Transferring (and basically wasting a year) because you know 10 people at the other school isn’t a good idea. It is quite likely that those 10 people will be part of 10 different friend groups. I think that you would be best served by concentrating on acclimating into PSU than thinking the grass is greener somewhere else.
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I understand. Indiana University has a different feel to it than Penn State.
Poets & Quants for undergrads ranks IU-Kelley #1 undergrad business school for academic experience.
IU-Kelley is strong for management, marketing, accounting, and one or two other areas of concentration. Smeal’s strength is in Supply Chain.
While IU-Kelley does not offer transfer scholarships, once admitted to Kelley transfers can apply for Kelley scholarships. (IU-Kelley offers a lot of scholarships.)
P.S. I have taken some time to think about your situation. I recommend that you transfer. IU-Kelley is among the best undergraduate business schools in the country. Very exciting place to be a business major with over 10,000 other undergraduate business students. Opportunities everywhere in everything one can desire within the realm of a business major.
Like you, I like U Washington-Seattle & Indiana University. I have spent the most time over many decades at Penn State in State College and it’s okay, but the campus culture is much different than Indiana or even U Dub. Transfer for a better undergraduate experience and a much better business school. Plus, almost certain that after admitted you will get a Kelley scholarship if you apply. I wish you the best. Go with your instincts as you have studied the matter extensively & all of your thoughts expressed in this thread ring true.
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Transferring may be right for this student - we don’t know - but I find this statement a bit off base personally.
How do you know the experience will be better and define much better b school.
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My questions matter: in order to have a different experience at Kelley than at PSU, we need to know what the OP is currently doing.
To benefit from what Kelley has to offer, and especially to have a shot at the hyper competitive IB workshop or Finance clubs, OP should be qualified for Hutton (much easier to do than Schreyer) and should have qualified for Sapphire or be reasonably working toward PLA qualification.
Without these, direct admission to Kelley is not necessarily better than PSU.
Socially and in terms of student experience, the answers would also be indicative and may help in indicating whether transfer is the right answer.
The 2 are overall similar (large state university, large campus with many majors, top notch business students…) but PSU’s system would mix students from many different majors for the fiest year or so (and Schreyer or Sapphire would provide specific benefits) whereas Kelley can allow the student to function within a mostly business-focused group. The competition is different as is the social environment. Pros&cons to both.
Finally… are both affordable? Is Indiana cheaper (for a transfer? Or a “new freshman” if OP withdraws?)
OP: are you currently taking 12 credits? Can you drop to 12 only to keep your freshman status in case you do decide to transfer?
(+ please answer questions in my post above)
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The link you provided doesn’t work - do you have it in an alternate format?
I encourage you to reread all of the posts made by OP.
OP- every minute you spend strategizing on transferring is a minute you are NOT spending getting involved in activities you love, meeting people who could become “your people”, or volunteering for a meaningful organization which is ALSO a fantastic preparation for a business career.
So hop to it. Come back in a month after you’ve given your current U a chance.
And guess what- there are kids at Kelley who are lonely, hate their major, end up “settling” with a job they aren’t interested in because they couldn’t get an offer at one of the more “prestigious” places they interviewed at. Companies don’t hire the college- they hire the candidate.
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I think it’s a friend thing. He’s likely lonely but that could be at IU with friends too. So many struggle - especially this early.
I see Penn State isn’t working - but IU is so I assume you saw that. It’s hard to tell but outcomes seem very similar. PSU might be a year older. Even in the Poets and Quants - one is 8, one 21 - not much a difference. I was expecting OP to say Iowa or Nebraska - when I heard Smeal I was surprised.
Here’s two links - the first is the report. If it doesn’t work, the second is to get to where you can click on the report. Sorry about that.
