What should I do about my college transfer situation?

December 20, 2006 10:35 AM

*Sigh* I'm having trouble with a college transfer. In short: was going to transfer from a small liberal arts school in GA to GW in D.C. for the Spring. But I found out (probably should have known) that they have nothing left to give me in the way of scholarships/grants. Now what?

Okay, so I left my previous college last year in Georgia because of turmoil/drama that I needed to distance myself from (I've pretty much ruled out returning). I otherwise liked the college though: not too large, in an urban area, intellectual environemnt. I'm 23 years old (turn 24 in August) and, thus, feeling more pressure to finish college at this point. I applied to a number of schools for the spring semester. I'd probably have 2-3 semesters to complete wherever I go (also, I'm an English major, play guitar, prefer an intellectual atmosphere, etc.). Got into Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, George Washington University, and UGA. I also applied to Emerson College (my first choice), but it doesn't look like I got in. I'd like to go out-of-state if at all possible. Anyway, last week I passed the due date for my admissions deposits to Penn State and Pittsburgh, picking GW as my second choice (I haven't paid the deposit yet, although I do still have a bit of time). Then of course, I wait until now to find out that I'd have to pay the full tuition.

So I guess I'm worrying *a lot* about what I should do. My options seem to be:

1) Go to GW and pay the tuition for the spring semester, then plan on getting a scholarship/grant for the next year.

2) Defer my admission to GW and plan on returning to college in the fall (I'd probably apply to a couple of colleges I hadn't this time now that I've immersed myself in the whole college thing and have a better idea of what I'm looking for), as well as get on top of all the financial issues.

3) Go to and graduate from UGA (which, while cheaper, isn't really what I ever wanted to do even right after high school; the university just doesn't appeal to me...)

4) I also just found out that I could technically still make my deposit at Pittsburgh this week, but I'd have to get a schedule together before *this* Friday and the semester would start early January (I'm not even sure if this is a great school to go to either).

I'd like to graduate from a school I can feel proud of. Part of the reason I've been looking out-of-state is that I'm not big on Georgia or the south in general (no offense intended, just personal preference); I'm kind of looking to get away. Oy, sorry for all the writing; I'll be more than happy to follow up. I'm just having an incredibly tough time making a decision. Also, if you'd like you can email me at [e-mail].

posted by Land Stander to education (14 comments total)

Oh god, do I ever have some experience with the GW OSFA. Check your inbox.
posted by timetoevolve at 11:16 AM on December 20, 2006

GW is a good school, and I enjoyed my time there, but it's the most expensive school in the nation (and in a very expensive neighborhood of an expensive city). Be prepared for some huge sticker-shock -- you'll be paying $950/month for your share of a triple in the dorms, even if it does have a living room attached.

If you can stomach waiting for another 8 months, I'd wait until the fall and see what materializes. It'll give you time to figure out financial aid (you are applying for federal grants, right?) and scholarships, as well as hunt for a more reasonably priced place off-campus. I rode my bike to and from GW's campus senior year and wound up paying about $300/month less than I would have on campus. Northern Virginia and some of the seedier Northwest DC neighborhoods (such as Columbia Heights and Shaw) would probably be much more affordable, and are way cooler anyway. Plus, if you're not married to GW for any particular reason, you can find a less-expensive college in the area.

By the way, what grounds did they deny your scholarship under? I've seen them pull some sketchy stuff like this in the past -- like a friend who went abroad on a scholarship while on academic probation and then found out that his classes there didn't count towards his GPA requirement, so his scholarship was revoked, even though those classes ought to have pulled him up significantly. You can try haggling with them, but it probably won't help.
posted by kdar at 11:20 AM on December 20, 2006

I hate to be a buzzkill, but do you have some more concrete criteria for your destination school than what "appeals" to you? I realize I come to this from a technical & old cheapskate position, but $40,000/yr in tuition alone (the GWU price on their website) is a lot of money for a degree in English, considering the earning potential such a degree confers.

I'm sure you've had your share of harsh words on the matter, but really - you left school over "turmoil/drama" and have been.... something in the time since. You've made no mention of what your larger life goals may be, however nebulous, and don't even have a concrete description about what makes one school better or worse for you than another other than it being "away." That's no way to make a decision on something that's going to cost over $50,000 a year.

