Advice on whether I should transfer out of USC and where to?

Transfer Students
1

<p>So I'm a freshmen at USC (Marshall) right now and though the school is great, I still don't think it's the right place for me. I had hoped to go to NYU (Stern), but was unfortunately rejected. I've met many friends and been in classes for 5 or 6 weeks now, but I just don't feel like USC is for me. I could probably make do, but I don't think I'd be as happy at USC as I could be at some other schools. So here are some stats (mainly HS, some tentative college) and maybe I can get some suggestions for schools to consider transferring to?</p>

<p>(HS Info) (Very competitive NJ Public school)
SAT: 610 CR 730 M 750 W
SAT2: 760 Math 2, 560 Bio, 640 Chem, 530 French
ACT: 33 (32 E, 34 M, 31 R, 35 S, 30 E/W, 9 Essay)
GPA: 4.2 (W)/4.3 (HS did some wacky calculation)
GPA (UW) (recalculated for a 4.0 scale): 9: 3.68, 10: 2.94, 11: 3.42, 12 (1st quarter): 3.78 (12 ended should be around there) (most classes were AP/Honors for all 4 years)
Rank: Not released, but top 20% (might have snuck into top 10% with last year, but not positive, school does rank by deciles which would account for large difference, definitely top 15% though)
ECs: Nothing spectacular, mainly music and then a few other odds and ends
(Just for reference to GPA, even out valedictorian did not graduate with a 4.0 UW GPA for any specific year, always had at least 1 A- or more)</p>

<p>(College Info)
GPA: Well yeah, none ATM, lol. But for the classes I'm taking I'd estimate I'd estimate anywhere from a B to an A- in all of my classes for this semester.
ECs: Still lackluster, lol, but I have joined a few clubs.</p>

<p>Yeah, so still not a lot at the moment to go off of, but maybe I can get some opinions/suggestions? If I applying to NYU (Stern) and Stanford, what would my chances right now be?</p>

<p>Oh, and quick question, one of the prerequisite requirements for NYU (Stern) is Calc, however, I passed out of it (at USC) from AP scores. Would I need to plan to take it next semester if I'm transferring or will the AP credit be enough for transferring?</p>

2

<p>Could it be that you want to transfer to NYU Stern primarily because you were rejected? Why are you unhappy at USC? Trying to transfer to Stanford without a very compelling & convincing reason may be quite difficult. Why would NYU Stern accept you as a transfer if they rejected you initially? Wouldn't you need a compelling reason & near perfect college grades? Although your post shares a great deal of information about you, it leaves out critical info. on why you want to leave USC & why Stanford or NYU. Another way to look at your situation is to apply as a transfer to NYU Stern on the basis that it is closer to home & to where you want to work since your prior application clearly demonstrates strong & unwavering interest in NYU Stern.</p>

3

<p>It's not that I'm really depressed or anything with USC. It's a great school with many great people. It's just the atmosphere is not what I was expecting. I expected it to be filled with driven individuals, but it seems like many people just care more about partying and not showing up to classes or doing any work. Also, I had heard people talking about how great LA was, but it seems that for the most part, it's nearly impossible to go far off campus without access to a car. It seems for those who stay on campus, their days are governed by either drinking and partying or with football, both that are fun, but can only hold my attention for so long.</p>

<p>Well Stanford was always my "dream" school. Academically the people I met when I visited were driven (a trait I'm surprised isn't more common at USC), relaxed atmosphere (not so much to the extent it seems as USC where it almost seems like people never do work....), as well as the givens of top sports programs and excellent academics. But I knew out of HS that I really didn't stand a chance, so I did apply for fun, but without any hope. But I figured it was worth a shot since it had been my dream school from the day I moved to CA (in 5th grade).</p>

<p>And as for NYU, it was my top "reasonable" choice. I love the city life in which it was so easily integrated into the school(which I never realized was so restricted at USC) and I'm not really sure what exactly about it, but every time I went to visit, I would get a sort of tingle of excitement and the whole vibe/atmosphere just felt right. Idk, it's hard to describe really. Not to mention it does have a very good business school which helps too. But yes, even if I stay at USC, I would most likely try and pursue some graduate studies on the East Coast because eventually I would love to work in New York, maybe Boston, and truthfully I'm not sure how well a USC degree would hold up compared to a NY/MA/PA degree. And being closer to home would be nice, but not really one of my "major" priorities.</p>

<p>In regards to why they would take me as a transfer when I was rejected initially, I'm not really sure. The only factor that I could see would be to see my final senior year grades to show that continued improvement in my grades after a dip my sophomore year, despite taking more difficult classes</p>

4

<p>My opinion is that applying to Stanford is not a good use of your resources. Your concerns regarding USC are typical. You should apply again to NYU Stern on the basis that it is and always has been your first choice school. Consider Fordham University. The Univ. of Michigan Ross School may be an option as Ann Arbor is a wonderful city for students, the university is quite large & the campus culture will be much different than at USC. Tufts & Northwestern Universities are other options to consider if you are willing to major in economics. Certainly the Univ. of Chicago has intellectually motivated students & the best economics program in the country. Penn's Wharton School of Business. Also you may want to check out UCLA since you are in the neighborhood. Babson. The University of Wisconsin at Madison. Cornell is rural, but accepts lots of transfers, is a large university with a very different culture than USC. Boston University may interest you.</p>

