My D is a freshman in AAP (Art). Art isn’t architecture, but D is still putting in very long hours in the studio. The weather can be very dreary during the winter. Cold and lots of snow. She jokes about seeing the sun about once a month during the winter. Spring, summer and fall are lovely. D absolutely loves it there. There are lots of places to hike, camp, etc. Ithaca is very isolated, and for some that doesn’t work out so well.
As for transferring, portfolios are a big deal for art and architecture. If you don’t have one, yet, transferring to AAP probably isn’t going to happen.