| Starting in the fall vs. spring
I apologize beforehand if I posted this in the wrong forum, I'm new to the site.
I'm going to be a freshman in college this year (Fall 2012) and up until a few months ago I was planning on attending RWU. It wasn't my first choice by any means, but it's where I ended up. I've sent in my deposit/gone to orientation/etc., and am really not a fan of the college. I know it's hard to tell before classes start, but had I toured the college before enrolling, I would not have chosen it.
I had applied to UMass Amherst last fall and was wait listed. I assumed that I wouldn't be accepted because UMass has a ton of interest, but I stayed on the wait list anyway. I received a letter yesterday that said there was no room in the fall class, but I could enroll in the spring 2013 semester. Due to financial issues, I'm going to end up at UMass in the spring no matter what. However, I'm now wondering if it's a better idea to attend RWU for the fall semester and then transfer for UMass in the spring, or take the first semester off and start college in the spring at UMass.
It seems a little silly to me to spend $20,000 on one semester at RWU (I haven't been able to make the payment yet because of said financial issues, and it's due in the next two days) when I'll be transferring after four months. But I'm also worried about staying on track. I'm not opposed to graduating late or taking summer courses to graduate on time.
What would you suggest? I don't know anyone who's been in this situation before so I'm completely in the dark as to what to do. My dad's suggesting I take the semester off to earn some money, and I think that might be a good idea. Any opinions?
I should probably add that my dad would be paying for my education at UMass, considering it's much less expensive that RWU.
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