Taking time off and then transfering?

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm in my first year as an international student at McGill University. I've been making friends and doing well in my classes, so this is not a matter of being scared of college or living on my own. I just don't feel like this is the best environment for me. I haven't been going to my classes, because they bore me, and I can easily learn the material on my own, better and more efficiently. I realize that at some point I will reach a wall, where this method will no longer work, so it's important that I start going to classes and keeping up. I just don't have any passion for it. I feel like this environment stifles creativity. I was ignorant, because I didn't know that McGill did not have an art scene to speak of. I'm in the computer science and mathematics program. I am still fairly sure that computer science is what I'm interested in, but I cannot see myself completing four years in this environment. I love Montreal and I love the people, but I find the classes terrible. I know that this is pretty typical for first year courses at large universities, but I cannot see it getting much better. Also at this time in my life I am very antsy to get out into the "real world." I am also interested in pursuing a certain interest of mine and training for international competition in that area.</p>

<p>I am interested in taking next year off to pursue that interest, travel, and work. I am not sure that I would ever go back to university though. To be honest, I am not convinced that the actual education one receives at university is worth it. I am excited about learning and have so many interests, but I am not excited at all by what I have encountered in university. When I am unhappy with something in my life, I try to change it. I am worried that this particular environment is not going to help me as much as another environment could.</p>

<p>I am basically wondering what the best plan of action would be if I wanted to take a year off and then transfer. My grades should not be an issue, and I did well on the SAT and ACT. I did well in college admissions last year and chose McGill because of the financial incentive. Is it realistic to hope to transfer to a school that accepted me last year? I realize that transfer admissions are often even more competitive. Is it possible to defer transfer admission for a year? Would it be easier to apply as a transfer during my year off? When would I need to apply for transfer? I am only in my first term of university, so would it not be possible to apply this year?</p>

<p>Thank you for any advice you can give me.</p>

<p>You can take a year off and apply for transfer. I would only suggest that rather than completely dropping out of McGill, you arrange to take a leave of absence from which you can return (with the same financial supports) if you decide to do so. That wouldn’t mean you were obliged to return, only that you could if you change your mind or else find you don’t end up with a better option.</p>

<p>My son’s best friend went to Northwestern with great financial aid as a freshman. He quickly learned it wasn’t a good fit for him. He finished the year with strong grades and arranged for a 1-yr leave of absence, and his financial aid would still be there when he returned. He didn’t up and tell them he was planning to go to college somewhere else, because that was all speculative at that point. Instead he planned a year where he would work and also travel to pursue a special area of interest.</p>

<p>Northwestern granted him the leave, and he did in fact spend a great deal of that year travelling and studying as he planned. He also applied to a few other schools to see if he could get into a school that was a better fit.</p>

<p>He applied to Middlebury and was accepted with even better financial aid than he had at Northwestern. I think Middlebury was pretty impressed with his year of travel and study, it was a pretty interesting and specialized pursuit.</p>

<p>So… that was a long answer, but I’d try to take the year off from McGill first as an approved leave-of-absence. You may or may not ever go back, but at least you won’t have burned that bridge with no other options to consider.</p>

<p>I second trying to get a leave of absence and then coming back or transferring after that. If you really want to transfer now, you can try to apply to transfer for a spring semester start, but you would need to act fast to get applications together, etc. Start checking the transfer websites of the schools you want to switch to. </p>

<p>BUT I would say you should probably wait at least until the end of second semester before you make any huge leaps or drop out of school. You’ve only been there a few months, I would give it more of a chance. </p>

<p>Also, while it may sound tempting to get out into the “real world” think seriously about what that means, especially financially. Finding a job in this economy is tough, even a waitressing or retail job, especially if they don’t think you’re going to be around long-term. Paying rent, utilities, food, gas, car insurance, doesn’t leave much money to pursue travel or much energy for creative pursuits. And without a college diploma, many avenues will be shut to you. College isn’t always inspiring, classes aren’t always as awesome as you might hope but in the end, having a degree is definitely, definitely worth it. Especially if you hope to make enough money in the future to allow for some travel. </p>

<p>Suggestion: Maybe the change you need isn’t a change in colleges, but a change in classes? Sounds like you might want to check out some other, better departments.</p>

<p>First off, thanks for all of the advice so far.</p>

<p>Let me clarify that I am planning to stay at McGill for the whole year. I am not going to drop out or transfer this year. I am just trying to understand all of my options. I do realize that taking a year off would be complicated financially. And I am almost hoping that taking a year off and experiencing the “real world” will provide more inspiration to make me work harder in college so that I can get the most out of the experience that I can. I realize that finding a job would be tough, but I do have some more unique options available to me. (I don’t really want to post the specifics on here, because it could potentially give my identity away). I just want anyone who reads this to realize that I have thought a lot about this and am not going to make any rash decisions that I could end up regretting. I realize that at the moment I am not getting what I was hoping for out of college, and part of that has to do with my mindset and attitude. I think that I might just need a break from academics for awhile.</p>

<p>And I’m not really interested in any gap year programs. I am an adult now, and I want to be in charge of my life. It sounds silly but I want to make my own path.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It’s a good sign that you were qualified as a fr, but for some schools, acceptance rates for transfers are lower. It varies with the school, and some schools have different FA policies for transfers than for fr admits. For transfer rates, go to the CB College finder and it will show the number of transfers applied and accepted for Fall 2008, that should give you some idea of how numerically difficult it is to transfer. The other important factor in transfer admissions is your reason for wanting to transfer.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t think so, but it’s not something that I’ve paid a lot of attention to. I know for sure that Yale doesn’t let transfers defer. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It could be as you won’t be filling out applications while taking coursework. That can be difficult time-wise and also due to social interactions with your friends who you are considering leaving.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Transfer applications are generally due in Feb or March for the following fall, although some schools are earlier and some have rolling admissions. Some schools also have spring semester admissions which have applications due in the late fall/early winter.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>You can apply this year for Fall 2010. But schools will only see your first sem of college grades because of when applications are due, so more weight will be put on your HS record and test scores. And of course if you did this and wanted to take a gap year, the school would need to let you defer for a year.</p>