My files - OneDrive (sharepoint.com)
Employment Reports and Student Data – Business Career Center | Smeal College of Business (psu.edu)
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I realize your main problem is current social experience, but in case you’re interested in where the students end up right after college:
Kelley: 16% working in Philadelphia/NYC (+Pittsburgh), 42% working in Illinois (Chicago), 12% in Indiana, NJ 1%, VA/MD/Dc 1.3%, 3% in Texas, New England (Boston) 2%. 4.5% working in CA.
Smeal: 58% working in Philadelphia/Pittsburgh/NYC, under 2% in Illinois, under 2% in Indiana, NJ ~7%, VA/MD/DC 7%, 3% in Texas, New England 5%. 2.5% working in CA.
So, Kelley is a powerhouse in the Midwest and Smeal in the MidAtlantic.
If you want to return to CA, would you apply to your local CSU? (Only possible if you withdraw)
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OP: You and your dad realize that you are not at the school that is best for you. I understand and, based on your posted information, agree. Not even a close call really based on your shared information. (If you were intent on concentrating on Supply Chain Management and Logistics, my advice would be tempered.)
Understanding your lack of agency in this life changing decision is an important & mature observation. And, as you shared above, your current situation is adversely affecting your mental health. You will find a different campus culture at IU and an exciting culture at 10,000 student Kelley School of Business.
Because your dad supports you and because your concerns go beyond simple social concerns, transferring to IU-Kelley seems like a wise decision for your mental health, finances, and overall satisfaction in several areas. You will never forget these 4 precious years; it is rare to be given a second chance when that opportunity is, in your case, superior on several fronts and you lose nothing.
Trust yourself & trust your dad as you are both on the same page regarding transferring to IU-Kelley.
As noted by @MYOS1634, you need to decide whether you want to apply to IU-Kelley for freshman or sophomore standing. Consider contacting IU-Kelley admissions for guidance.
It takes insight & courage to admit a mistake and courage to correct that mistake. It seems clear that you have grown since entering college. Life is about choices.
If someone is having mental health challenges, they needn’t jump to transferring. They do need to go see a counselor as issues may be deeper. I wouldn’t go so far as to say jumping to IU is the prescription to cure this.
That’s different than homesickness, which OP may have and is suffered by thousands upon thousands on college campuses - likely a high percentage.
I’m not sure why you are crediting Smeal for Supply Chain and Kelley for everything. That’s not a serious comparison. Both are strong in many areas but given OPs situation, I’m not sure that’s relevant vs maybe finding someone to talk to and trying to get involved in clubs.
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Hello,
Thank you for the advice. I know if I was at IU or a school closer to home, like I initially wanted, I would be thriving right now as I am a very outgoing person and high school was an enjoyable experience for me because I was involved in so many things, as many users have suggested I do at PSU. Like you mentioned, though, the lack of agency in the decision to come here has led me to be unmotivated in entering this new school, which I am disappointed in myself for because this is my future and I know its something I have control over but just can’t seem to figure out.
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to entering IU as either a freshman or sophomore. If I withdraw this year and enter Kelley directly as a freshman next year, I obviously lose a year, which my parents are wary about. If I transfer after this year, I won’t be admitted into Kelley directly and I run the risk of eventually not graduating with a business degree if I don’t meet the requirements of getting into the school. As a result, although my parents realize that I should have gone to IU in the first place, they aren’t sure on whether trying to go there now is the right step going forward.
In a perfect world I would have put more effort into selecting a school for myself rather than blindly following my parents. I would have avoided this period of declining mental health that I am currently in. I am going to begin working with a counselor to see if I can figure something out as some of you have suggested. Nonetheless, I appreciate you all very much for taking the time out of your days to help me out in this situation. Thank you.
I’m sorry this is so hard for you.
Are you in Schreyer or Sapphire?
What classes are you taking?
