Hi there, I’m currently an IR/Econ major at GWU looking to transfer out for financial reasons. GWU is not a school that meets 100% of demonstrated need, meaning that I’m shouldering a big brunt of tuition despite being Pell Grant eligible. I’m in a bit of a unique situation where I’m no contact with both my parents, and have gotten a FAFSA/CSS dependency waiver on the basis of familial conflict and homelessness. I’m in charge of covering my tuition independently, and I have serious concerns that I won’t be able to pay tuition for upcoming semesters.
A lot of the resources I’ve scoured online say that it’s important to articulate an academic reason for transferring, and not touch on financial circumstances as financial aid is separate from admissions, and many schools meet full demonstrated need, so it’s not really a “why us” answer. While I do have compelling reasons to transfer (specifically looking at Northwestern— they have a more quantitative econ program, quarter system gives me enough flexibility to double major and minor in philo, one of the best policy debate teams in the nation), it feels difficult to articulate why I’m transferring out of GWU if I still intend on keeping the IR major, given that they’re one of the best schools for IR in the nation.
Apologies for the lengthy post, but I’d appreciate any advice when it comes to mentioning financial troubles in this context. Should I just touch on it in my personal statement but not explicitly include that as a reason for transfer? And as for the IR major, would it be more beneficial to switch to Middle Eastern Studies (my concentration in IR anyways) so I avoid the trickiness of explaining transferring out from GWU?
Thanks 