Daugher just started college, (freshman), and is realizing the school she picked isn’t a match. (She will be walking away from a FR athletic scholarship; she’s THAT unhappy).
So, here’s what she’s looking for in a school: 3000+ students, strong science/biology programs with marine biology/zoology tracks, & hands- on experience working in the field; scenic area with outdoor activities nearby; probably SE region of the US: in or near a City; liberal, diverse campus; nice/friendly students; options to join clubs and intramural sports;
Ultimately she is thinking of working outdoors, either with animals or in the water, so if anyone knows what kind of degree she should be pursuing, that would be helpful, too…
Our supermatch included several FL schools (USF, UNF, FAI; also C of C, & UNC Asheville, so if anyone has feedback on any of those schools, that would be much appreciated, too.
If she just started college, she hasn’t been there long enough to know “the school she picked isn’t a match.” Also, it’s impossible to recommend another place without knowing exactly what she doesn’t like about this one. I’m assuming all the things you listed as important were also part of what she considered when she made the choice to attend her current college.
You say she is on an athletic scholarship, but you don’t say which sport and whether she wants another one somewhere else, or how much you can afford if she doesn’t have a scholarship. The money factor will make a huge difference in what colleges people recommend. Also, to know what the most affordable places are for her, we would need to know which state she is a resident of, and you didn’t say that either.
I suggest you both calm down and try to identify and solve the problems at her current place before looking for new, different problems somewhere else. I assure you that transferring does not always make a student happy – it can, but there are plenty of students on here who are still dismal after a transfer, and they find new things to dislike. An attitude problem or depression or unrealistic expectations can follow a person around anywhere.
Sounds like she needs to give the college more time. However, if after a few months she still wants to transfer, Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, has a great marine biology program, and fits the other criteria.
Further, this early on, the school may not release her from her scholarship. Most women’s sports do not have full scholarships for every individual, most often they are split between 2-3 players. It may cost her eligibility …
Just to be clear—“if a coach does not grant an athlete a release, the player must forfeit any scholarship opportunity, pay his own way to the new university and sit out the next season"
planet1026, right about now, 1/3 of the new freshman are all telling their parents that they made a terrible mistake and need to transfer asap. By mid-year, it will be up to 1/2 the students. Freshman year is hard. It’s a huge transition for most kids. Expectations are unrealistically high going in. Your room-mate isn’t your new BBF. Freshman classes are often huge and impersonal feeling at big schools. This ‘dream school’ - if it was ever that - is not going to be a walk in the park after all.
By spring break, almost all of the kids ‘thrive where planted.’ They find their friends, they find their rhythm academically. Those few who don’t, will transfer (sometimes after talking down the school to everyone within earshot and alienating many.) Ask your D to reserve judgement for a while. You can talk at winter break and again at spring. Focus instead coping strategies - how to meet people ‘like her.’ How to get to know faculty in the areas she cares about.
I agree with N’s Mom but I choose at first to not go that route in responding. maybe the student feels the relationship with the school is irreconcilable and no matter what will never give it a chance. freshman year your life is turned up side down, and for most people this transition once it is complete are that much stronger for it.
Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Now it’s been 2 months, and things are no different. I think DD is just feeling like she doesn’t fit in at this school, and she has become very depressed over the situation. Her practice schedule hasn’t allowed time to make friends, and her teammates have not been very nice to her. She wants to leave end of semster. Can anyone give me Transfer 101 advice? We are looking for an affordable, mid-size college in the midwest with a zoology (or similar), focus. I have read that there is basically no money given for transfer students, so how do other people work through this situation?
Most of the people I know whose kids transferred, returned to their State U if money was a constraint. There are simply too few scholarships or tuition breaks out there for transfer students to consider a private school or an OOS public.
Just out of curiosity, were there any other schools that offered her an athletic scholarship that she turned down? Might the coaches there still be interested in her as a transfer student? I don’t know much about the athletic scholarship world so I don’t know if this is feasible or not.
If she isn’t planning on playing her sport at the new school, maybe it would be best to quit now and see if she can make this school work? Or does her current school become affordable without the athletic scholarship?
Good point, me29034. If she can still afford her current school after dropping the sport (or it’s not much more than her alternatives after transferring), she has the opportunity to drop the sport and find an entirely new social circle that is a lot more supportive and satisfying. If she does that, she’ll know by next spring whether it’s really the school that’s the issue, or just the sports team mean girls that she needs to get away from.