To transfer, or not to transfer... or too early to decide?

Transfer Students
1

<p>WARNING: Extremely long post (& much venting) ahead...</p>

<p>Hello, this is my first time posting on CC, so I suppose I should introduce myself. I am currently a freshman attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa (and I have yet to see anyone else from UHM post here) and I am a Regents Scholar (full tuition is waved). This scholarship influenced about 99.9% of my decision to stay home in Hawaii for college (my parents were uber-enthusiastic about not having to pay anything whatsoever), although I'm not sure that UH is exactly what I pictured in my "dream college experience"...</p>

<p>But perhaps I just had too high expectations? Some of my friends have been telling me that they're not disappointed like I am, because they didn't expect much out of UH in the first place. Then again, some of my other fellow Regents Scholars are already planning to transfer for what I think are good reasons (poor Journalism program, excessive miscommunication, etc.). UH is a "commuter school", so even though I'm dorming, I don't really feel like there's a sense of community. I'm also sort of hesitant to seek counseling on campus, since I've attempted to get advising for registration, but it did not help very much. </p>

<p>I also applied for the Honors Program, thinking that it would be a "fun" sort of challenge. My honors "professor" is fairly new to the teaching process, so all we're pretty much doing is discussing and memorizing facts and regurgitating them. It's getting old and predictable. Not quite my idea of fun. My other non-Honors professors also don't quite motivate me to learn as much as I could (most have rather boring, unclear teaching methods, etc.) The only class I'm really satisfied with is my Japanese language class. Then again, perhaps I'm being too picky, or I'm not trying hard enough?</p>

<p>By the way, I am currently majoring in "pre-business", or fulfilling core requirements before I apply to the Shidler College of Business, which has a fairly good reputation for International Business. Nonetheless, I can't help but wonder what could have happened if I went away to a more reputable business school, where there might be better job placement opportunities after graduation... I just can't get this huge "WHAT IF?" out of my head. </p>

<p>I've been browsing the forums, trying to figure out whether or not I should act on these "second thoughts", and I'm getting a better idea. If I did end up transferring, I would prefer to go to a school in California, since I have relatives there. However, I know non-California community college transfers have slim chances at getting into UC schools (particularly UCB & UCLA). </p>

<p>I've talked to my mom about this, but she got defensive, saying that it "doesn't matter" if I'm not having fun, as long as I "concentrate on my studies" I can "get a job anywhere". I know she's saying this because our family can't really afford to send me to the 40-50k private schools that I dream of going to. But then again, isn't that what you pay for? The college experience you dream about?</p>

<p>I've also been looking at other (slightly cheaper) options: National Student Exchange, Study Abroad, etc. But I really don't know what to do yet.</p>

<p>Finally, I would just like to say thank you to whoever actually took the time to read this ridiculous nonsense. I don't expect to make my decision anytime soon. I know that I should at least wait until I get my 1st semester grades before I seriously consider transferring. Nonetheless, I plan to keep my options open by keeping my grades up and getting involved with more organizations on campus. Who knows, maybe I'll even start to like it here a bit better.</p>

2

<p>it sounds to me like you have the right mindset. from reading your post, i would say you have some good reasons to transfer. i know studying is the most important part of college, but theres nothing wrong with wanting to have the full college experience, epecially since it seems to be a commuter school. you already are in the honors program, so i feel like you're really trying to experience everything in the school before you decide to leave it. just get involoved, try everything you can, and you think about transferring in the fall, you still have plenty of time. i dont really know much about schools in california, especially which ones have good financial aid, but you can apply anywhere you want and turn them down, so why not try?</p>

3

<p>Thanks for your response milkdud. Even though it's still early, I already feel torn between a desire for new/better experiences and a desire to please my family (I don't want them to have to worry about financial problems). I really appreciate any useful advice, so thanks again! :)</p>

4

<p>I think you are taking a very realistic look at things; and I can understand why you might want to consider transferring.</p>

<p>It's possible that things will get better where you currently are (although you might to be the pro-active one to make that happen). But I can also imagine that you will find what you want more easily in another environment. </p>

<p>The first question seems to me to be a financial one. How would you finance any other option? I think we need that information to even begin to make suggestions.</p>

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<p>I definitely agree with everything you said.</p>

6

<p>Your biggest issue will be financing. Can you afford (or get financial aid to cover) full out-of-state tuition?</p>

<p>Something to look at is the WUE program - Western Undergraduate Exchange. As a resident of a Western state, you are eligible to attend select participating Western public colleges at a rate of 150% of the in-state tuition.</p>

<p>None of the UC campuses participate, but a couple CSUs do, including a couple which I would describe as high-quality - Chico and Humboldt.</p>

<p>Outside of California, institutions like University of Arizona, University of Oregon, University of Montana, University of Wyoming and the University of Alaska system are all participants. There's a full list available here:</p>

<p><a href="http://wue.wiche.edu/search_results.jsp?searchType=all%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://wue.wiche.edu/search_results.jsp?searchType=all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I think you also need to think about what "the college experience you dream about" means. Does it mean a $40-50k-per-year private school? OK, then if so, how do you fund that?</p>

<p>You'd be giving up a full-ride scholarship when you transfer, and I think it's reasonable for your parents to question that decision if you're going to expect them to pay a significant portion of the costs.</p>

<p>I think it does matter if you have fun - you're not going to succeed in college if every day is a struggle. If you don't think you can do well at UHM, then it's definitely understandable to consider transferring. But you need to plan out where you want to go and how you're going to pay for it.</p>

