<p>Hello all, I'm new to this site so forgive me if I'm a bit unfamiliar with the way this stuff works. I also appreciate anyone who reads this (I have quite the situation on my mind). That being said, here's my question:</p>
<p>So, for some background...
I applied to Cornell University ED in the early months of my senior year. I am currently a freshmen in the class of 2015 with an intended major in engineering (specifically materials science). When the decision arrived, I felt very happy and flattered that I was accepted by an Ivy League school but to be honest, I never really knew anything about Cornell except that it was ranked as a top institution. The mentality of my parents was to get into the best school possible and go there no matter what. At the time, I agreed. I didn't feel like I had to visit the campus or get acquainted with Cornell on a personal level because of its ranking (my parents thought it was a waste of time to visit). I knew it was a good school academically so nothing else was really that big of a deal. </p>
<p>Everything changed when I arrived on the first day. It finally hit me that I was going to live in a completely different state with limited connections. I left literally everything I loved behind me in my home state of Colorado and I can still feel the repercussions today after 7 months. I never realized how important being happy with my life was for success. I was a straight A student in high school and I feel like that's mostly because I had great friends and a comfortable environment in which I could excel. The biggest issue I have with Cornell is that I literally don't have anything like that. There are some really great people here and I've made a few friends but I can't do well in a school that I don't like. I have a very loving girlfriend back in CO and keep in correspondence with her every day. She's what keeps me going; I feel like I would have gone insane by now without her. I study every day and don't party or drink. I never intend to either. I just feel ostracized and homesick all the time and I'm wondering if it's worth it to be here if I can't get over how much I hate it. I love Cornell's reputation but that's where my affection ends. There hasn't been a single day where I haven't woken up wishing I weren't here.</p>
<p>I perform pretty ok in class and earned the dean's list (with a 3.6 which is so-so with me), but all these accomplishments don't really mean much to me if I'm so unhappy. I'm an on-air DJ at the local radio station, but even just cranking out my old tunes gets me down. I realize I have to grow up and leave the nest sometime, but I really don't want to right now if it means I'm sacrificing my sanity. I count the days until I get to go home and visit my girlfriend and the friends I had from High School. It's all I have to look forward to. Getting an A on a test used to make me feel great but now it makes me feel even more unhappy. I don't even know how to explain it. Everything hurts me more. </p>
<p>Now, on to my solution (thank you for sticking with me so far, you're a very kind person for reading this)</p>
<p>Since the first week, I've had a sort of fantasy of transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder. My twin sister currently attends there and says she loves it. I love how happy she is and want to be the same way. I am scared of the future. I feel like staying here will only drive me further into depression. My schoolwork piles up but all I can think about is my next plane ticket home. I'm 100% happy in Colorado but literally miserable here. It's such a huge distraction and it's certainly been showing in my recent grades. I feel like transferring would give me the opportunity to open up to a real college life and experience everything I have missed out on. I don't feel motivated to even consider getting a summer internship because I have limited tim to be home and actually enjoy my life. It's just breaking me down as a person being here. I'm alone and studying- I don't even have time to do anything else.</p>
<p>Sorry about the drama, I'm trying to be as accurate as possible (once again, thanks for sticking with me). Bottom line: I think it's obvious I hate Cornell.
Now, here's the real question: Would transferring do me harm in my professional life? I know that I would be happy at UC Boulder (I visit quite a bit to see my sister) and this happiness is what will motivate me to do well. The way I see it, Cornell is severely hindering my social wellbeing. I'm actually scared about returning next year. The one thing that Cornell has is the ivy league title and prestige. I don't really have a personal issue with giving that up if it means I'll be a healthier and more motivated person, but what will the job market be like for me? I'm well aware that Cornell is the better school, but being in an environment with less academic competition seems like a good idea to me. I intend to go to grad school and have heard that in such a situation, the name of the undergraduate institution is not as important (I'm sorry for anyone out there that hears this argument daily). I just want to go somewhere I can be happy at and I'm thinking the University of Colorado is my best shot. What do you guys think? Should I stick it out or transfer?</p>