Last year (my senior year of high school), I got a guaranteed transfer from Cornell, and I recently found out I’ve gotten in. Mount Holyoke is where I’m going to now, and I’m really confused about whether I should transfer or not. Even though Cornell is an amazing school, I’m unsure about restarting in a completely new environment. At Mount Holyoke, I have a research position next year and I’m on the board for many clubs, I’m even the cochair for my dance team! Basically, I really like Mount Holyoke and I feel like I have a lot going for me there.
While I also loved Cornell when I visited and since I’m premed I feel like it would have a lot of opportunities for me, I don’t know if it’s worth leaving behind everything I have at Mount Holyoke.
Everyone around me, however, thinks I’m being absolutely crazy to even think of turning down an Ivy League education. What should I do?
If you are happy and doing well at Mt. Holyoke I think it is perfectly fine to stay put. FWIW my D’s good friend ended up staying at her initial college where she was very happy rather than use her guaranteed transfer to Cornell - she never regretted her decision.
Agree with @happy1- you are blooming where you are planted!
Now that you have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it in to Cornell, you have a choice between a place that you know to be a happy one for you, and an unknown. Basing that decision on a label (especially one related to a sports league!!) is not rational. You are getting a “Seven Sisters” education, and it is no dimension inferior to Cornell. Your med school prospects will be in no way disadvantaged (and there are plenty of people who will tell you that it is likely to be an advantage to stay).
“Everyone around you” isn’t you, and they aren’t the ones living your life. This is as good a time as any to follow your own true North.*
*unless there are meaningful debt differences, of course.
My kids went to Cornell. They knew many transfers who integrated very well at Cornell. Cornell does a very good job of orienting transfers. They put the transfers in one dorm so they could make friends easily.
Both of my kids were dancers (20 hrs/week in high school). There were so many dance clubs, from hip hops to traditional ballet, that my kids joined different clubs. I had the pleasure of seeing many of their performances.
It is a great opportunity to go to a school like Cornell, you should really think hard before you turn it down. I wouldn’t stay just because it’s comfortable.
My brother was WL at Cornell many years ago. The day he showed up at Tufts, he was offered a place the following spring. He took the offer and thought it was the best decision he ever mad. Interesting enough my older one was also WL at Cornell and admitted at Tufts. She did get off the WL and had the best 4 years at Cornell.
Thank you everyone for the replies! Yes, I do realize that from what I said it seems like I should just stay at Mount Holyoke but part of me is also worried that Cornell could offer me something more or that I could have better opportunities there. Many people close to me have said that going to Cornell will be better for me to get into medical school. However I feel like I could still get into a good med school if I do well at Mount Holyoke? But I don’t know if I’m right about that
There might be times when it would be a good idea to consider rankings and associated aspects (for example, the significance of Ivy League or Seven Sister affiliations in your case) when choosing a college. However, when a school has an excellent and clear academic identity and atmosphere of its own that’s clearly working for you, comparisons to other schools with perceived stronger reputations can be counterproductive. You have only one opportunity to experience four years in an exclusively undergraduate oriented setting. Consider your favorable experiences at MHC over the last year, as well as the exciting opportunities you have in store for next year, and you may find that you have already made your decision, you are simply looking for verification from us.
You didn’t say the major you’ll be choosing, but Mt. Holyoke has a top biology program, as does Cornell. For undergraduate studies, it probably makes the most sense to think of these schools’ programs in this field as equivalent, though their emphases may vary of course.
ARGHH!
“I feel like I could still get into a good med school if I do well at Mount Holyoke? But I don’t know…”
really?!
First of all, you are going to have to be a lot more sure of yourself.
One more time: in the real world, you are not settling at all academically by going to Mount Holyoke.
Cornell will not, in itself, be any better for getting in to med school than Mount Holyoke (paging acknowledged CC med school expert @WayOutWestMom for confirmation…)
For med school, the keys are top grades (overall & in the pre-reqs) + MCAT for the first cut, followed by some form of exposure to the medical field (lots of ways to get that) and developing the ‘competencies’ that they are looking for (again, you get most of them just by doing the things you are doing anyway).
