<p>I thought of another one - local NMF started at Boston University as a music major. She decided to switch out of music (not sure of her new interest - maybe history?) and wanted a more intellectually challenging environment. After taking a year off, she is transferring to Wellesley.</p>
<p>Friends DS transferred from SUNY to local community college because he didn’t like the campus food! I’m sure that’s just symptomatic of not really being ready to leave home.</p>
<p>AAli4REAL- Thanks. This is my concern with some of these excellent, but huge universities. The “machine” has just gotten too big. My niece ran into some of this at Penn State, and I have heard this before about Texas. I can see why it isn’t the right fit for a lot of kids, even though it is hard to pass up when it is your state school.</p>
<p>What about Tech over UHouston? I have heard that the “machine” at Tech works better.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild, I am interested in Texas Tech but at this point, being a sophomore who has attended two schools in two years, I want to settle down in one place and “get into” my major.</p>
<p>College has so far been one of the most overrated experiences in my life. I went in thinking that I would be taught by professors who cared more about the subject they were teaching rather then worry about being laid off due to the schools budget cuts (which are unnecessary) or being tenured.</p>
<p>Maybe UT Austin is not for me but from what I noticed UT Austin only cares about its ranking according to US News & World Report, how much grant money they get from the state and federal government, and attracting minority students (which they go out of their way to attract to the school).</p>
<p>UT can BECOME a better school by serving its undergrads, but I feel that we’re just ignored.</p>
<p>U of Houston is nearby where I live and is a favorite place for accounting firms to recruit from so this is my plan if I can’t get into McCombs.</p>
<p>D’s friend got into UNH. Was not her top choice - she seemed happy enough the first year. Talked of going back the second year - but suddenly took a semester off. Then transferred to Simmons. She always did want a girls-only small school - so guessing she was kind of “making do” for the first year at UNH, but didn’t really like it.</p>
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<p>But that doesn’t explain why a school like, say, Franklin & Marshall has a 6-year graduation rate of 79.0% while many similar schools with student bodies of similar academic qualifications and socioeconomic profiles, e.g., Connecticut College, have graduation rates in the high 80s (88%, to be exact, in CC’s case). Entering class SAT scores and class ranks are almost identical at these two schools. Both schools draw from a pretty high-end demographic, with only 37% on financial aid at F&M, and 41% at CC; both have reputations for being heavily populated with well-to-do prep school types. Both schools claim to meet 100% of financial need. The schools have a similar racial breakdown (both predominantly white, both about 4% African-American, both about 5% Hispanic). So if it’s not academic preparation and not socioeconomic factors, something has to explain the discrepancy in the graduation rates. I don’t know those schools well so I don’t want to speculate, and I especially don’t want to pick on F&M; examples like this abound. But I suspect it has to be something about the culture at the place, or the educational experience, or the administration, or the food, or the town. That’s just too big a difference to hand-wave away. I just know when I see 6-year graduation rates in the low 80s or lower, I’d want to make a very careful inquiry before sending my kid there; especially at a small high-end LAC heavily populated with the “rich white kids” you’d expect to be graduating at a much higher rate, and are at the school’s peer institutions.</p>
<p>So… I got into Oberlin College EDI. It was my “dream school.” Now I’m transferring to Pitt. Oberlin’s classes and teachers were amazing. However, I felt outcast (in such a school as Oberlin, go figure). Plus, the administration was horrible. For $50,000 a year and rising, you’d expect the college to care a bit.</p>
<p>Most colleges don’t care anymore. With many research universities you can expect a less then enthusiastic admin./advisers depending on your major.</p>
<p>My friend’s brother transfered from USC to Penn State after one term. </p>
<p>The neighborhood around USC is kind of sketchy and made hanging out off campus (without a car) difficult. He also didn’t want to join a fraternity, but found he had a very limited social life without being part of a frat. Penn State was also closer to home, and way cheaper. It just wasn’t a good fit for him; he’s much happier at Penn State.</p>
<p>I left UTEXAS as well, but for different reasons. </p>
<p>I was for the most part, very impressed with my professors and their teaching ability. Sure, I had some horrible ones, but I also formed some great relationships with a few professors and instructors who were well renowned in their respective fields. They cared about teaching. </p>
<p>However, I was extremely disappointed with the expectations in most “core curriculum” classes. There was a clear pattern of unchecked grade inflation. My writing skills deteriorated in college, the instructors/graders/professors clearly weren’t expecting much, and gave me great grades for mediocre work. </p>
<p>If you are not in an honors program, I agree with Ali4, you are ignored. </p>
<p>The advising, as with most large public schools, is useless. </p>
<p>The “diversity” at UT is strange as well, since the 10% admissions law creates a wide range of student ability. You have Asian kids with 1500+ SATs sitting in the same row as Hispanic kids with 1000 SATs (sorry to stereotype, but that’s usually the case). It sounds nice in theory, but in reality, it doesn’t work, and creates a great deal of tension, which contributes to the high degree of self-segregation at UT. Both the 1500 kid and the 1000 kid get screwed. </p>
<p>Another reason for leaving was that I live and went to high school near UT. I Wanna Get Away. It’s odd when your HS classmates parents are teaching you English Literature.</p>
<p>Hearing about more transfers. Seems like a lot this year.
