Should I, Can I change grad schools?

The first rule of grad school is: do not go into debt for grad school. The second rule of grad school is: do not go into debt for grad school. I would be very wary about going to the for-profit school.

Oh I just got off the phone with the Alpha advisor and thanks to repeating so many of the insights I got here she said it seemed like I had put a lot of thought into it and she's happy I am doing what sounds best for my future. I was kind of a mess and she was very sweet although she sounded disappointed but I don't have to make everyone happy, just conduct myself with integrity and I feel I did. Praying right before I called helped a lot. You guys helped. I am so happy and might be able to go to sleep! So thank you guys.

CA similar thing happened to me. 1) You can change schools; you can drop out of Alpha right now and go to Beta in the fall. You might be able to go to Alpha for a term and then switch to Beta, but your credits probably wouldn't transfer, and Beta might be annoyed by that (you'd have to ask them to know). 2) I really don't think this is the best course of action. Especially if your main motivation is saving face. In the long run, it doesn't matter what the admissions counselor thinks of you. Seriously! 3). If you drop alpha now, like this week, it won't be a transfer, it will just be you going to beta period. 4) This is something you have to figure out for yourself. But take the long view! Don't do what's easiest, or what's least embarrassing -- pick the school you think will give you the best education at the best price. (From your descriptions I am not positive which it is.) 5). I am not sure about this part -- I would call the financial aid offices at both schools to be sure. _______ In your shoes I would contact both schools tomorrow asap. To alpha, I would say something like "My first choice school just unexpectedly accepted me. I love school alpha but am torn because of beta's research opportunities and cheaper price. Can you help me think this through? Are there any other scholarship/research opportunities at Alpha which I don't know about?" To beta, I would say "I have been accepted to Alpha already and their classes start this week. I love school Beta but am uncomfortable giving up a sure acceptance to pursue a conditional one. Is there any way you could unconditionally accept me in the next 48 hours?" This is uncomfortable, but the admissions counselors will get over the disappointment and I believe they see this stuff all the time. Dealt with tactfully, this situation could help advance your cause at either school. Hang in there! I hope you'll return to this thread and tell us what you decide to do. Oh, and congratulations on your acceptances :)

http://ask.metafilter.com/216466/Should-I-Can-I-change-grad-schools#3123887: " Social sciences. " Oh god, please don't go into debt. Alpha can go fuck themselves, the fact that they are willing to put you into debt means that they already don't respect you in addition to the fact that they want to put you into debt. Any acceptance letter for graduate school in the arts or sciences that does not also come free and with a living wage is not an acceptance letter at all, it is an advertisement. Don't apologize, don't feel guilty, this is not a fuck up but an opportunity. Make sure that you understand what conditional means to them before jumping ship, but this sounds like a great time to jump ship. Anyone who isn't happy for you can go fuck themselves. If you don't mind us asking, what do you plan to do with the degree? An online graduate school in the social sciences sounds awfully odd.

If Alpha is a for-profit school, don't even think of going there. Of course they let you in quickly and they made it easier for you to get in. That is what for-profit schools do. It is in their best interest to get you in there and get their hands on your tuition money ASAP. The admissions department at for-profit schools is a sales department. Drop the Alpha classes and go for Beta all the way. "Beta is offering you a proper degree from a real institution that people will recognize without sniggering. There is no substitution for that." Indeed. (Posting from my sockpuppet account because, unfortunately, I teach for a for-profit college, and I can't afford to get fired just yet. I want out of the job but have been unable to find anything else yet. Believe me, I won't defend the for-profit academic model.)

This has been a great help. I did call Beta School to find out what "conditionally accepted" means, and I found out that it means I have been accepted due to my previous coursework and gpa. The admissions counselor (who was very pleasant and helpful) said they need other paperwork for my file and I should send it to her sometime before the first semester is up, but as far as they are concerned I am a student starting this fall if I want to be. Which I have decided that I do. That is scary for me to decide because I love it when things are settled and three days ago things were very settled. But I have taken to heart all of the people here saying this is an opportunity. It was very helpful to learn that if I withdraw from Alpha today (or really, this first week), it doesn't affect Beta at all. The counselor also confirmed that. For Alpha school, I meant for-profit, not just private, and it is 100% more expensive though not outside of what I'd budgeted. I was going to go because they do offer a scholarship and a program that seemed perfectly suited to exactly what I want to study. Beta program is actually a different and unrelated field. I got a double major in undergrad and I loved both of my majors. Alpha represents one and Beta the other! Beta is definitely more academic than professional and more research based. I am highly susceptible to salespeople. I listen to telemarketers when they call and sometimes I even buy from them. That's how I ended up with a University of Phoenix associate's degree (which I do not regret but that is an example of my decision-making progress). This thread has helped me face up to that problem I have being a pushover. I also am the only person in my family/social circle who has gone through this whole college thing and certainly graduate school is a foreign thing. I was really just happy getting degrees and having to be more responsible about these decisions has been very hard and anxiety-inducing since it means I will have to call the very nice saleswoman and tell her I'm not going. I've been up all night and I still haven't got up the nerve to contact Alpha school. This is going to come out of left field completely for her and I hate that I will look like a liar who doesn't keep her word. Thanks to you guys I am trying to frame her as a salesperson who is used to rejection and not just as this friendly person who has been helping me to get a degree.

A for-profit graduate school sounds kind of sketchy. Do you mean something other than "university of Phoenix"-type for-profit? Is it accredited?

That is a great decision, and I am so happy for you. Whatever you do, don't let the for-profit school (and the probably on-commission sales person) convince you or guilt-trip you into changing your mind.

And please, for the love of Pete, do not allow anyone at Alpha to guilt trip you into anything. You owe them nothing; the entire point of this exercise is to advance yourself and not some online degree granting outfit. Beta is offering you a proper degree from a real institution that people will recognize without sniggering. There is no substitution for that.