<p>I’m interested in studying criminal justice. I absolutely hate my current school (Penn State Lehigh Valley) and I desperately want to transfer out of there. That place is way too small and there is literally nothing to do there. A while ago, I applied to Bloomsburg University and I got in. However, I couldn’t go there due to financial reasons. Basically, the people at the financial aid office at Bloomsburg said that I didn’t qualify for any private university scholarships since I was a transfer applicant. ***!!! I would basically have had to take out $12,000 in loans for this year at Bloom.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there are any colleges in PA that are transfer friendly (in terms of financial aid)?</p>
<p>I would like to go to a school w/ at least 8,000 (preferably more). A nice vibrant campus is a a necessity (since that’s the primary reason why I want to transfer). Financial aid is a biggy since my family is dirt poor (SS disability, unemployed). Do you guys have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>But the problem is that I don’t like any of the branch campuses. They are all basically really small and there is nothing to do there. I really need to get out and I don’t want to stay at Penn state.</p>
<p>From Penn State Lehigh Valley, do you get to transfer to University Park as a junior? If so, why not grit your teeth and bear it for one more year?</p>
<p>Yes, from Penn State Lehigh Valley, I do get to transfer to University Park as a junior. But I still don’t want to stay. Why wait a year if it’s possible to get out after a semester? I really just DO NOT have any connection with that school and I need to leave. Are there any schools in PA that welcome transfers as much as they do freshman? Bloomsburg is already off the list, since they don’t give financial aid to transfers. Are there any that give financial aid to transfers?</p>
<p>I don’t think you’ll find many schools in PA that give significant financial aid to transfer students. The state schools are probably all like Bloomsburg. Even if you can find private schools that will give you some aid as a transfer, their COA is significantly higher than the $12,000 at Bloomsburg so you’ll probably end up having to pay more than $12,000 – which you already determined you cannot afford.</p>
<p>Also, have you considered the timing? It’s too late to transfer anywhere for Fall 2009. If you could find a school and fill out the paperwork this fall, you might be able to transfer to start the spring 2010 semester. But at what cost?</p>
<p>If you are as poor as you say, you are probably getting good financial aid at Lehigh Valley. When you move to UP, you probably won’t be considered a “transfer student” for financial aid purposes, so you will probably continue to get good financial aid. If you transfer to another school, all bets are off.</p>
<p>Why not just grit your teeth and stick it out for one more year at Lehigh Valley? You know there is light at the end of the tunnel…stay the course and you’ll be at University Park by next fall. It might be unpleasant, but think of it as a temporary sacrifice to get you where you want to be. (And it’s not really a whole year – 15 weeks per semester…two semesters…then you can spend next summer someplace else).</p>
<p>I’m curious – how did you end up at Lehigh Valley? Did you like it at first, then change your mind?</p>
<p>I know what the timing is. I was not planning on transferring for fall. I was talking about transferring for the spring semester.</p>
<p>I ended up at Penn State Lehigh Valley because things went terribly wrong during senior year. From the moment I saw that place, I knew from the very beginning that it was a misfit in every way. It was a very small commuter school (no dorms) located in a rural area. I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to go to a school with a large campus (and live there) and a vibrant social atmosphere. I decided to send an application to that school just in case (as a safety precaution).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, during the latter part of HS (junior and senior year), things were going really badly for my family. My parents were splitting up, we found out that my younger brother is autistic, I had to help my dad w/ my brother on the weekends (all weekend), and my mom was suffering from very severe mental depression (medically diagnosed). I’m not going to write an entire memoir of my life up to this point, but I think you get the idea. I was in some really hot water during that time and I simply didn’t get grades that were good enough for any of the schools that I really liked. I basically ended up getting into 5 schools (1/2 that I applied to). I never even had a chance to visit some of the schools that I got into during the summer since my dad had a surgery (followed by rehabilitation). He couldn’t take me all over the state to visit all of the colleges that I was applying to.</p>
<p>The schools that I got into were:</p>
<p>Penn State Lehigh Valley
Moravian College
University of Scranton
Saint Joseph’s University
University of Pittsburgh Bradford
Drexel University</p>
<p>Moravian college was basically just like PSU-LV. It was small, not much to do, but EXPENSIVE. Tuition was $28,000. That’s why I didn’t go there. With Drexel, I got a really bad financial aid package, so I didn’t go there either. Pitt Bradford is also a branch campus, so obviously I didn’t go there. I probably would have gone to either SJU or Scranton, but my dad kept pushing me into staying “close to home” so that I could save on living expenses. I ended up going to Penn state lehigh valley for those reasons. I really really hate it there and I don’t want to stay. I don’t want to grit my teeth and stick it out for one more year. I want to bail out fast and get into another school.</p>