Withdrawing and taking a gap year isn’t the end of the world. However, you need to have a plan for what you’d do - often it means a job in retail/service. You could take community education classes but NO credit-bearing classes. You could join a local sports league or a YMCA, attend events at your local library, volunteer. All your friends would be away at college (an oft-mentioned downside of students choosing gap years at home). Can you imagine that for yourself next year? Do you have a mental health provider at home?
You could look into a medical withdrawal, too.
How are your parents paying for PSU - out of pocket (income&savings)?
Which universities would you apply to if you tried to find another university that’s a better fit? (You can’t put all your eggs in the same basket).
I applied to Sapphire, but because I found the application late my letters of rec didn’t go through in time. For Schreyer, because I wasn’t initially planning on coming here, I didn’t apply when I applied to PSU through the common app.
There are a lot of choices people make in life. This won’t be your last disappointment. But it’s how you handle it that will matter. You’ll learn to overcome in life.
It sounds to me like you are creating an excuse to make you feel better. But what if you go to IU and don’t like it. Every year, we get these same threads for people at their dream schools. If you are having true mental health struggles, being in Bloomington will not cure this.
So what sub area of business interests you? You don’t need to have a business degree to do many jobs in business.
I’m glad you are going to go talk to someone. You need to do that no matter where you are.
PSU might not have been a choice you wanted (although you applied for a reason) but I assure you in 98% of cases, you’ll be fine in comparison - and the career data I posted shows this. Rankings are a funny things - and what they’re based on doesn’t necessarily correspond to real life.
Plus, now your parents have said - it’s not worth transferring- so either you go home to community college and reset in two years or, given that you just got to PSU, try to make a go of it. Being somewhere less than a month is not giving it a fair shake.
There are many others on campus with the same feelings you have. You’d likely have the same struggles in Bloomington. Get involved and give it a chance.
Meeting people helps cure a lot of ills. And reputationally, Penn State (We are, Penn State) is an institution known and respected world wide and there’s not many of those.
Best of luck.
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OP- and I mean this kindly- “lack of agency” is a great skill to master if you are serious about a business career. You interview for a job with a company’s headquarters in Chicago- and get an offer to start at a facility in Des Moines or Columbus. You are offered a promotion into a management training rotation- and your first overseas assignment is Manchester, UK not Paris. You get invited to an industry conference- last year it was in Rio and you’ve always wanted to go to Rio- and this year it’s in Atlanta and you’ve already been to Atlanta and have no desire to go.
This is a business career. Some things are out of your control, and you learn to make the best of it.
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Thanks for replying. It makes things harder indeed.
What classes are you taking?
I’m asking because you’re still within the Late Add/Drop period.
Are you part of a living-learning community?
Are you Smeal Pre-Major or DUS?
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I actually mapped out a whole plan of having a retail job, and I would be able to return to volunteering at the hospital that I was volunteering at before leaving for college. As far as taking a gap year goes, I know I would personally be able to make the most out of it. Unfortunately, and this may be a cultural thing(as my parents are immigrants), taking a gap year seems like a waste of time to them because no one we know has really taken a gap year and it is a foreign idea. Although I would rather be in college like the rest of my friends, mentally I can tell that staying on this path will have largely negative effects for me in the future. I can work with my counselor to talk to my parents and see what the best option for me would be.
To answer your question about other universities I would apply to, I would definitely apply to SJSU (my local CSU), as it was the school my mom and I decided I was going to before my dad had other plans. I know for sure it would be a better fit (as much as I hate to admit it, being a 6 hour flight from home hasn’t exactly made this process any easier) The only problem is at most schools I have lost my standing as a freshman because I have started classes at another university. In my research, IU letting me reapply as a freshman next year is a rare policy for universities.
My parents are paying out of pocket, which is another downfall because I would have been paying substantially less at SJSU.
Thank you.
This tells me - and it will matter for getting a job later and success - grit and persistence matter in life.
So please don’t do things half way…do the best you can each and every time.
Each school you applied to deserved your best effort - just like each class, each assignment in that class., each job interview, etc.
Good luck.