<p>Hi, I applied last year to Rice and was accepted with a nice scholarship. However, I ended up choosing a different (and more expensive) university. Now I'm wondering about the likelihood of receiving a similar scholarship offer if I transfer. Likely or not likely? It would play a big role in whether I transfer or not.</p>
<p>Very unlikely. It is worth a shot applying though.</p>
<p>I remember how much thought went into your decision, last spring, Heinochus. If you decide to apply to Rice again, I would put a great deal of effort into explaining why you’ve changed your mind and why you are hoping that Rice will review your candidacy a second time. I would show some humility, too.</p>
<p>Heinochus, is it possible that you’re going through a nostalgic phase about the choice you made, and that you’re really just fine where you are? I remember wondering about my choice during freshman year – actually a few of us were feeling that way, and we talked about other schools – but ended up staying. So glad about that, too.</p>
<p>Please make a list of all the reasons you might want to transfer … what are you looking for? What would you be leaving behind if you changed schools …</p>
<p>This isn’t an easy process – find time to relax and be with people you enjoy.</p>
<p>If cost is driving your re-consideration, would it help to have a discussion with your parents and the financial office where you’re enrolled … or to hypothetically ask the financial aid office at Rice if it’s possible to have a second shot at merit aid… I would GUESS that if your parents’ financial situation hasn’t changed and you were offered financial aid the first time, it MIGHT be offered again.</p>
<p>But why listen to someone like me who can only guess – do a little investigating and talk to the right people.</p>
<p>What’s been bugging me is: I picked Chicago because I was/am pretty undecided as to my career. But now I’m really wondering if engineering was the way to go (something Chicago, of course, doesn’t offer, and something that Rice is quite good for). The financial difference doesn’t help any.</p>
<p>I’d like to say, however, that this may well be a product of normal starting jitters and second-guessing. I guess, for the moment, consider this thread dead.</p>
<p>@ heinochus: You probably won’t get the scholarship back if it was merit-based. Rice offers merit-based scholarships mainly to lure students from picking one of the peer schools (schools like the Ivies, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, Northwestern, WashU, etc.). If you apply as a transfer, they know you want to go to Rice, and they don’t need to offer the scholarship to lure you in. Once you turned down the admission offer to Rice, you also turned down the scholarship offer. Nevertheless, you can always try explaining your situation to financial aid if you apply as a transfer and fight hard to get the scholarship back. But don’t think that an admission to Rice is guaranteed just because you got in the first time… you will have to go through the entire process all over again unfortunately. Nevertheless, if you have a solid reason to attend Rice, they will likely I accept you… I met many transfers during my freshman year who got into Rice as high school seniors, decided to attend elsewhere, and then applied again to Rice and got in. </p>
<p>Also, I was in a similar situation last year, and I was having second thoughts about not going to Duke. I suggest making the most of your situation at Chicago this semester and not think about it until winter break. Don’t let the idea of Rice even enter your head until winter break. If you still feel you want to do engineering or like Rice better during winter break, then you can start the transfer application. I actually ended up transferring to Duke so I could study environmental science, which was available but weak at Rice. Duke just offers many more academic resources in the discipline I’m interested in. However, I do wish I kept more of an open mind my first semester at Rice because I was always thinking about Duke… that’s the biggest regret I have. Maybe if I didn’t think about Duke at all, the thought of transferring would have never entered my head, even though I ultimately chose to leave for program reasons. I don’t regret transferring (I do love it here at Duke), but I do regret not keeping a more open mind to Rice (I finally opened my mind to Rice in April, which was too late). Best of luck man… don’t think about Rice until winter break. What’s done is done… no regrets. Embrace Chicago until its time to reflect on your 1st semester!</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and perspective of a transfer student, slik nik. I think I’ll do that.</p>