<p>I understand the sense of hating a place and needing to leave. I think you should seriously explore the possibility of transferring to the University Park campus. I spent a year there, State College is a small town but it is cute. The social atmosphere on campus is vibrant.</p>
<p>I think it is unlikely you will find a completely new school that will give you as much financial aid as you need as a transfer student. Transferring within the Penn State system will make this more straight forward.</p>
<p>When you become a transfer student, the majority of schools are reluctant to give you the same financial aid package as a student that started in their freshmen year. Is my understanding that they first give the aid to the freshmen and returning students and whatever is left goes to the transfer students which is not much.</p>
<p>My D goes to PSU in Hazleton, although a small school (it does have dorms), she had a tough time her first semester. Often called me to pick her up. After her first semester she started making friends and she’s okay with the campus. Like in LV, is a small campus in the middle of nowhere, but with new friends is good for now. She’s looking forward to making her transition to UPark next fall. The campus is beautiful, vibrant, and secure.</p>
<p>Btw- there is a way for you to advance to UPark prior to your junior year. The trick is if you declare a major that LV does not have classes for and you need those credits to start your junior year. Also, speak with your advisor and see if they are able to help. Let them know you are not happy, they rather transfer you to UPark if possible than to loose you as a student and loose your tuition money. If not, then maybe they could help you find a suitable campus for you.</p>
<p>After all, although college is suppose to be fun, bare in mind that you are there to get an education which luckily you are getting at a lower rate than the rest of us that pay high tuitions. Make it the best you can and stay at Penn if possible. As an adult, there are some decisions that you must make and sacrifices that eventually will pay off… If you are not dorming in campus, then have a life in the evenings with your friends when you get home…</p>
<p>12k to 18k per year is a lot of money and the debt will follow you for years to come. Think about that and then make your decision…</p>
<p>Life is not a PARTY…</p>
<p>Hope this help… I read you’ve had a couple of rough years, but like someone said, there is a light at the end of your tunnel… A year goes by very quickly.</p>
<p>I heard that Temple has a lot of transfer students. Do they have financial aid available for transfers?</p>
<p>As you pointed out, all of the Penn state branches are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It’s even harder to make friends at Penn State Lehigh Valley than at Hazleton because there are no dorms. I do have a few friends on campus. I would like to have a social life after campus, but that’s nearly impossible. People commute to the campus from a pretty wide area, making it really hard for us to just get together after school and hang out. That, in addition to the fact that I don’t have my own car (use my dad’s) makes it hard for that to happen. I’m pretty much just stuck at home all the time and it sucks. I know that UPark is vibrant. But I’m not there yet.</p>
<p>My adviser knows absolutely nothing about other colleges and I can’t rely on her for help. Yes, I know I’m there to get an education. But I’m also there to grow as an individual. Right now, I’m absolutely dreading my college experience. Many people I know from high school did not have to wait for “the light at the end of the tunnel”. They got it RIGHT AWAY.</p>
<p>It is unjust that colleges should give disadvantaged students this type of backhanded treatment. If anything, they should do their best to make up for that students misfortunes by giving that student priority in admissions, financial aid, etc.</p>
<p>I do not know how Temple works; however, my suggestions for you is to stay at Penn for this semester and use the free time to compile a list of schools you may consider transfering to and start calling the admissions office now. Once September passes, they are pretty slow since all the clerical documents should be finalized for the returning students. At this time, they may be a little more patience and spend a few minutes with you and explain the reasons why the financial aid is not to part with those new students.</p>
<p>Call the financial aid department at the schools as well and get informed.</p>
<p>You may be able to get Stafford loans and may qualify for Pell grant. Even if is not the same as the freshmen or returning students at least is less you would have to borrow on your own.</p>
<p>Good luck and let us know how things turn out for you.</p>
<p>You’ve had some tough breaks the past couple of years, but this kind of attitude is not helping things. I’m going to be blunt…life is not fair, and you can’t always get want you want. The “victim” attitude that I sense in you will do nothing but hold you back. It’s time to put your misfortunes behind you and do something to change your circumstances.</p>
<p>Finish your sophomore year at Penn State LV, and take the (almost) automatic transfer to University Park. There is no transfer fairy that’s going to swoop down and get you admitted to your dream school with substantial financial aid. It’s 30 weeks – suck it up and get it done!</p>