You may want to be away, but the number of adult children returning to live with their parents after school is notably on the rise, and a big portion of that is because of debt both personal and academic. If you want to have the options such that you're really able to go be somewhere you really want to be then the way to better do it is get your degree DONE now and more inexpensively.

Two to three semesters is almost nothing. Is there any way you can be back in your old school in Jan? That represents the difference between being done in Jun 2008 and sometime in 2009, and that's assuming there's no issues with transfer equivalence with your existing credits. Which may well be a generous assumption.

One of the smartest things my dad ever told me was that getting a college degree is at most 50% about the coursework and your major. Easily just as much of the value is learning to deal with all the surrounding crap, both academic bureaucracy and your own personal issues such as scheduling, self-motivating, and dealing with difficult people (which includes your profs, deans, and fellow students). I don't know what your turmoil was but barring being assaulted or threatened in some way I'm inclined to say you should go back where you were and get it done if that gets you through faster.

Otherwise, unless some other school provides you with programs or post-graduation advantages that are notably better, go to UGA and save that $35,000 a year difference between it and GW. If both degrees give you identical earning potential then you're going to have more options and a better life - meaning more choices, including the opportunity to get away - than if you're saddled with debt. Or even if you had to get your parents to open their pockets - that's less money you can persuade them to part with later.
posted by phearlez at 11:32 AM on December 20, 2006

Pitt is actually a great school for creative writing, but otherwise does not have a stellar reputation. Pittsburgh's music scene is also burgeoning these days, from what I can tell.

I attended Penn State (so obviously I'm biased) and it's an excellent school. If you're too late with the deposit and end up taking the spring semester off, definitely look at PSU for the fall. Try and move to PA and establish residency, and then tuition will be a lot easier to bear. PSU also has really extensive financial aid, so you should be able to arrange something.

My email's in my profile if you have any specific questions about either of these schools.
posted by leesh at 11:33 AM on December 20, 2006

I don't mean to be harsh, but GW has a reputation as being the one of the most expensive schools in the nation. It is a private university and you are out-of-state there. You're not going to get a full ride on grants and scholarships, or anything like it. You're going, instead, to take out many tens of thousands of dollars in loans if you plan to attend there, unless you pay up front.

However, you're mentioning your state school, U.Ga, in the same breath. Your state school is a place where you really can think about getting a full ride.

From the way you word your question, I'm not sure you're even aware of these things. Have you really sat down to think in detail about your plans? You simply can't compare going to an instate public university with an out-of-state private university; everything's going to be different, and the biggest difference is the extra $150K or so that you're going to be spending.

Who is helping pay for your education? Have you figured out what you'd be buying for that $150K that'd be of use to you in your later life? Do you have a high school guidance counselor you can go back to speak to? Sounds like it's time to really get on the ball in terms of thinking about these issues.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:40 AM on December 20, 2006

Have you tried calling the George Washington financial aid office and asking why your financial aid application was denied? Sometimes a school will magically find more money if you make it clear that you cannot attend without financial assistance.

I think it's worth pushing the financial aid office, because I find it hard to believe that they have absolutely nothing to give. I got into GW as a spring transfer a few years ago and they offered me the exact same financial aid package every other school did.

On another note... I second those who are advising you not to go thousands of dollars into debt (or make someone in your life sign a ginormous check) for something you seem ambivalent about. Private school is worth paying for when it's truly the best and only option for you-- ie, if the school has a one of a kind program, or resources that no other school on your list can offer. For certain people, GW has those things. You need be sure you're one of those people before you take out loans that you'll be repaying for most of your life.
posted by chickletworks at 12:04 PM on December 20, 2006

I have to admit that applying to colleges for the spring was hard and a bit rushed for me because I was *still* dealing with issues related to what happened at my previous college. I've thought about returning, but I just have too much "baggage" there (emotional and otherwise). "Drama" was a bad word to use, because really it's much more intense than that suggests. It's hard to explain without going into detail (which I'd rather not do).

