Hi, this is my first post here, so excuse me if I have made any mistakes regarding creating threads.
I would really love some input on colleges I should consider for transferring.
Background info on me:
Current College: Binghamton University
GPA: 3.96
Major: Physics
Relevant Classes: Calc I,II,III. Physics I and II(Calc-based). 2 CS courses.
Total Credits: 35
High School: Stuyvesant High School, NY
GPA: 3.3 (Poor Freshman and Sophomore Year)
AP Courses: CS, Calc AB, Physics B, Macro, Micro, World History, US History
SAT: 2200 (super Score)
M: 770 R: 720 W: 710
SAT II:
Math 2: 780
Physics: 760
Bio: 660 (Don’t know why I even tried)
World History: 760
Geographically I’d rather be in the East or West coast but it really doesn’t matter too much. I applied for this Fall to Cornell and was rejected, which was a bit heartbreaking. I only applied to Cornell and nowhere else and am slightly lost. Binghamton has a stronger focus on pre-med and bio students so I still think I should pursue a transfer. Thank you all in advance
Try Vassar. They guarantee meeting NEED for FA. You will still need to pay something and will end up with some debt, but they make sure that it’s not a burdensome amount.
Cornell’s FA isn’t superfab anyway . . . not sure if you’d be able to afford it.
Try Colby, Union, Grinnell as they also meet need. Haverford may also have funding.
I’m unclear about Wells College . . . they allow 2 classes at Cornell cross registration. It’s worth looking at their website. They’d definitely accept you but they may not have rigorous enough program for you.
On the West Coast, look at St. Mary’s of CA. They’ve been known to give aid (amount?) and they have cross registration with Berkeley, which may give you some additional classes.
@ErinsDad I agree that it is probably a long shot. I don’t fall into low-income category but unfortunately because of some family issues my college funds took a bit of a hit. It’s probably more feasible to think more as in 5-10k plus I’m willing to take on loans and do work-study.
@Dustyfeathers thank you so much for your suggestions. Thank you also for focussing on the FA as well as that it is one of the two biggest hurdles for finding a better school (Good physics program the other). Would you have any suggestions or tips on how to apply to some of these schools? I kind of had tunnel vision for transferring to Cornell and really neglected to think about anything else.
Look for schools that regard transfer students equally with respect to need-based financial assistance.
Hamilton states they meet need for all attending students (including transfer and international students). Their physics department and science building are both excellent.
RPI has a top physics department. I’m not familiar with their financial aid policies, however.
If your family is not low income then a school with good FA may not work either. $10K/year is still in the full tuition category ($10K is about what room and board costs at many schools). Can you afford to stay at Bing? Do you have a merit scholarship there? Are there other SUNYs that will work?
I would think many schools a the intro level of science courses will have a pre-med type of focus. The emphasis may well change if you take upper level physics coursework I’d try to talk to some physics professors when you get back next semester and see if you can get involved in research etc.
