Help! Am I Stuck?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Title: Help! Am I Stuck?</p>

<p>This month I’ll be returning to Baylor University as a forth-year student. Because of the options I’ve selected (BS in Neuroscience, Honors Program, and pre-med track), I’ll be lucky if I can graduate in another three semesters. However, the real problem is that Baylor is a self-proclaimed “unapologetically Christian school,” which has caused me grief to no end. </p>

<p>I’m Muslim, and ever since my first day on campus, I’ve been very overtly discrminated against. The funny thing is, I’m 100% American, born and raised in New York, and have never advertised my religious beliefs. However, one Muslim girl I knew, who let it be known she was Muslim by covering her head, was physically assaulted on campus. What’s more, last semester a student who was converting to Judaism found a swastika painted on his door. And a semester before that, there was an incident where a fraternity was accused of racism for holding a “gangsta-themed” party, and painting themselves black.</p>

<p>To put it bluntly, Baylor has a lot of social problems boiling underneath the guise of Christianity. I have essentially no friends here, and everything that isn’t overtly labeled as religious still has its undertones. I’m ashamed that I’m here, and crawl in my skin whenever someone asks me where I’m going to school. I can make it through till graduation, but I can’t live with the fact that my alma mater will never respect people who don’t fit their mold.</p>

<p>I tried to transfer out during my sophomore year with disasterous results. I applied to UT-Austin, USC, Rice, and Brown. I was accepted to UT-Austin, but forfeited the spot because their commitment deadline came several weeks before I would hear from the other schools. I was rejected by Brown, waitlisted at Rice, and given Spring admission at USC. Though I got measly financial aid, I paid the deposit and housing fee for USC. I had wanted to go to USC since high school, and was more than grateful for the opportunity.</p>

<p>But when the Fall '07 semester came to a close, no housing was available. Because I’m coming from Texas, with no car or contacts, housing was a big deal, especially given the location. I decided to “update” my application to Fall '08 (basically their term for re-applying). I also applied to Rice again, since my grades had improved since the last year. Neither school came through. I was again waitlisted at Rice, and was not given housing through USC. To be literal, I’m dying to get out of Baylor; I think about it everyday, and am willing to stay the additional years at another college to satisfy their residence requirement. Hell, at this point I’m willing to sell my soul. I know I’m in a terrible situation, but I’ve wanted this more than anything else, and I can’t seem to give it up.</p>

<p>If I apply for the upcoming Spring semester, would schools consider my seriously? I would have three and a half years of college coursework behind me. Should I bother “updating” my application to USC again? I would still love to go there, but I need on-campus housing, at least for the first year. Also, for what it’s worth, I have two cousins who are Northwestern alum, who claim they can give my application a push, if I apply. I have no idea what to do, and am in great need of advice.</p>

<p>Stats:
Baylor University, Honors College/Program
Major: B.S. Neuroscience
GPA: 3.75 (upwards from 3.61 at first semester to 3.93 last semester)</p>

<p>ACT: 31
HS GPA: 3.3 UW from competitive public school in Plano, TX</p>

<p>Any help is greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Try a small liberal arts college with a high acceptance rate for transfer students with plenty of housing options. Anything has to be better than being discriminated against. I’m not sure of your gender but if you’re a girl try Smith or Mount Holyoke. If it’s three semesters and no one will accept you because you have too many credits, I would stick it out. I understand what you must be going through. I’m of middle eastern decent and lived in the southwest for 7 years. It was awful, but when I left it was the best day of my life. You will get out!</p>

3

<p>Shoot for USC once more. I also don’t see why you wouldn’t try for Northwestern, it’s a great school. </p>

<p>Never give up, what’s written for you will come whether you like it or not, so give it all you got, and leave the rest to whom it may concern ;)</p>

4

<p>Geranium: thanks for the advice, I’ll look into it. Any other suggestions, since I’m not a girl (;-P)?</p>

