Should I transfer?

Transfer Students
1

<p>I’m currently a freshman at DePauw University in Indiana. I had a 2120 on SAT, a 3.84/4.0 high school GPA and a 4.0/4.0 GPA last semester. I am a Bonner Scholar and Honor Scholar and do 10 hours of community service every week. I had a decent amount of extracurricular activities in high school as well. I am having a pretty good time here but thinking about transferring to another school. Here are my concerns:</p>

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<li><p>I want to be a doctor. However, since I am from China and on F-1 visa, more and more public medical schools are closing their doors to me (e.g. this year Indiana U has a policy of only accepting U.S. residents). And even though I get into a private medical school, my family won’t be able to afford the incredibly high tuition. Medical schools typically don’t offer lots of scholarships, especially to international students. Also, because I am international, I can’t get federal grants or take any federal loans. Other loans are also hard to get and have high interest rates. To make it worse, they come in tiny amounts which won’t even cover room and board. So I am thinking about changing my major into chemical engineering and doing some pharmacy-related job in the future. Since DePauw is a small school and doesn’t have engineering, I will probably have to transfer to another school. However, if I go on majoring in Biochem at DePauw, I can still do engineering in graduate school. I am wondering which option is better for me. Plus, I don’t really like the party scene here, so maybe even without a engineering major, just a more academically focused and better known school.</p></li>
<li><p>My girlfriend is going to Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia. If I stay at DePauw, we can only meet 3 times a year. Since she wants to study city planning which DePauw doesn’t offer, she won’t be able to transfer here. Also, if she transfers to schools near here, we still won’t be able to meet because we don’t have any public transportation and I can’t get a car. But I really want to be able to see her more often. So all schools in/around northeastern major cities will do (my ideal situation is we can see each other, say, twice a month).</p></li>
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<p>I am aware that most schools’ transfer deadlines have already passed, so I am thinking about transferring next year. I’m from China, so there might be some different restrictions here. Plus, my family can only afford below 20k a year, and I know it’s extremely hard for international students to get scholarships and financial aids. So does anyone have any suggestions whether or not I should transfer and, if yes, which schools I could consider? Do I have a chance? Thanks sooooooooo much to whoever responds.</p>

2

<p>You definitely have a chance of transferring in my opinion. You have high stats and since you are looking for a cheap school that probably means a school with lower standards. </p>

<p>Whether you should transfer is something I’m not convinced about. I would disregard the girlfriend aspect and just focus on the schools. I guess the decision comes down to what you really want to do in the future. If you really want to be a doctor there has to be a way to finance that.</p>

<p>I’m not so sure most school’s transfer deadlines have passed either. It’s only the beginning of Feb and the majority of schools I’ve looked at have deadlines like May or even later.</p>

3

<p>Although I do not know much about the school, I suggest CUNY Hunter. It’s in Manhattan and I think that it is reasonably priced. You’d also be able to take the train to Philly to see your gf.</p>

4

<p>If you’re having trouble with finances, transferring is probably not the best option. Most schools have very limited financial aid for transfers, especially for international students. Also, the time and money that it takes to apply, plus potentially having to take extra classes to graduate compared to staying at your current school, can make transferring an expensive venture.</p>

<p>Also, transferring just so you can see your girlfriend more often is NOT a good idea. This is often cited as one of the worst reasons for choosing a college. I assume that getting a college degree in the United States is the main reason that you came here. It would be foolish to jeopardize or delay your college education. Consider buying a webcam or borrowing a friend’s so you can keep in touch.</p>

<p>If you are still intent on transferring, you still have some time to put together your application. Most schools have a March deadline for transfer applications.</p>