Should I transfer from NCSU? (Chapel Hill, Davidson: apartment, chapel, coops)

[Benmotto]

I just finished my freshman year in the college of mgmt at NCSU and I am begining to have second doubts about my college choice. I am sure there are a lot of state grads on this board, so I am just looking for some guidance.

I am orginally from NC and I had stellar high schools and was accepted into a number of colleges out of high school, but I picked state because it offered me an excellent scholarship. So it made the most sense cost wise. Looking back, I don't think I thought everything through.

However, I am an economics major or at least planning to be and NCSU is an engineering school, so I question the value of getting an economic degree here. I am by no means diminishing the value of an econ degree from NCSU but I was wondering if there are better alternatives giving my situation.

I can still apply to transfer out of state next spring as a sophmore and I was just wondering if I should? Any kind of advice should be greatly apperciated.

Schools that I am looking to transfer to IF i transfer, this is by no means my final list...

UNC-CH
Michigan- Ann Arbor
NYU
UCLA
Davidson
Haverford
UVA


Thanks for all the help.

[ncsualum2004]

What do you plan to do after graduating? Where do you plan to live? I'm a ncsu grad who lives in NC. In my field there are tons of alumni so from a networking POV it's been very helpful.

A girl at my work is a econ grad from Duke then went to a top school for grad school, pretty much the same level experience as me. She has a few extra months worth of freelance stuff. She's the same level as me. I suspect part of it because she has to live here due family reasons.

[dedratermi]

What is making you question the value of an NCSU economics degree, vs an economics degree from one of the other schools that you listed? Honestly I don't think your undergrad degree is going to make that much difference in the perspective of employers or even grad schools, so long as your grades are good and you have some outside experience (like internships) to go with them. Just be thankful you aren't graduating this year and looking for work in this craptacular economy.

On the other hand, if you were asking about grad school, and an MBA from NCSU vs some other school like Duke, then I would say you would be right for questioning the value of the NCSU degree. But I don't think that's the case for undergrad.

So I don't see the point in transferring out of NCSU now, especially if you have a good scholarship. Good luck!!

[mjohnson185]

If you are an in-state resident and you MUST transfer, transfer to a STATE school in NC like UNC-chapel hill. This is the reason: You are young and 10 years from now in reality probably does not cross your mind. You need to minimize hands down your college debt. Guess what, your co-workers when you graduate will have different levels of college debt. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill and had no debt. I have a coworker that has $70,000 in college tuition debt from Duke. Guess what, we have the same exact job with the same exact salary and exact same degree. Doesn't make much sense to me. He talks about struggling financially and can't even afford to buy another car because he can't afford a car payment. He only rents because he can't afford a down payment for a house. The only reason for this is the college debt. I have two new cars paid off and have a mortgage and still enough left over at the end of the month to plan for retirement and go on vacations, etc. The other thing you must think of is if you transfer to a private school, you are starting fresh. Most classes don't transfer to a private school due to curriculum differences and they are picky about that. I worked for a private college in the past and college transfers spent a total of 5 to 6 years to finish their BS degree.

The thing you have to ask yourself is:

1: Do you want to minimize your college debt by staying at NC state or transfering to in state public college so that you can buy a house, get your master's degree, and buy a car when you graduate.

2. OR, do you want to graduate and live in an apartment until age 35 struggling to make ends meet due to your college debt.

[huckdisc]

I would stay put if I were you.

Are you making friends? Are things going well socially? Do you "like" the people at NCSU? This will be your network coming out of school. If you don't like and respect them, then consider transferring to a school you do respect.

The schools you mentioned are all over the place in terms of size. Do you really think you'd be more comfortable at a smaller school?

The schools you mentioned are all over the place in terms of costs. How important are costs in the decision? How much in loans would you have to take on at these other schools? It seems the scholarship was important initially.

I do know that the business program at UNC-CH is highly regarded. Do you feel that NCSU is equivalent in terms of what it can offer with regards to career services and the types and number of companies recruiting on campus?

What about transfer credits in changing schools? Do you know what courses will and won't transfer to these other schools. It would be a shame to lose any credits.

I think that this is a big decision with a lot of factors to consider.

[Snarky Prof]

I deal with this issue on a regular basis, since I am a college professor. Here's my two cents.

I think you need to figure out what it is you want to do. Economics is a wide field. Whit do you want to do with your degree. Do you want to go for your MBA or a JD? Even if you do want to go on for a MBA or law degree, it's not the school where you attended that matters, it's your grades, test scores and other factors.

Have you talked to your academic advisor? He or she can help you. Also, you may want to talk to the folks at the career services office. They can help you look at your career options.

Also, it's rather early in the game. You just finished your freshman year. You are just about to start taking courses in your major. Give the department a chance. My husband and I attended a state school in PA that is known for education (teaching) degrees. My husband got a degree in Physics (not teaching physics, just physics.) He was able to get a job in his field and had no trouble going to a top school for engineering (Granted, this was almost 20 years ago, but hopefully, you see the point.)

Finally, there is the issue of student loan debt. That is very serious. I practiced bankruptcy law before I became a college professor. Student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy, except in one very rare circumstance, which is very difficult to prove to a court. I often tell my students that student loan debt is like luggage or an STD, It takes a long time to get rid of it. In my case, it took 11 years. I know some people who are in worse shape.

Please take your time to make an informed decision. Do your research and ask a lot of questions!

[Bilirubin]

Absolutely.

[memorytheatre]

For undergrad finish with the least amount of debt possible and get good grades. Graduate from State with a 3.6+, work for a while or do something to enrich yourself. Then go to grad school for the pedigreed name.

Or if no grad school ambitions, finish two years with no debt, then transfer and only eat the two years of out of state costs.

The grad school name is much more important then the undergrad name.

Or take some time off, get to know yourself and find out what you are interested in other than just money. If you have the smarts why not a hard science or engineering degree which State is good at? This offers many more options in the future IMHO.

[sundaze]

I think it is good you have a scholarship and are keeping your costs down. IF you decide to go on, past the bachelor's level, in economics, you will need to go to graduate school anyway. It wouldn't hurt to look at the math requirements for any graduate programs in economics, you will probably need math through calculus and statistics (the mathematics statistics course, not the social sciences one). You might also need a foreign language. You can be prepared for whatever you decide to do. In the meantime, few people know as freshmen their ultimate goal, and most change their mind many times.
At this point I don't think you should worry, just study hard, try to get good grades, make friends, and enjoy school. Be happy you don't have to go into debt. The places I personally know of that hire people with a BA as "economists," the US Dept of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics, will not care what college you went to. Anyplace else, I think you need post-baccalaureate study to get a job in economics. That solid math background you can get at NCSU will help you get accepted.

[leighbhe]

Another thing you may want to look into is going and talking to the college counselors in the college of management (they have their own career counselors and academic counselors). Talk to them about the possibilities of internships and coops in your junior year. Look at what types of jobs recent grads are getting, etc.

I think the college of management has an excellent reputation in the community and it is what you make of it. You are at a state school, with an academic scholarship. Employers are familiar with the university. Let's say you chose Haverford. An excellent school, yes. But, it is small, private, expensive, and does not have as much of a national reputation.

Talk to people in the college of managment, get their perspective.

Leigh