Tulane to state flagship in the NE. This is a girl. Believe she had a nice scholarship too.
But all her roommates transferred too. It was apparently wonderful the first couple of months. Then it felt too far from home.</p>
<p>Washington and Lee to UPenn (this has already occurred. '08 HS grad. A girl. Wasn’t into the large Greek scene and the southern culture was a shock. A frosh boy we know there is quite happy tho. He is a recruited athlete.</p>
<p>navyarf I agree with you!</p>
<p>Yes, not all the professors at UT Austin are bad. Also, UT switched to a plus/minus grading system to curb the grade inflations however I suspect the only reason this was done was so UT could compete with other top public schools when it came time to rank.</p>
<p>The top 10% rule, now top 8% rule for UT, is whack. UT goes out of its way to recruit and convince top minority students to come to UT. I know this because as a volunteer (I will not name the organization) we conducted phone calls with lists of students rated as “Top African-American candidates” and “Top Hispanic candidates”.</p>
<p>way back on post 68:
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<p>Oh, yes. Many seniors already know everything; and they are certain that their parents know very little. This can cause some problems!</p>
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<p>I just don’t know the two schools in enough depth to even hazard a guess. I would want to look at gender issues, academic departments, and grading/graduation requirements. I know that at number of the NESCAC colleges have extremely lenient academic requirements (D’s count as passing, etc.). The colleges I’m familiar with in the Centennial Conference have standards that require C averages and Cs in all courses after sophmore year to count towards graduation, so there will tend to be more academic weeding out. </p>
<p>I don’t know if the policies of the two schools follow suit in their respective conferences and, frankly, it would take more work than I care to invest to research it. Those are, however, the kinds of issues I would look at when you see differences within a narrow tier of schools.</p>
<p>For example, you will never see a six-year graduation rate of 97% at Swarthmore or Caltech. The academic programs are simply to rigorous for EVERYONE to make it.</p>
<p>I think the rise in transfers is a direct result of the current attitude that there is the perfect wonderful school for me that will make my life wonderful. Nobody knows how to adjust and make wonderful out of where they are. Everything is externalities. If you are unhappy the first reason is probably in the mirror. Can’t wait until they get real jobs. That will be a reality check.</p>
<p>Parents, have any of you seen a kid go from a tier 3 or tier 4 school to a tier 1 school (top 50) as a transfer student?</p>
<p>I am in those shoes right now and could use much help. I already submitted the applications for schools like Columbia, Georgetown, Cornell, Penn, and Washington University in St Louis.</p>
<p>Already accepted into Georgia Tech and UGA as a transfer but I want to get away from this state for my final two years of college.</p>
<p>I know someone who went from local CC to very competitive private (Tier 1 or 1.5, depending on who you talk to). If you’ve already submitted your apps & have already gotten some acceptances, not sure that you need all that much help, congrats!</p>
<p>What kind of help are you asking for & should you be starting a new thread? Not sure folks will find your query buried in this thread.</p>
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<p>Sure. Both Swarthmore and Amherst have specific programs to accept community colllege transfers.</p>
<p>Well the problem is this, I asked the people on the transfer forum to help me but the whole forum is basically dead. I do not attend a community college, I attend a four year tier 4 university.</p>
<p>Here is the full topic which has all the details, hopefully you guys can chance me and take the discussion there?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/870145-junior-transfer-chance-any-theses-universities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/870145-junior-transfer-chance-any-theses-universities.html</a></p>
<p>You can start a new thread in the Parents Forum. You will be able to see if any parents have had kids who have experiences or wisdom to share, if that’s what you’re seeking. </p>
<p>A friend went to our local flagship U (not sure what tier it is, but don’t think it’s high) and transferred to MIT, where she got her degree, back in the stone ages–70s).</p>