Transfer from prestigious LAC to state flagship?

Transfer Students
1

I am a current first year at Vassar College in New York. I thought this was my dream school and when I first got here I was so thrilled. But for the past several weeks I can’t help but feel like I haven’t made the smartest choice coming here for a few reasons.

First of all, my parents are paying sticker price for this college, almost 70k a year, and Vassar offers no merit-based aid. My family is well-off enough that we received no Federal financial aid, but my parents assured me that wherever I wanted to go to college, they’d pay for it. They’re not exactly 1%’ers, though.

I can’t help but feel like I had stars in my eyes throughout the whole college selection process, and admittedly, the biggest factor for me was prestige of the school. I had other reasons too: I wanted a close-knit student body, small classes, and the ability to explore subjects outside my major. While I absolutely love the academics here, I’ve found that I really have made no super close friends and feel very isolated a lot of the time. Additionally, Im an undecided major but I’m really leaning towards a STEM field and while they’re great here, I know undergraduate education doesn’t matter nearly as much in this regard.

Even if everything was perfect and I had tons of close friends, I cant justify paying so much money for my bachelors when I almost definitely plan to go on to grad school or potentially even med school.

I’m definitely going to finish the year no matter what, but after that, I’m seriously considering transferring to University of Arizona, a place I didn’t want to go to initially because I thought it wasn’t prestigious enough and the size scared me.

Even if I had to enter as a freshman, I’d be paying almost 90k less. That’s money that could go to funding grad/med school…

Will it look bad for grad school if I’m transferring from a more prestigious school to a huge state university (though likely in the honors college)? Is this even a good reason to transfer, considering? At this point, this is almost 100% about the money (A LOT of money, though). I like Vassar a lot, but I feel like I might have made a really shortsighted and selfish choice to come here. The only downsides I see are if I decide later that I don’t want to do STEM or if U of Arizona makes me absolutely miserable (though I feel like it’s really an attitude thing).

2

No, it will not look bad to grad schools if you transfer from an LAC to your state flagship.

The first year at an LAC is arguably the best year. Easy transition from high school, small class sizes & easily manageable campus. Afterwards some feel the smallness & lack of occasional anonimity to be negatives.

The first year at many state flagships involves large intro classes & large survey courses if not in an exclusively honors section. The remaining years are great & allow one to constantly meet new people.

Saving money for grad school is a wise move.

3

Just to clarify the money question: is the $90K the amount saved per year, or over 4 years?

Are you taking on debt to go to Vassar?

Being scrupulously honest, how much of a factor is this?

I notice on your other thread that you originally thought that Tufts was too far from home in Arizona- and Vassar isn’t materially closer to Arizona than Tufts is! Being far from home can be hard, and being lonely is definitely hard. But: it is still very early in the school year, and lots of your classmates do not have a “super close” friend group yet. You have made a huge change in your life and that can take a while to process.

Fwiw, collegekid2 went to Vassar, was a STEM major and is now in a top grad school. She didn’t really find her people until 2nd semester of 1st year and into the start of 2nd year. By the time she graduated she had strong friend groups from her dorm, her main EC and her major (the physics majors often turn into quite a strong cohort, btw, and their lounge is something of a haven). She is currently living with a Vassar classmate, has gone to the wedding of another, and meets up semi regularly with her friends. You might think this is very ordinary but this was one introverted kid. That’s just one example, of course, and collegekid2 isn’t you. But it is another data point :slight_smile:

4

@collegemom3717

80k-90k is roughly the entire amount my parents would save if I ended up having to transfer to UofA as a freshman (worst case scenario), accounting for a year at Vassar plus 4 years at UofA as opposed to 4 years at Vassar. If I only attend UofA for 3 years and take summer classes, I’d be saving over 100k.

To the best of my knowledge, my parents aren’t taking on any debt to send me to this school. They’ve assured me countless times that the money is not an issue, but I am no longer comfortable with the amount they’re spending to send me here.

As for the distance thing, I won’t deny I’ve been very homesick lately, but I think the money thing would Still be messing with me Even if I had a bunch of close friends and everything was wonderful. Although I will admit The fact that I’m feeling pretty lonely is amplifying my money guilt.

I’m sure Vassar can/could give me the relationships I want eventually, but I’m trying to make a decision I wasn’t mature enough to make before. Could I meet people here that will change my life in the best possible way? Maybe, but the same could be said about UofA.

I’m positive attending Vassar could open up some doors I’d otherwise never get, and I wish I could not worry about the money and just enjoy it, but I can’t imagine the benefits really being worth the extra $80-100k.

5

Both Vassar & UAz can give you everything you need to build a great life.

But - from the distance inherent in an online forum- it seems as though this is mostly about wanting to go home, and using the money as a reason that seems more objectively defensible than homesickness. If you or your parents were taking on a lot of debt, if your parents weren’t emphasizing that money is not an issue that would be different.

But you are loving your classes, you are indeed feeling homesick & it’s still your first term away. It fits squarely with somebody who is still finding their feet in a whole new world - which is entirely reasonable.