5

<p>Thank you for all your input ColdWind. Yes, if I decide in a few months that USC still doesn't feel right, I will most likely put most of my efforts into the NYU transfer application. By any chance, do you happen to know about the prerequisite question I had in the first post? And would you have any other suggestions for schools I may want to look into? (I had also applied to BU which I loved as well which is very similar to NYU, but ultimately decided to go to USC because I thought the opportunities offered upon graduation at USC would outweigh going to BU, I know probably not the best idea, but that's what my parents and I agreed upon a few months ago)</p>

6

<p>No, I don't know the answer to your Calculus question. Another school that is right in the city is the Univ. of Pittsburgh--a state school that used to be a private school. Pitt is really seeking out top students. Students love both the city & the university. Pitt offers a lot of merit money, although I don't know if transfer students are eligible (my best guess is that they are, however).</p>

7

<p>Hm, well I'm have to look into the Univ. of Pittsburgh then! Yeah, unless I'm getting into Stanford or some other school of equal calibre that I could never say no to, I think I'd prefer a school where having easy access to the city is a must. Hm, at the moment though, I worried too much if I receive merit money, but I will definitely have to check into Pittsburgh. Thanks for all the help!</p>

8

<p>L.A. is not New york, why'd you expect? Get a car!</p>

9

<p>Well that's easier said than done at the moment. Anyways, I don't want to have to deal with having a car at the moment.</p>

10

<p>So what kind of grades do you guys think I'd need to receive to stand a chance at NYU Stern?</p>

<p>And any other suggestions for schools that I might want to look into?</p>

11

<p>bump (10 char)</p>

12

<p>Wow! I'm a freshman at USC right now too, and have about the same feelings as you do about the school. Except I'm an art major.
Definitely been playing with the idea of transferring east. The feel just isn't quite right.
Good luck to you if you decide to apply to NYU and such. :)</p>

13

<p>More spots for the transfers. All my freshie USC friends are partying it up on the row all the dang time. I think greek life = necessity at USC.</p>

14

<p>is USC really that laid back?, I mean yeah I know it isnt a Stanford or anything but USC is still the 27th best school in the nation according to USNews so you would figure there would be some driven students that balance both schoolwork and partying, and all the students that do party all the time without doing any work will probably be weeded out by the 2nd sem</p>

15

<p>OP seems really depressed that NYU Stern rejected him, and this is his way of dealing with it. "Should I try to apply to Stern again?" Stop talking about it, and do it already. Make your own decisions in life, only you know what's best for you. </p>

<p>And no, USC greek life is not a necessity at USC. People like to have fun on Thursday nights, just like everywhere else. Look at Yale, they party their butts off on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays. I was pre-med at USC, graduated with 3.7 GPA, a member of 5 honor societies, and also a fraternity member. And, believe me, as pre-med, I studied my butt off to the point that I had people telling me I was dedicated to school. </p>

<p>To art history major person, try taking a pre med class next semester, like Bio 220, and you will know what college is all about. HARD.</p>

16

<p>There are people at USC who don't party every week. My daughter and her friends have been to a frat party once, the first week of school when USC students were rushing for frat/sorority.
She and her friend felt these parties were not for them and have not been back. She does go to club in LA though every week when she is not busy with midterm and exam.
At USC, they don't hand out easy As either, so far her grades are B+ and she studies a lot, a lot more than what I would like her to. She has 3 Thematic Options classes, which is a real killer.
I think most students that did not have the grades to get into Ivies and the top 10 schools directly from high school, now that they get better grades at USC and they like to transfer up. If USC is not the right environment then why not transfer to some school in the East Coast, Midwest with the similar ranks. But what I've read here on CC is that these students all like to transfer to HYP and Stanford. Please get real. The statistics to transfer in as a junior/sophomore is even harder then to apply as a freshman.
The only hope these students have is that this year with the bad economy, some kids will drop out of the top 10 schools due to financial reason.</p>

17

<p>Oh, you too dreamnpretend? Like USC is a good school, but it just doesn't seem right to me. But thank you, and I hope you are able to find what you're looking for too.</p>

<p>I don't think greek life is a necessity, but it definitely is a major activity. Like there are things on campus, but yeah, it does seem like a lot of the activity on campus revolves around the row.</p>

<p>Well I'm sure there are people who do study like ALL the time, but I'm not looking for them, lol. And yeah, maybe by next semester it'll be a bit better if the heavy partiers get weeded out, but won't they most likely be placed on academic probation before they're kicked out?</p>

<p>And superdrive021, while I would love to be accepted at NYU, I want to know if it's realistic or not. If there's no chance right now, maybe it'd be better to stay an extra year at USC and work my butt off instead. And I was also looking for suggestions of other schools that might be good for me.</p>

<p>And columbia_student, though I would love if I got into Stanford and maybe some of the Ivies, I know it's not realistic. If I was a Trustee scholar and had chosen USC for financial reasons, ok maybe, but that wasn't me. I was just hoping for some suggestions.</p>

18

<p>dude, you don't deserve that spot !</p>

19

<p>Superdrive, I AM a Pre-Med student, as well as an artist. I think I understand the meaning of hard work.</p>

<p>USC is great, but the scene is definitely not for everyone. </p>

<p>Maybe this winter break/summer you can spend it at NYU or some other prospective school to see if you really want to transfer.</p>

20

<p>LOL, why don't I deserve my spot? I applied, got accepted, and paid tuition. I think I deserve it.</p>