To Transfer or not to Transfer?

Transfer Students
1

Hey!
I’m a first-year at a top 50 liberal arts schools in Ohio. I think I’d like to transfer but I’m conflicted. I would move to Bryn Mawr, assuming I get in (I got in as a first year).
REASONS FOR TRANSFERRING

  1. I want to major in theatre and Peace, War and Social Justice (plus minor in some languages). The second major is not offered at my school, and there is no major I think I would be happy in besides theatre.
  2. I don’t have any friends here.
  3. My application is done except for professor recommendations.
  4. I’m married and would be closer to my husband.
  5. I live in a tiny town and would love to be in Philadelphia.
  6. Bryn Mawr has the tri-co which means I could take classes at Haverford and Swarthmore too.
    7.I love women’s colleges.

REASONS TO STAY

  1. Great theatre department that I’ve already established myself in-- I would have to start over at my new school and their theatre program is a tiny bit worse.
    2.I might want to rush? And my new school doesn’t offer sororities.
    3.My GPA is low due to some joint issues in my hands.
    4.Transferring would be a pain.
  2. I’d be a freshman all over again.
  3. I think my college is a little higher in rankings?

I think I’ll apply either way because it’s free but I’m so conflcited.

2

also my grades aren’t great first semester (two B+'s, B- and C+) but they will be better this term. Also could it help that the school I’m at currently is technically “better” as far as rankings are concerned?

3

“4. I’m married and would be closer to my husband.”

Why isn’t your husband with you now?

4

He doesn’t go to my college and I live in a dorm (we got married recently). I go to school far away from where I went to high school and he lives there.
He’s joining the military soon so it made sense for him to stay where he lives now.

5

That makes sense now.

Happykid was a theater tech major, and from what I’ve seen of the theatre field in general, work comes to those with the best connections. Where do you want to be working after you finish college? If you want to start your career in the Philly area, then you’d best get yourself back there ASAP so you can develop the network that you will need to have in order to get and stay employed. If you don’t particularly care where you work, and your current college/university has good placement after graduation, then it may make more sense to stay put.

Depending on your husband’s branch, he could be sent just about anywhere on the planet for just about any length of time once he finishes basic training. Your options at that point would be to transfer closer to wherever it is that he’s serving, or to maintain a long-distance relationship until you graduate from college.

6

He would most likely end up in NC because of his field- at Bryn Mawr would just be easier to get to where ever he was- the airport is like an hour and a half away at my current school.
I go to Kenyon which has a pretty well known drama department but I don’t know much about placement after graduation.
I’m pretty miserable here but I don’t know if I should just stick it out