<p>Beejay: Yeah, I think I’ll “update” my app to USC once more. The problem is they don’t tell you whether you’ll get housing or not until the very last moment, which was very stressful last time around (told no housing available, came back home after finals, then given offer 2 weeks before classes, but unable to retrieve items from the dorm). And, of course, they take your housing fee either way.</p>

<p>Also, I called Northwestern, and they weren’t very helpful. The transfer director said my chances of admission are “less,” but couldn’t/wouldn’t say to what degree less. I don’t mind applying, but I don’t want to waste money, and get recs if my chances are fairly narrow.</p>

<p>Any other advice?</p>

5

<p>How about Wash U. in St. Louis? It is a great school with pretty good transferring rates (about 27-30% i believe).
Honestly, I don’t think that I could of stayed there like you.
Don’t be too straight forward (about the reason you are transferring) in your essays, some schools don’t like to see students trashing other schools.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

6

<p>amitalon: I’m worried that no school will consider me seriously since I have much more than two years. Some schools, like Northwestern, say they discourage such applicants from applying (why, I don’t know).</p>

<p>If I make it clear in my essay that I’m willing to stay 2 years to complete the residence requirement, do you think that will convince them?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

7

<p>they discourage them because only in rare cases will they let you graduate with out 4 semesters on campus/abroad but affiliated with them. you’ll probably have to go with a lesser-prestige school. i reccomend looking at some alternative type schools – evergreen, new college, that kind of thign. don’t know if they have neuro though.</p>

8

<p>This is awful. Firstly and most importantly: go for USC. I live in LA and hope to transfer there soon. I also have been working at the USC Dept. of Ophthalmology for over a year now and have lived in LA all my life.</p>

<p>Given this, I just need to say that on-campus housing in a city like LA is not absolutely necessary. 1) there is plenty of off-campus housing available around the campus; 2) even if you need to live farther off campus, commuting to USC is VERY doable. Many people do this.</p>

<p>For instance, I take the USC shuttle to work everyday. I take a light rail (pay $1.25) to Union Station, walk outside, and hop on the shuttle that follows its schedule accurately to the second. It’s free and it’s convenient.</p>

<p>PM me if you have any questions or if you think I can be of any help.</p>

9

<p>Addendum: my commute takes 20 minutes. Not bad for LA.</p>

10

<p>See, I don’t know anyone in LA and have never been, so considering what some people say about safety around USC, I really wanted on-campus housing at least for the first year, so I could figure out what would work for me if I couldn’t get it the following year. Plus, from what I’ve seen, off-campus housing is more expensive, and you usually have to sign a 12 month lease (I’ll only be around during school).</p>

<p>My parents aren’t helping much either. One is discouraging me, the other doesn’t seem to care either way. So I’m really having do the whole damn thing on my own. Figuring out loans, travel, housing, etc. It’s kind of a nightmare. I told them I’d rather not go back to Baylor anymore, and try applying to other schools; they said that wasn’t an option.</p>

<p>Claysoul: what I don’t understand is, if an applicant is fully aware of their requirement, then why should they care whether he or she has more than 2 years. It’ll take me at least 4 and 1/2 years to get through Baylor, so what’s one more year at a school I like?</p>

11

<p>Well I don’t know what “people” have told you about LA, but just mind this: there are 33,000 students at USC. Do you really think that 33,000 students live on that (moderately small) campus? The surround area is not a war-zone. Sure, if you decide to take a stroll a few blocks south of the campus late at night alone, then you may feel a little uncomfortable, but of course the University is conscious of this and there is security everywhere.</p>

<p>Also, off-campus housing is actually not extraordinarily more expensive than on-campus, and it’s more under your control since you can search craigslist for roommates</p>

<p>Lastly, no offense but, if your parents aren’t really helping you and you’re worrying about how expensive housing will be, then how do you expect to pay USC’s tuition?</p>