Withdraw Second Semester? Transfer Next Fall?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi, my situation is a little (lot) different from most people and I really need help. I am a music major, but there is nothing regarding my situation on the music major discussion boards.</p>

<p>I just completed my first semester of freshman year at a small school close to my home that my parents forced me to do to. (Long story- they didn't want me to go into music, didn't give me the choice to audition at the great conservatories I was interested in, forced me to go to this school which offered me a huge scholarship).</p>

<p>I hate my school. The music department is awful and my classes are a joke. I really want to make it (and have what it takes) in the opera world and really want to go to a conservatory. Basically everything that could be wrong with my school, is wrong. My professor is a joke. He doesn't come to my music lessons, lies about opportunities for us that never come to be, and has zero connections in the opera world.</p>

<p>Problem: My parents really don't support my major. So I applied as a transfer to a very good conservatory out of state. I could only afford (since I paid for everything myself) to apply to one conservatory, and one back up school. I am hoping to get into the conservatory and get enough money to go there. But I am FOR SURE not coming back to my current college next fall.</p>

<p>If I get into the conservatory and get enough money to go there, I will go there for voice. (And more than likely I will redo freshman year there, because the music program I am currently in is nowhere near the caliber of this conservatory).</p>

<p>If I do not get into the conservatory, I will be attending a university in my hometown and changing my major to psychology. (Only about 10 credits from my current college would transfer to this school because of the major change. So I would more than likely be a freshman again here also).</p>

<p>My question is: would it be financially in my favor to withdraw from my second semester at my current college, before the semester starts? Either way, I will be considered a freshman all over again next fall, and at this point I am miserable where I am, and just wasting valuable time and money.</p>

<p>Also, if I were to withdraw, what would happen to the loan I took out for second semester?</p>

<p>Details: My freshman year total, we took out a $14,000 loan for the entire year. I used $7,000 first semester. But if I withdrew before the beginning of second semester, would I still have to pay off the $7,000 I'm not using? Or would it go back to the loan lender and not be counted against me as something I have to pay in the future?</p>

<p>Also, how would a withdraw before the beginning of the semester show up on my transcripts? Would this affect my admission into my schools for next fall?</p>

<p>My grades first semester were good, 3.78 I believe.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading! I know its a lot to take in, but I am desperate here! All help is appreciated! :)</p>

2

<p>Hey, your situation is super complicated, but I’ll try to answer it the best I can. Okay, so first of all it seems like you’ve already taken the loan out…but I feel that you might want to contact the loan lender and tell them that you’re not going to be in school the next semester. See what they say from there.</p>

<p>As for withdrawing, I don’t think anything will appear. Most schools have a one-week period in which they allow students to withdraw without receiving the infamous W on the transcript. But, in your case, you haven’t even started the semester yet…so I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine.</p>

3

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

<p>Does anyone have any recommendations as to whether or not I SHOULD withdraw? Or would it be better to just stay through the year?</p>

4

<p>^Sorry for not answering the second part of your question hahaha. This is my opinion: if you were to stay at your current current institution for the next semester, and the classes you take would not count AT ALL–meaning that even after completing next semester you would still be a first-semester freshman at whatever conservatory you go to–then I honestly don’t see a reason why you should stay. You’re wasting your time, and, perhaps more importantly, your money.</p>

<p>A couple things to take into account–that is, these are questions that you should seriously consider and questions that only you can answer:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Will staying at your current four-year institution make you a stronger candidate for transfer admission? If the answer is no, you should probably leave. If the answer is yes, you should seriously considering staying.</p></li>
<li><p>If you were to stay, would it be possible that your classes, even if they do not get you out of major requirements, might transfer over as general education requirements or “free electives?” A free elective is basically just an elective than gets you toward the credit requirement to graduate but does not carry a grade. </p></li>
<li><p>If you were to leave, what would you do in your free time for the semester? This sort of related to the first question in that it might adversely affect you if the admissions committee thinks you’re wasting your time being a bum.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Quick disclaimer, I know very little regarding the admissions process to a conservatory, and while I’m sure they look at academic-related information, I’m also pretty confident your audition has much to do with the final say.</p>

5

<p>$14,000 is too much to borrow for just one year of school. Since your Stafford Loan maximum for your freshman year is only $5,500 your parents must have co-signed for the rest. Frankly, they are out of their minds. At this rate you would end up owing well over $50,000 for four years of college. How, exactly, do they think that you are going to pay that off? How do you plan to pay that off?</p>

<p>Since you don’t like your college, and you don’t like your major there, you need to withdraw now. Any loan money that was not disbursed in the fall and spent for college expenses then can be returned to the lender. The financial aid office at your college will know how to handle this.</p>

<p>You need to look around for a less expensive school - possibly even a community college. Do your best to find a place where you can study without taking out one cent in loans beyond the Stafford Loan maximum ($5,500 freshman, $6,500 sophomore, $7,500 junior, $7,500 senior year). I can understand your desire to attend a conservatory and study opera. However unless your conservatory throws a lot of money at you, that career might not be financially possible.</p>

6

<p>Hopes- Thank you for those reminders. I think that staying at my current school would be in my interest simply to have the practice spaces available to me to prepare for my conservatory audition. Also, there is a chance that some of my credits would transfer to the conservatory and at least make me a second semester freshman. However, if I do not get a live audition to the conservatory (which I will know before the start of second semester) I will withdraw because nothing will transfer to the university in my town that I will attend instead of the conservatory.
happymomof1- thank you for your input. yes, my parents cosigned for $14,000 for my first year (actually thinking this was quite a good deal considering the $50,000 price tag of my institution). if i get into the conservatory ($60,000 total cost per year) i will need scholarships or else i simply cannot attend. the problem really lies in my fafsa results. my fafsa shows schools that my parents CAN afford to pay for my college, but the reality is, they WON’T. so i barely get any help from fafsa. the university in my town i will be attending if i do not get into the conservatory is much cheaper. thanks for your input!</p>

<p>anyone have any idea what to do about my fafsa? i can’t register independent to get more money because i am not emancipated from my family. but it’s infair that i am registered as dependent because my parents do not help me with my tuition. they cosigned my loans (very angrily) simply because my school told them that this was the only way for me to go to college at all. ideas?</p>