Will I regret not transferring schools?

gtransfer1
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:39:06 +0000

I’m supposed to be leaving for Georgetown tomorrow as a transfer student, but all I’ve been doing is crying for the past few days. I’m so scared I’ve made the wrong decision, and I’ve been so overwhelmed.

I initially applied to Georgetown because of its strong IR program (SFS) and proximity to Washington DC. I went into school this fall knowing I wanted to transfer… I worked hard to get a good gpa and build a relationship with my professors who could write me a rec letter.

Throughout my first semester though, I began to actually like my school. I was beginning to make friends and joined some really cool clubs. I didn’t really think about transferring anymore… Ultimately, I decided to still apply because I just wanted to see if I could get in. I even wrote my essays at the very last minute.

When I got my acceptance back in May, I was so shocked. My mom was so excited, and rightfully so - I just didn’t know how to react. Don’t get me wrong, Georgetown has INCREDIBLE professors and the SFS is world-renowned, but I spent so much of my time making friends and getting good grades at my old school - I just didn’t want to start over. I decided I would make my decision based on my financial aid package.

I really hoped Georgetown would not give me as much financial aid so it would make my decision easier. To my surprise, I received so much financial aid that I would be paying the same amount of $ as I would at my in-state school.

I didn’t know what to do. So, my mom suggested we go visit Washington DC last minute, and we did.

I couldn’t really feel the vibe of the campus when we visited. Nobody was on campus because of COVID, and the campus just felt depressing. Its much smaller than my old campus. Georgetown, the city itself, is so cute, however. My mom absolutely loved DC, and I could tell she wanted me to transfer. She came to the US as a refuge and never got the opportunity to attend college, so it felt good seeing her so happy.

I don’t know how to explain it though, I just didn’t get the feeling of “this school is definitely right for me” when I visited.

Because I saw my mom so happy and I knew Georgetown was powerhouse for politics, I decided to put down my deposit at the very last minute. Once I put it down, I stopped thinking about Georgetown and just school overall. It was so stressful being a student during COVID and staying home for the semester, I just wanted to enjoy my summer.

As August approached, I started to become extremely overwhelmed. The thought of going to a new school scarred the heck out of me - and it still does. I locked myself multiple times in my room and just cried because I didn’t know what to do.

I still don’t know what to do.

Georgetown’s academics are AMAZING, and I know I would regret it if I didn’t at least go and try it out. That’s what my mom keeps saying. She’s been very supportive throughout this whole process. She told me I should go try it out and, if I don’t like it, then I should transfer back or go somewhere else. At my old school, I would be majoring in polisci, but at Georgetown, I would get a BSFS degree and it would be much more flexible that polisci.

But, I am so scared to leave my friends and the comfort of being close to home. Also, I know I can excel at my state school - which is important to me because my goal is to get into a T-14 law school.

I’m such a type-A personality that my mom thinks my hair would be falling out trying to get a good gpa at Georgetown. But, she also thinks I would have the best time ever if I let go and just focused all my energy on learning and enjoying my experiences.

I’m so conflicted, and I don’t know what to do.

Will I regret not going to Georgetown if I stay at my current school?