I am currently in my second semester of my first year at UVA majoring in English, and I am kind of miserable. I like most of my classes, but there is just something about this school that makes me feel like I don’t fit in. It doesn’t help that I am from out of state (about 12 hours) and so I can’t really ever leave grounds. I want to apply for a transfer, but I am also afraid to leave since the English department here is so good. I want to be a writer in New York, and I don’t want to ruin my chances by transferring out of a school where there are so many opportunities. Also, I am terrified that I will transfer to a school that I hate even more. There are some days where I am happy here, but they are coming less and less frequently now. I am just very unsure of what to do at this point.
What exactly do you dislike about UVA? You can’t really figure out where you want to transfer (or if you should at all) without first understanding what is making you miserable exactly. Only then can you pinpoint an environment that wouldn’t make you as miserable 
Though, I am guessing – if you want to be a writer in NY, perhaps you are looking for a more urban, artsy type of environment?