I am not trying to dissuade you from going to Cornell- one of my collegekids is there right now. It’s a very good school. BUT: it’s not magic! It has it’s good and bad points, like every place. And you won’t have “better” opportunities there. You will have a lot of the same ones, some different ones (but probably not that different), more of some- and less of others. For example, if you transfer you certainly won’t have a research position in your first term (possibly your first year) there- those assignments (same as at Mount Holyoke) have already been assigned for the autumn term. This I am pretty certain about, as my collegekid (who is actually now gradschoolkid) has already done the assigning for her lab for the autumn- for both undergrads and Masters students (note the benefit of being at an LAC- no grad students to compete with).
So, DON’T choose it because “everybody” says it will be better. Being where you can shine, where you are happy, where you are successful in your schoolwork will help you. Being where your LoR can truly say ‘this is a standout applicant’ will definitely help you. The word “Ivy” won’t.
@collegemom3717 is right. The name of you diploma is by far the least important item on your med school application. Your GPA, MCAT, ECs, LORS, personal statement, your comportment during interviews, your written and oral communication skills, your people skills, you leadership skills–literally just about everything is more important than where you graduated from.
The Cornell name on your diploma also won’t get you a GPA boost when adcomms are reviewing your application.
I don’t care one or the other about whether you transfer or not. But if you’re transferring because you think the prestige of the Cornell name will increase your chances of gaining a med school admission–it won’t.
RE: opportunities at Cornell–be aware that Cornell’s med school is in NYC–4 hours away-- not Ithaca. What are the opportunities for clinical volunteering in Ithaca? I don’t know, but its something worth asking about/investigating before you commit yourself to transferring.
What Cornell offers that is different is a huge course selection, and a huge variety of things one can learn about. (That is, without bussing to U Mass or whatever).
That may be somewhat tempered by in-college credit requirements of the college you are matriculating to (I assume a contract college) . So one thing would be to check the particular course and credit requirements you would be subject to.
Another thing it has that is different is boys. (That is, without bussing to U Mass or whatever).
My D2 transferred in to Cornell (not GT) and had a great experience. But she only did that because she didn’t like the school she was at initially.
Transfer to a different college is always a risk. You may not meet the right group of people. You may not get in to the same extracurriculars. You might not do as well there as you are doing where you are. You just don’t know.
If it were me: if I liked where I was, and where I was is a perfectly respectable school, and as far as I could tell the future there also looked bright, I would not transfer. There isn’t enough upside to justify the risk. If you graduate from MHC and do great there you will probably do well for yourself.
I’m a Cornell grad and loved my time there. That said, it sounds like you are really loving MH. Personally I think there will be more competition at Cornell for med school and you might be better off staying at MH if that’s your long term goal.
I always thought of the women at MH as amazing. Always impressive on a resume and considered it an elite and academically challenging school.
Just a really articulate and cultured group. Not sure why anyone doing well academically would leave , especially one who is also thriving socially.
No knock on Cornell. But it’s like having a wonderful relationship and considering breaking up to date someone a little more attractive, subjectively, but no idea what their personality is like. Imho.
If you’ve found your community and are actively pursuing research at Mt. Holyoke, you should definitely stay there. I’m speaking as a Cornell grad btw.
Although I joined CC as a parent, I am also a physician on the med school admission committee for my state medical school. Listen to WayOutWestMom. Among the many, many standardized criteria by which we judge our applicants, the name and prestige of their undergrad institution is NOWHERE on the list. Truly. At my state school at least, it really, really doesn’t matter.
Leadership, on the other hand, DOES matter. You said that you’re already on the boards of several clubs at MH. You would lose those leadership positions if you transfer now, and they may be harder to replicate at Cornell since you’d be a year behind and it’s a much bigger school. More students = more competition for leadership spots.
Finally, you haven’t told us about your financial situation. Any need-based aid at MH would likely be matched or even exceeded by Cornell. However, if you are receiving merit aid at MH, you would lose every penny of it if you transfer to Cornell. If the latter situation applies to you, that should weigh heavily in your decision, and argues strongly in favor of staying at MH. Med school debt is truly crushing, so minimizing your undergrad debt is critical.
My now son in law turned down a transfer opportunity to a highly ranked college from his lower ranked LAC. It was a tough decision, but he decided to stay at the LAC. He thrived there - graduated Phi Beta Kappa, got a very good job he likes, and had great friends and mentors from his college experience. I’d say if you are happy socially and feel academically challenged, stay right where you are. If you have strong grades and do well on the MCAT, your med school chances are very good. It could be harder to pull good grades at Cornell, too. My SIL and I were just talking about this, and he says he has no regrets about staying at the LAC. He says now he’s glad he didn’t let his ego drive him to change schools.