I guess a follow-up question might be, excluding UGA for the moment, what might be some good suggestions as far as schools with great English programs. Preferably relatively small (compared to UGA or PSU) and that are in or near urban areas?
posted by Land Stander at 12:25 PM on December 20, 2006

I don't think that being 24 means you need to get through school more quickly, especially as you don't seem to know what you'll do afterward except be done and be out of Georgia. Older students often do much better in college, so waiting for a few years and getting your "emotional baggage" worked on, instead of just running away from it, before hitting the books again is not a bad mark on you. As a person who has a BA in English from what is regarded as a pretty good state school (and who picked said school in an effort to "run away" from the emotional baggage I left in my hometown-- and instead just had to deal with the baggage later), let me tell you, the degree ain't worth much, except to prove to people that you did manage to get through all the coursework and attendant bullshit, as phearlez says, and to get you into graduate school if that is your plan.

The things I got out of my degree program were friendships, connections for jobs, a sense of personal accomplishment...the sorts of things I am very glad I did not go into debt for, because I spent a year looking for a job-- not a good job, ANY job-- before deciding to go to grad school, and having to pay back loans would have SUCKED for that year. It sucks having to pay back my loans now, and they total $8,000 for my entire grad degree. I'll be paying that down for 4 years. And you're considering taking out about that amount for just one semester at GW! Is it really worth 8 years writing monthly checks to go to this school for 2 semesters? Can you really develop relevant friendships and networking opportunities, the things that will open doors for you in the future, in 1 year? These are the sorts of things English majors have to consider, because nobody cares that you can analyze a poem once you're on the job market.

Your plan of taking some time off and really looking at it all-- crunching numbers, applying for scholarships/grants, seriously looking at the types of jobs available to English majors and the payscales of those jobs relevant to the $ you'd be paying back in loans-- would be my suggestion.
posted by holyrood at 12:38 PM on December 20, 2006

What do you want to do with your "great" English program? What kind of job are you looking for at the end?

If you want to read the great books your answer will be different than if you're interested in 20th Century post-colonial literature, or if you're looking for creative writing. The answer is different, also, if you want to go to grad school, or if you want to go into journalism, or if you want to become a teacher, or if you think you'll start as a low-level assistant and work your way up somewhere, or if you have another career goal.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 12:39 PM on December 20, 2006

Do you qualify for the HOPE scholarship? If so, going to school in the state of Georgia is totally tuition free. You could then pursue a graduate program elsewhere without worrying about huge undergrad loans.
posted by dcjd at 1:18 PM on December 20, 2006

I was in a very similar position to you just a few years ago. I spent my whole life in Georgia, fled to GW in DC and then to graduate school in Pittsburgh. I understand first-hand that Georgia is not for everyone and I have not looked back since moving away. GET OUT. I cannot say this enough. GET OUT.

That said, GW probably is not right for you. Don't get me wrong; I am a proud GW alumni and I loved every second that I lived in Foggy Bottom. However, I had scholarships that covered almost all of my expenses. My fiance had scholarships, but he still has a significant amount of debt and it is not fun.

Pittsburgh might be right for you even if you aren't attending the University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is cheap, it has good public transportation. If you aren't able to start in the spring it would be a good place to find a job and an apartment that isn't in Georgia.
posted by Alison at 3:29 PM on December 20, 2006

You'll have a great time at Penn State. It's not as pricey - and academically, it's a bit better than your other choices
posted by DudeAsInCool at 1:10 AM on December 21, 2006

Another GW alum here, and I also happen to be from GA. (I also skipped the HOPE scholarship and UGA because I was interested in politics and wanted to go to school in DC).

It doesn't surprise me at all that there's no financial aid left for you at GW, and I seriously, seriously doubt that they're going to magically scrounge more aid together for you after a phone call to financial aid as a previous poster suggested. Other schools might do that, but GW? Probably not.

IMO, GW is far too expensive (even for those of us who did receive some kind of financial aid) to go there as a backup/default/whatever. There are certain fields of study that they do VERY well and are worth paying top dollar for... international affairs and political communication are two examples that come to mind. But selling your soul to go to GW for their English department? I'd rethink that, unless you have political/governmental aspirations and would like to attend a DC school to start building your resume and network. And that's not intended as a knock against GW, or their English department, or English majors in general. I'm just saying that if one pays FORTY THOUSAND dollars for a BA in English, it really oughta be dripping in ivy.

Email in profile if you want to discuss further.
posted by somanyamys at 6:52 AM on December 21, 2006

Do not get deeply into debt for your undergraduate education.

That is all.
posted by footnote at 4:44 AM on December 22, 2006