transferring grad schools?

[123katie321]

hello,

i am currently enrolled in graduate school, but i am finding myself a bit unsatisfied with my program i am in. i finished my first year and am beginning my second year of a three year program, but i have been wondering about the option of transferring. when i applied for fall 2014 i was originally admitted into several larger/higher ranked programs for my area of study (studio art), but i chose a smaller program at a state school because it was the cheapest option. despite the cheapness, i do not feel like it is necessarily worth it. the program is extremely small and disorganized, and the other students in the program hardly make new work.

i knew that going with the cheapest option for school would probably mean i'd have a bit of a trade off with fancy art school facilities etc, but i did not realize how bad it might be. i have been working hard at making lots of new stuff, but my experience has been really uninspiring. our classrooms/studios are roach infested, ceilings have collapsed, labs have outdated broken equipment, grad assistants working more hours than they get paid for, apathetic teachers etc. it is a real mess. 

so recently i have been wondering about the option of transferring to another grad program. i know there are some people who transferred out of the program into other schools, but i am wondering how common it is, or if it is looked down upon? i have been trying to make this program work, however i want to be able to have passable facilities and other driven students to collaborate with. i feel like it would only be worth it if i could get into a much better program (with at least some funding/scholarships), but i don't know if reapplying to some of the better schools i got into and then turned down would be messed up. anyone have experience with this? ideas? i'd probably apply to different schools than last time, but i don't know if with bigger more selective programs it would just not be worth it to apply for graduate transfer.

Edited October 10, 2015 by 123katie321

[rising_star]

In your case, it wouldn't be a transfer so much as starting over. At best, maybe 9-12 credits of the grad work you've done could be counted toward the new degree, so you'd be looking at spending two years past this one to obtain the same MFA that you could finish at your current institution in just one more year. Have you considered trying to do internships and residencies which will help you expand your horizons and gain new experiences?