I’m a first-semester freshman at Tufts University, and not only do I not love it here (unlike, apparently, everyone else who has ever attended this school), but I can’t justify the cost of my education here. This isn’t a surprise to me, but after working my entire life towards the singular goal of getting into the college with the lowest acceptance rate, I wasn’t going to throw that away at the last minute in April, no matter how ill-advised. The longer it’s been, the more positive I am I made a terrible mistake. I’m paying the sticker price to go here - don’t ask me why, because my family isn’t rich. We can theoretically afford it, but it’s an absurd amount of money for an equivalent education to what I would get at Rutgers (I’m from New Jersey, so it’s in-state). Given my AP credits, I could theoretically graduate in three years - and then go to grad school, and have financial freedom I won’t have if I stay here.
I am positive I should have gone to Rutgers in the first place - my doubt is if it’s still a good idea to transfer. I won’t be able to transfer into the honors program (I’ll have to apply when I get there, and start next fall if I get in - but it seems to be somewhat competitive for transfers), and I’m terrified I’ll be behind, or at a disadvantage somehow.
I’ve scoured the internet, and I haven’t been able to find a single person who’s transferred from an “elite” university to their flagship state school for the same reasons as me. Even though I know I made a mistake in coming here, and Rutgers is a great school, it feels like I’ll be making a mistake by leaving, like I’m throwing away the ideal situation only to be behind the pack in my worst-case-scenario.
I’m a lawyer, and a mom of teenagers. So, from that perspective, a few thoughts:
If you want to transfer because you don’t like Tufts, wait. It’s more common than not for freshman to not feel great about their choice, but then things tend to turn around by the end of the first year. However, be aware of housing cost at Tufts for juniors & seniors. There’s a lot of concern at Tufts about lack of student housing for upperclassmen and the cost of renting in that area.
If you want to transfer because your family is paying over $70k out of pocket, and that money could be better spent later for grad school, or will affect your family’s financial security, then considering a transfer is not a crazy thought. Rutgers is an excellent school, and with in-state tuition, it’s a great deal. Some believe that saving tuition dollars during college, working at being at the top of the class at, for example, a less expensive state school, and then applying to “name” grad schools is a good path.
But, the most important point - the prestige of the schools you attend will only be a “boost” to get your resume a better look in your first few jobs out of school. Nobody will care where you went to college once you’re in the working world. I work along side many Ivy grads, nobody asks what colleges or law schools we attended, and I haven’t been asked since I was in my 20’s applying for my first jobs. If you attend Rutgers, get excellent grades, perhaps get into an honors program as you mentioned, you will be set up for success. But, your success will 100% be because of who you are and your work ethic and skills (including people skills) once in the job market, not the university name on your diploma. If you got into Tufts, you must be very smart and a hard worker, so you’re setting yourself up for success wherever you decide to go to school.
So, look more big picture. I think understandably you can’t see the forest through the trees right now. You’re at an excellent school now, you’d be going to an excellent school if you transferred to Rutgers. Also, regarding your “return on investment” of your tuition dollars, pay attention to your choice of major. Does it give you a path to either grad school or marketability for jobs? Also, look at each school’s stats for grad school admissions and job placement. And visit Rutgers preferably for an overnight stay with a student. You’d be choosing a very different school environment, so make sure to consider if that environment is a good fit for you.
Sounds like you’ve weighed the pros and cons. And what you write makes a lot of sense. Rutgers is well known on the east coast, so it won’t hamper your future prospects. There are lots of kids who transfer down in prestige, for various reasons. So I wouldn’t let that hold you back.
I believe some of the Rutgers campuses may even take Spring transfers.
There are a handful of fields where having an uber-elite degree is almost mandatory: law, consulting, finance. Apart from these, most other fields it doesn’t matter where you graduated from. What you accomplish in the workplace will matter much more than your college/GPA.