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<p>Yes, financial aid appears to be my biggest problem. I received my scholarships based on merit, not financial need. (I filled out the 2007-2008 FAFSA Application and my EFC turned out to be around $23,000---ouch, I know.) I also know that most schools do not set aside much funds for transfer students, so if anything, I would probably do more scholarship research-fastweb, alumni scholarships, etc. Thanks to all for the encouragement and advice about WUE. I've looked a bit into that already, so I'll definitely keep that in mind. :)</p>

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<p>No prob. I'm on the hunt for a WUE transfer home myself, as I'm about to complete my AA in journalism at a California community college. I want that real college atmosphere too, which is why I've ruled out my local CSU. :)</p>

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<p>Since you seem to be dissatisfied with UH, and since you seem to have good odds at getting accepted to universities which you and others likely perceive to be better fits, I recommend that you apply for transfer, and that you refuse to let finances stop you from applying. (even if you can't get an application fee waiver, for the cost of applying is negligble in the long run, so long as you aren't applying to an excess number of univeresities of course) Then, once you get your offers of admission, start making hard financial decisions. Who knows? Maybe, you'll get a generous financial aid or scholarship package that makes transferring an easy decision for you.</p>

<p>Ultimately, making the decision ought to come down to two things -- placing a monetary value on the perceived "betterness" of quality of life and academics of an university to which you are able to transfer, and also accounting for any discrepancy between the expected incomes of each university. By expected incomes I mean that, if you get into Wharton, you're probably going to be able to land a higher paying job than you would by staying at UH, and therefore you are in a better position at Wharton to incur debt than you are at UH.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for your advice Blaze991! I think I'll try to apply to a few schools either by the end of this year or sophomore year, and I'll definitely look at the financial aid/scholarship packages available. You've added some good points for me to consider and talk over with my parents. Again, thanks for your useful input!</p>

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<p>I just left the state but am now seriously considering going back and attending UH. College is a good experience but it really doesn't seem like anything greater than summer camp. I'll also be content with the academics of any school as I sort of don't really understand education at all, but that's another topic.</p>

<p>Is it true that if you go to UH, you're basically set with guaranteed spot in a local business/company? Like working at one of the TV news stations or a newspaper?</p>

<p>I know that no matter what, I'll be living in Hawaii, even in my later life, so I'm not really trying to extend my roots or anything.</p>

<p>For you, isn't the MBA really the only thing that matters? So spend your time in Hawaii applying for scholarships and getting cash for the two years as a grad student at a big-big name? </p>

<p>And do you see yourself staying on the island or living elsewhere? Again, college doesn't seem to be the 'big deal' as it used to, in my view and in a historical context (mass communication, internet, prep schools). It really really feels like I'm at HPA or Camp Timberline just with classrooms and a laptop.</p>

<p>Everyone needs to get out and see the world, but college is a simulated environment ordered by unaccomplished adults who use their speaking time to tell jokes. Really. Doesn't UH have good study abroad programs? I'd go on those no matter what college in the states I attend. Differences among areas vary slightly (though I guess Honolulu is more similar to NYC than it is to Waimanalo.) You don't truly know a culture-clash until you get out of America.</p>

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<p>Careful when you check out WUE. Some schools are very restrictive on majors (i.e.for U of Az you have to be either a geological or mining engineering major)</p>

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<p>Thanks SpecialAgentPunk for your input... You're the first person I've seen on this board that's more familiar with UH. I'm assuming you've transferred from here, so I'm just curious, what school are you currently attending? </p>

<p>As for your questions about job opportunities after graduation, I'm not certain that they are "guaranteed", but I'm sure that if one tries hard enough, it shouldn't be too difficult to obtain a position at a local company. You're right, getting an MBA is important to me, but I still wonder if going to a more reputable undergrad bus. school now help me get a better job after graduation, which could in turn give me better chances of getting into a prestigious graduate bus. school? </p>

<p>What also makes things a bit harder for me is that I'm not sure if I see myself working/living in Hawaii for the rest of my life. As you said, I would like to go abroad (Japan or London most likely) and yes, UH does have many study abroad opportunities. </p>

<p>By the way, as a sort of "update" to my initial post, I'd just like to say that I'm doing better here at UH... I've been getting more involved with clubs, boards, community service, and the "fun" is starting to kick in. I still feel that there is a lack of community due to UH being a commuter school, but I suppose the immense support at the UH football and Wahine volleyball games make up for it. :)</p>

<p>Also, thanks csleslie51 for bringing my attention to possible major restrictions.. I haven't really looked into that yet.</p>

15

<p>Hi heatwaves, I didn't go to UH. I'm a freshman at Boston University. I'm just really considering staying in Hawaii for college and attending UH for certain reasons.</p>

<p>It's good to hear that things are kicking off at UH. Have you developed any decisions about going to a prestigious undergrad bus v. UH undergrad for your future path?</p>

<p>Also, is Haunani Kay Trask still teaching courses at UH? I'd sign up for a class of hers if I were there.</p>

16

<p>Oh, I see! I just met someone the other day who went to Oberlin, then BU, and then HPU (Hawaii Pacific). I heard from her that BU is a huge, tough, and expensive school, so I can kind of see why you'd come back to Hawaii. </p>

<p>I haven't made any 100% concrete decisions, but I'm leaning more towards staying at UH because of the financial benefits. Then again, I still want to know what it's like to go to a great school up on the mainland. Argh, I feel like I'm running in circles sometimes. :-(</p>

<p>Hmm, I'm not sure about that... but you could probably try to look her up on the UHM Class Availibility Web Site: University</a> of Hawaii at Manoa - Class Availability</p>