I am currently a sophomore at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and I have applied to transfer to different schools. The ones I have been accepted to are Bentley, UNC Chapel Hill, Fordham, and possibly to Boston College (I haven’t heard back yet). My major is Business with a planned concentration in Accounting and Finance. Money is a big part of why I decided to apply for transfer as RPI is very expensive to attend, I also want to make sure I am getting the best education possible.
I’m not sure where or if I should transfer. I have received a great aid package from UNC but have yet to receive packages from anywhere else. The downside of transferring to any school except Fordham is that I would have to spend one or two semesters at the new school and then apply to get into the business school which is usually very competitive. If I am not able to get in I would be left with majoring in Economics but still be able to take business classes, just the name of the degree is different. Also, I risk having to spend an extra year in school to make up for classes and complete all graduation requirements.
During this year at RPI I have become very close and involved with a club on campus and is one of the main reasons I am unsure about leaving. I would be potentially leading the club next year and I feel like I’m finally getting involved on campus. The Lally School of Management and Technology is also a great program but I want to make sure I can get the best education and career potential possible. The environment at RPI, however, isn’t always the most welcoming and sometimes I feel I don’t quite feel at home.
It’s also important that I succeed for people in my family so I can provide for them.
Basically if you have any experience with these schools or general opinions, I would appreciate any advice! Sorry for the long post and I can reply to any questions!
My son is attending RPI in the fall, and was bummed by a few clubs that were quite “non-welcoming” on the Accepted Students Days, especially in terms of diversity issues. But he also found a few clubs that were very welcoming.
I think that would be true anywhere, however UNC is quite big and you might have better luck at a bigger school. The weather is quite different, so I would think that could be a major factor.
RPI tends to have a better reputation from a technology point of view, and both RPI and UNC would likely have more regional cachet than national.
Have you looked into whether RPI could give you a better FA package? If not, it seems like your best bet is to assume transferring to UNC, despite some positive connections to RPI. UNC is higher in the USN&WR rankings than RPI for business.
Good luck with your change.
Thank you for your reply! I am still waiting for some packages and will hopefully know where I’ll be by the end of the week. I’ve tried but they really couldn’t do anything regarding the aid package so I will have to weigh the pros and cons of whether I want to risk not being a “business” major at UNC or having to spend additional semesters.
I’ve had some friends who have had experiences of not being “right” or “welcomed” into some clubs on campus but there are certainly ones for everyone. Tell your son good luck and I’m sure he will have a great time here. If you have any questions regarding first year experiences at RPI I would be happy to answer them!
With Bentley the whole school is business, so if you are accepted, you can declare your major in anything without any hurdles. Especially if you are in accounting/finance, it can’t be beat and has connections all over New England. You’ll have GBs at Bentley to take, but if you are a sophomore, your common core should be about taken care of. These are all great schools though, and if you want more of a big school sports social scene, UNC and BC might be better.