<p>Yes, I will stay at Penn State (if I can’t find another school). However, your statement simply doesn’t cut it. I let incidences of minor injustice slide. To be honest, I did not care if my friends went on vacation more often or had more stuff than I did. That is so unimportant that I’m not going to get upset about it. However, what I experienced when I went through the college admissions process was unacceptable. Those people (college admissions officers) basically have a say in what your future will be like for the next few decades.</p>
<p>If other people are going to have that much power and influence over someone’s future, there should be some moderate regulation to make sure that the process is just and people are treated fairly. The college admissions process does cheat disadvantaged students since they are being held to the same standard as more privileged students. Those privileged students will obviously be able to accomplish more than their lower class counterparts. The numbers confirm this. Wealthier students are FAR more likely to get into an Ivy League college than their poorer counterparts.</p>
<p>Your statement that “Life is unfair, get used to it” does not fly anymore. There is a difference between personal misfortune and misfortune caused by people taking advantage of your circumstances.</p>
<p>I would certainly hold colleges/universities to a higher standard. They are supposed to be the front runners of progressivism, justice, and social change. However, they don’t live up to their own standards when it comes to providing students with opportunities.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why you feel you were not treated fairly by college admissions/finaid people. Only a very few colleges have sufficient resources to be able to award sufficient financial aid to all students. I don’t think any were on your list. </p>
<p>Yes, chidlren from wealthier families are more likely to get into Ivy schools – but for the most part that is the result of better SATs, grades etc – are you saying that is unfair?</p>
<p>As to friends being able to go on vacation, and you not – that is an “injustice”? </p>
<p>I mean this in the nicest way, but I really would suggest you find if there is any counseling at your school. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has options for you – you just dont like them. Many students have to live at home – at least you have a path in sight.</p>
<p>In the last post, I was not talking about the financial aid available for transfer applicants.</p>
<p>Children from wealthier families get into Ivy League schools more easily because they have better grades. Simply put, it’s because they had better opportunities in life. What I am saying is that colleges/universities are being unjust because they are rewarding/punishing certain students for factors that are beyond their control. Those who were born into the “right families” had a few aces up their sleeves from the getgo.</p>
<p>When I mentioned my friends going on vacation, I was making reference to the fact that depending on the class that you are born into, you either have a very easy or very rough childhood.</p>
<p>As for you recommending counseling, no thanks. Counseling will do nothing to solve my college problem. Only getting out of my crapsack of a school will solve the problem. Not everyone is at the mercy of what the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has to offer.</p>
<p>Also, you mentioned that only a few colleges have sufficient financial aid for all students. Would you mind enlightening me on which colleges those are (even if they aren’t in PA)?</p>
<p>Agreed. So you can do one of two things. 1) Sit there and cry about it, asking other people to feel sorry for you and give you things or chances or admission boosts or financial aid because you had it tough and weren’t born to the right family, or 2) Finish up at Penn State LV, take the transfer to University Park (which, according to your posts last fall was your DREAM SCHOOL), and get an education / degree that will allow you to have a career that will change your circumstances so that your kids can have all of the advantages of being born rich.</p>
<p>It’s up to YOU. You did not ask to be born to the parents who had you, to have divorced parents, an autistic brother, ill parents…whatever. But YOU can do something to change YOUR circumstances. Whining doesn’t solve the problem.</p>
<p>The list of need blind, full neet met schools I have seen are as follows == dont know if also applies to transfer students.</p>
<p>Amherst College
Beloit College
Boston College
Brandeis University
Brown University
California Institute of Technology
Claremont McKenna College
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Cornell University
Cooper Union
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Denison University
Duke University
Emory University [1]
Georgetown University
Grinnell College
Harvard University
Haverford College
Knox College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Northwestern University
Phillips Academy (9-PG)
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rice University [2]
Roxbury Latin
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
University of Chicago
University of Miami
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of Southern California [3]
University of Virginia [4]
Vassar College [5]
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University</p>
<p>I cant find the article, but there’s a girl at my school who had a baby at 14, and is currently in college, works multiple jobs to pay for her baby and for college, all while taking care of her baby and maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Stop whining.</p>