (as my teenagers tell me), the sophomore slump is a VERY real thing.</p>

<p>Best of luck!!</p>