<p>I came to Duke with an open mind and put up with a lot of things I didn't like, but in the end I feel it's taking a heavy toll on my academics and overall happiness. I'd really appreciate some advice on whether I should transfer.</p>
<p>My top choice is Stanford.<br>
Last semester: GPA: 3.71, two intro level classes, 2 sopho/junior level classes. I also have a part time job.
High school: very competitive, GPA: 3.82, SAT: 740/800.</p>
<p>you've got a shot at Stanford, but it sounds like you really don't like Duke, so find a safety. Look at some other top 20 schools with high transfer rates. Stanford is something like 5%. :/</p>
<p>What's wrong with Duke? Are you sure that whatever you don't like at Duke won't be the same at Stanford?</p>
<p>I should've included what was bothering me about Duke. Before I mention the negatives I do want to do be fair and say that Duke has great academic advising and a generous fin-aid office. I also like the student size, being in a large school means you can find anyone of any kind. </p>
<p>What I didn't like was the large crowd of materialist, spoiled and excessive partiers/drinkers. I don't have a problem with pre-professionalism, but it worries me that people sitting next to me in what are supposed to be intellectually stimulating classes are only there for a future 6-digit salary. Then there's the spoiled kids whose parents come in to vacuum their dorms for them during breaks (of course this doesn't bother me directly, but these are usually the kids who come off immature and rude). I'd say 7/10 of the guys on my hall drink on pretty much any night of the week, even though East is a dry campus. I don't have a prob with drinking since it's on every college campus, but please don't do it on a dry hall and bust into someone else's room and puke on their bed. Also curious is that some of the students here never study (or average maybe 2 hours a week)- again, this doesn't affect me directly but when they're not studying, chances are they're hanging out outside my room at 3am on a weekday goofing off.</p>
<p>Phew, there goes my rant. Prospective students, please don't use my personal account as indicator of what the Duke experience will be like for YOU, chances are good that it will be entirely different depending on your own tastes.</p>
<p>Well, such information from a student's experience firsthand helps other people on this forum as well. </p>
<p>I say that you have a fairly decent chance to get into Stanford--your slight drop in gpa shows that you really dislike the environment at Duke. However, your essay (the one that asks why do you want to transfer to Stanford) must clearly reflect this feeling.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>It certainly can't hurt to fill out transfer applications. You can decide to stay if you want, and it would be a good idea to have options if you really do want out. A place like Swarthmore or Pomona might be a good place to start. </p>
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I'd say 7/10 of the guys on my hall drink on pretty much any night of the week, even though East is a dry campus. I don't have a prob with drinking since it's on every college campus, but please don't do it on a dry hall and bust into someone else's room and puke on their bed.
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There are plenty of freshmen like you, starting with Brown residents. I would suggest substance free housing next year; you get a different kind of community. </p>
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Also curious is that some of the students here never study (or average maybe 2 hours a week)- again, this doesn't affect me directly but when they're not studying, chances are they're hanging out outside my room at 3am on a weekday goofing off.
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In my experience, most people party Thursday and Friday nights and spend most of Sunday doing homework for the upcoming week. You may not see them, but there's a lot of people who study during the week. The basement of Lilly is one place a lot of people go. Yes, there is a lot of hanging out (and random late night frisbee/soccer games) in the halls- but I suspect you get a bit of that almost anywhere. Let your RA know if they get too loud. </p>
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I don't have a problem with pre-professionalism, but it worries me that people sitting next to me in what are supposed to be intellectually stimulating classes are only there for a future 6-digit salary.
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Well, you can certainly fix THAT. What kinds of classes are you taking? I'm currently taking a 200-level class as a sophomore in which I help to research and put together an exhibition of ancient art at the Nasher. In another of my classes, I'm learning paleontology and will get to work with real fossils, as well as going on a weekend field trip. Overall, I've been very impressed with the intellectual curiosity of the students in my classes. Certain majors (econ, biology, etc.) have a reputation for pre-professionalism that sounds like what you're encountering. I'd suggest taking some seminars as well as taking some liberal arts courses. I suspect that there's really not much difference in econ majors at Duke and Chicago, for all that Chicago touts its Common Core.</p>
<p>Make sure that you give Duke a chance. Your peers are still exploring their interests, who they are, and who they want to be. As freshmen free from parental control, there will be a lot of drinking and partying. It really does quiet down after freshman year, especially after pledge week is over. Yes, there are a lot of people who want to make big $ after graduation, but there's a lot of people who are actively involved in the Durham community as well. One group teaches science to underprivileged children, while another group volunteers at nearby schools. One group makes documentaries to bring awareness about struggling groups like immigrant farmworkers, and yet another group routinely volunteers at the Humane Society. Have you tried these groups? You might find people that you really click with.</p>