UAz won’t have the money element, or the challenge of being far from home- but it will have it’s own disadvantages- b/c every single college has them.

Transfer application deadlines are typically in the spring. I suggest finding out when the deadline is, putting a reminder 3 weeks out in your phone and then - letting it go completely. Commit to being 100% where you are- to getting the most out of that $80-100k! Join or make study groups with students in classes where there are likely to be fellow majors. Sign up for a class next semester purely b/ c it sounds really interesting or you have heard that the prof is a ‘don’t miss’. Find a public space or 2 (not a hidey hole! though finding one of those also is ok) that you make ‘yours’, where you a regular- and get to know the other regulars. Etc.

Then, when your reminder goes off, re-evaluate.

Also, start looking for summer internships now. REUs usually go to older students- but not always, and there also opportunities directly at many unis. Talk to your advisor about it.

Finally, I think that for you, OP, the ‘saving money for grad school’ is a red herring in this conversation. First, your family appears to be able to be full pay without debt. Second- and more relevantly- STEM grad school programs tend to be funded (the major exception being professional/vocational programs such as med school).

6

How likely are you to go to “grad school”? If so, are you aiming for PhD (funded, so no or minimal out of pocket cost) or professional school (e.g. medical, law, dental, etc. – very expensive)?

7

@ucbalumnus

Very likely. Med school is a new development of mine, but it’s also the one my parents are really pushing me toward. (Note: I’m not interested in med school just because they want me to, Ive always thought about it but was never seriously considering it until a few weeks ago.) Of course, its hard to say for sure because I don’t even have a major chosen yet! I was originally going Physics, but after seeing my grades for this semester I’m starting to wonder if I’m good enough to handle that…

8

But if you were to begin as a freshman again, that would be mean that you would start earning money one year later - potentially as an MD., or in another high-paying job. Depending how you calculate it (counting the first or the last year of your professional life) that would either almost nullify the $80-90k savings, or would nullify it many times over.

9

OP: Why would you repeat your freshman year ? Any credits earned at your current school should transfer to the new school.

10

Repeating freshman year would be the absolute worse case scenario where somehow none of my credits transfer. I just mentioned it to stress the price difference between the two schools. Between summer classes and the courses I’ve already taken I’m sure I could graduate on time and save over 100k.

I should also mention Vassar doesn’t offer summer courses to my knowledge, and I sincerely doubt I’d be able to graduate in 3 years here.

11

@collegemom3717

I appreciate your suggestions and I’ll certainly try them. Regardless of my decision I’m going to try to complete this year with as open a mind as possible.

My mom is afraid that me worrying about the money is how I’m dealing with my loneliness as well, but I disagree. Like said, I feel like if I were going here with financial aid (like the vast majority of students here), I wouldn’t be losing so much sleep over this.

12

You may want to talk to your parents about the cost of medical school and whether money saved for undergraduate can be applied toward medical school.

However, you should make a realistic assessment about how well you are doing in college and how likely you are to get into any medical school. Most frosh pre-meds eventually do not apply (GPA or MCAT too low, lost interest, etc.). Of those who do apply, only 40% get any admission at all (and most of those get only one, take it or leave it, no shopping around for lower cost).

13

“I feel like if I were going here with financial aid (like the vast majority of students here), I wouldn’t be losing so much sleep over this.”

It sounds like you think Vassar costs too much money for your parents to be paying. So perhaps it is time for you to sit down with them and dig through the details of the money side of things. Yes, there are parents out there who truly are ready, willing, and able to pay the full cost of a fine private education. Some will still have cash left over to help with med school, a down payment on a home, a nice wedding, and great birthday gifts for all the grandkids.

You also should think about taking your concerns about the cost of your education, the lack of a solid friendship group, and anything else on your mind to the counseling center on campus. The people there have experience with this kind of thing, and will have useful ideas for you.

14

Hi everyone, thank you all for your responses!

I talked with my mom over Thanksgiving break, and I’m going to try to set up a video call sometime this week with both my parents to try to sort this out.

15

If you’re clear that you’re “definitely going to finish the year no matter what,” then you really have no decision to make for another six months. Submit the transfer app so that you’ll have options, and then try to put the whole thing out of your mind as much as possible until the end of the academic year. (Or at the very earliest, the point when you need to select housing for the fall, so as to be considerate to prospective roommates/suitemates.) If you’re clear that you don’t want to withdraw and come home mid-year, then don’t try to straddle two mindsets - get the transfer app done as early and as efficiently as possible, and then resolve to table the decision until you’ve given your Vassar experience a fair chance over the next few months.

There’s nothing to be gained by living in limbo. Try to be fully present where you are, and re-engage with the debate/decision at a future point. Mark that time on your calendar with a flourish and put a pin in it 'til then. You’ll have a lot more information and probably feel clearer on what you want, when that time comes.

If you’re considering withdrawing at the end of this semester and spending the spring at home, then that’s a different question that needs to be discussed now. It would save a chunk of money, and you could take community college classes that would transfer to UA. So the real question is whether you’re really in this for the full year or if you’re considering the option of pulling the plug.

16

Exactly.