Advice and Chances for transferring from UC Davis

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm a freshman at UC Davis who just completed my first trimester at the school. I'm strongly considering transferring for several reasons, which I will mention later, to Columbia, Northwestern, Georgetown, UPenn, and Johns Hopkins (I would be applying to each college’s version of a college for arts & sciences)
My stats are:
I got a 3.9 GPA for my first trimester
I’m also in the honors program at Davis
My classes are Chemistry, Math, and an honors class (I’m adding a history class next trimester)
My high school GPA was 3.7ish unweighted and 4.3ish weighted
I got a 1400/1600 and 2100/2400 on my SAT and my SAT II’s were Biology-800 and Math 2-750
My AP’s were European History, World History, Environmental Science, Biology, US Government, and AB Calculus. I got 5’s on all of them.<br>
My extracurriculars are that I played ice hockey for both my high school and college team and had a leadership position on my high school team. I also was a member of the boy scouts (though I did not achieve Eagle Scout) and I played music. Finally, I preformed community service on an Indian reservation and by teaching little kids skating. </p>

<p>I was wondering if I could get some advice as to what my chances are to get into these schools as a transfer. Also, I need some advice regarding my reasons for transferring.
I feel really isolated from my home (I’m from Maryland so it’s a five hour flight back home)
I don’t enjoy the big university feeling I get at Davis. I feel somewhat overwhelmed and lost in the system. I don’t have an academic advisor I can turn to for advice and have next to now access to my professors, and even to some of my TAs. In addition, I don’t have any clue how to get an internship or research because I simply do not know who to turn too.<br>
I also don’t like how Davis is isolated as a town and makes it hard for me to explore any opportunities that a city might offer in terms of research or internships. Especially because I will never have a car at Davis so I won’t have a good source of transportation to internships.<br>
Also, because I’m out of state I’m still paying a similar tuition to what I would be paying at a private school but I’m also effected by the California budget crises so my classes could get potentially cut.<br>
Also, I don’t feel that I get along well with Californians (who make up 98% of the school) and their lifestyle which really takes away from my social experience at the school.<br>
Finally, I don’t find the school academically challenging or interesting enough to really get me to where I want to be in terms of being able to do good work, not get distracted as easily, and want to further explore what I learn in the classroom. </p>

<p>So, in addition to my chances for getting into the schools I previously listed, I also would like to know if my reasons for transferring are good and which ones of them, if any, would sound good to the colleges I am transferring too. Also, some general advice for what schools are looking for when they ask why I am transferring from my current school would be appreciated.<br>
Thanks a lot for you time. Any help is really appreciated.</p>

2

<p>I think you should be candid with yourself about true reasons behind your wanting to transfer. Otherwise your essay will sound like this: “I really don’t enjoy big university feeling I get at Davis, and that’s why I am applying to UPenn.”</p>

<p>You will have the same problems you have at Davis at any school you will transfer to because most of your problem stem from your person rather than from Davis. You will be just as lost in the system elsewhere, as you probably do not know how to navigate the system. You will have next to no access to professor, since every school you list is a large research university. You will have no clue how to get an internship, because you won’t know about whom to turn to at your new school as you don’t know about whom to turn to at Davis. And if you are having problems socializing, is there any chance that the problem is not Californians, but your inferior people skills?</p>

<p>The truth is not being lost in the system requires research and personal initiative. Unless you are willing to read lots of info and talk to people, you are bound to be lost in the system. If you want to do internship or research, you must do a lot of leg work to make it happen. You need to write to people, to apply for internships, to talk professors into taking you to their research groups, and to locate your school’s resources for undergraduate internship and research support. Nobody will do this for you, neither at Davis, nor at Columbia.</p>

<p>I’m not saying you should not transfer. With your grades, you definitely should transfer to an academically better school. But you should not delude yourself into thinking that a transfer will solve your problems.</p>

3

<p>You got a shot at getting into many of the schools you listed if you keep a high GPA, get involved in some Extra Curriculars, and develop relationships with professors for recommendation letters. You basically listed some of the most selective schools in the country as your options. If you really want to get out of Davis, at least give yourself a few matches in case you are rejected from everywhere else. </p>

<p>“I feel really isolated from my home (I’m from Maryland so it’s a five hour flight back home)”
-This does sounds really far, but it is also a good experience to get away from home because likely in the real world you won’t live in Maryland. If you got nothing else, I suppose you could play the homesick card, but i don’t think distance from home is a solid reason.</p>

<p>“I don’t enjoy the big university feeling I get at Davis. I feel somewhat overwhelmed and lost in the system. I don’t have an academic advisor I can turn to for advice and have next to now access to my professors, and even to some of my TAs. In addition, I don’t have any clue how to get an internship or research because I simply do not know who to turn too.”
-This would be a good point if you weren’t applying to all giant research Universities. It appears that you just searched for name brands instead of searching for a school that would be more your style, i.e. a small LAC. All professors have office hours and my experience with UC professors has shown me that most are extremely approachable and happy to help students. I am also pretty sure there is an advising office on campus where you can meet an academic adviser by drop-in or by appointment to plan out your classes. Like drek’thar said, these issues that you have with Davis seem to be issues with you personally rather than the University. </p>

<p>“I also don’t like how Davis is isolated as a town and makes it hard for me to explore any opportunities that a city might offer in terms of research or internships. Especially because I will never have a car at Davis so I won’t have a good source of transportation to internships.”
-Fair enough. Good reason if you are applying to a school in a big city. Still, Davis is only ~20 minutes from Sac so it would appear that you are right next to a haven of opportunities. </p>

<p>“Also, because I’m out of state I’m still paying a similar tuition to what I would be paying at a private school but I’m also effected by the California budget crises so my classes could get potentially cut.”
-Well duh, that is your biggest reason right there. I find it incredible that anyone would pay OOS tuition to a UC campus considering the budget cuts and cuts to programs. </p>

<p>“Also, I don’t feel that I get along well with Californians (who make up 98% of the school) and their lifestyle which really takes away from my social experience at the school.”
-Seems like a strange reason and will definitely make you appear bitter. Not sure what you mean by disliking Californians. </p>

<p>“Finally, I don’t find the school academically challenging or interesting enough to really get me to where I want to be in terms of being able to do good work, not get distracted as easily, and want to further explore what I learn in the classroom.”
-An okay reason if you end up with straight A’s/A-'s. Don’t say its not challenging enough if you end up with a 3.5 after 4 quarters.</p>

<p>All and all, you should focus on the qualities of each University you are applying for since it appears you havn’t fully researched the schools on your short list yet. It is always recommended that applicants don’t bash their current school because it usually comes out bitter. The budget problems in Cali / OOS tuition seem like the most logical reasons for transferring for me.</p>