<p>Well, becoming a doctor or lawyer isn't an easy route to take, but I'd consider pre-law and pre-med students pre-professional. no career is really safe, unless we're talking about medicine/engineering/teaching because those will be needed no matter what. As for I-banking, consulting, and Big Law - well they're certainly not safe careers as of now :) </p>
<p>Lecaf, are you a Cornell student? If not, you implied you go to an Ivy - is a 3.7+ very difficult for a liberal arts major? thanks</p>
<p>That's not exactly what I said - the route to becoming a doctor or lawyer is easy to take. All you have to do is do all the 'right' things, check off all the 'right' boxes, and you'll become a doctor or whatever. If I asked you right now how are you going to become a well-published author, well, how are you going to answer that? That path is not well-defined - it's much harder to see. You also talk about safety. Well, success at the highest levels as seen in society requires risk. Risk abhors safety. You can't have it both ways. Most people are preprofessional because they're simply scared. But whatever.</p>
<p>I'm not a Cornell student (see location). I personally have a 3.7+, but I worked very hard to achieve my grades. General consensus is that a 3.5 is quite attainable with some ambition (we have an average school-wide GPA of 3.3ish), but basically a 3.7, 3.8+ and whatnot is pretty hell to achieve. You're up against some of the brightest and most ambitious students in the country. I really don't know how hard NYU is, but I can probably gauge from your classes. If you're already taking rigorous courses, then I wouldn't worry too much.</p>
<p>Oh, I see. I was thinking of which is harder intellectually (an idiot can become a best-selling author but not an engineer, doctor, attorney, etc). Yes, most colleges are teeming will pre-professionals then. </p>
<p>My dad went to Dartmouth and certainly didn't think it was easy. My current classes aren't rigorous imo. But I tend to do well when i'm interested, and my classes also bore the hell out of me. I guess I'll ask my Cornell friends about this. I suppose major has a lot to do with it as well - science majors generally have lower gpa's, and I'm studying liberal arts.</p>
<p>Lecaf, you seem to have very pre-determined notions of what an Ivy education is. I understand that you're a Dartmouth student yourself. If you deny the notion of attending an Ivy, at least in part, to learn for the sake of learning, that what makes an Ivy different?</p>
<p>You've implied several times now that you think my reasons for transfer are misguided. I have experienced firsthand and am dead certain that a more diverse atmosphere where students learn as much from one another outside of lecture as they do in class provides for a far better education in my case. I understand that in many cases, state school students can tackle an Ivy-curriculum (which is not that different), but it's the intellectual spark and desire for learning that (hopefully) really makes the difference between Ivy students and the rest of us. I also agree with the fact that we mean more to our education that the school name does. I've met good people at Bingh, but I am a terrible fit overall. What bothers me is the fact that you keep telling me that I am trying to transfer for the wrong reasons. Believe me, I gave Bing its fair chance and I have put an unbelievable amount of effort (like most people here) into thinking about and preparing my application. Still, only I can decide on what the right educational environment is for me and it saddens me that you would question my reasons time after time.</p>
<p>You are very judgmental, did you notice that? I know you are trying to get out of Dartmouth, but you have never elaborated on why. The majority of our conversation consists of you telling me I should be thinking/considering/trying more. Let's move past that - we have both worked hard, and I don't try to judge you or your reasons. I'd appreciate the same.</p>
<p>Of course not that's stupid</p>
<p>You do realize that whatever you post on an online forum is up for interpretation, and generally reflects the beliefs that you hold in real life? It's not my fault that you come across as irrational and distressed all the time. Not to mention, some of your assumptions are just plain incorrect.</p>
<p>You are being overly idealistic if you believe that the students at Cornell or Yale or Penn or whatever are generally stalwart intellectuals. The very noble notions that you speak of are there, but most people do not embrace them in practice. I myself go to an Ivy, and I have friends at every single one of the Ivies, and they will all attest to what I'm saying: That there's a very large preprofessional presence at each of the Ivy League schools, except for maybe Brown. Heck, go on the individual boards right now and ask the posters this. They'll tell you.</p>
<p>And it's great that you experienced 2 days at Cornell or whatever. I've been experiencing Dartmouth for almost 2 years now. The thing is, you are making up these ideas in your head that just don't follow in real life, and I'm just trying to tell you that that's not the way things work. You are allowing your temporal circumstances to cloud your judgment, and you're not really assessing WHY you're unhappy at Bing and IF your whole situation has anything to do with you. You need to look into yourself and ask what you really want, not make comparisons between schools, because no schools can provide you with the answers to some of the problems that I just see as plain obvious coming from you. For example, when you ask us for justifications without trying to solve a problem on your own. It all really makes me question your ability to get your act together for an Ivy. </p>
<p>Hey man, I'm just being honest. If you don't like it, you'll get eaten up by the gunners at the Ivies. Guaranteed.</p>
<p>I wrote about The Office in my "Why Cornell" essay because Andy Bernard is a Cornell alum. What are my chances?</p>
<p>Lecaf, AGAIN - you're talking about me the entire time. In your opinion, what makes the Ivy education different then? Why are YOU looking to transfer?</p>
<p>See, I don't run into this problem of putting up too many details about myself for others to scrutinize. My reasons are my reasons. I look for the characteristics that matter to me most (that obviously cannot be fulfilled at most other schools) - hence why I only applied to two schools. I'm just saying that when you talk about such a nebulous reason as an intellectual student body - which is such trite answer BTW, the adcoms know that their schools are not that awesome - you run the risk of leaving out some of the smaller details that you value. Now if you were to attach intellectualism to schools like UChicago or Reed, that would have been more valid.</p>
<p>But who knows, maybe your reasons won't matter. Maybe your stats and recommendations alone will get you into your 'dream' school. </p>
<p>But this was all bound to happen anyways. You were incredibly intent on leaving Binghamton from the get go, and because of that, you over-thought and over-strategized your application when the simplest thing to do would have been to actually go out and enjoy your University, honestly assess your needs, and address them in your package. But you clearly didn't. You wanted out so badly, and I feel like that attitude is going to hurt you even if you do get into the schools you desire.</p>
<p>You wrote that long post somewhere, and it had many of the right ideas, but I feel like you don't 'get it'; I feel like you don't really understand what you wrote. Something is holding you back, and I'm inclined to believe that it's not your school.</p>
<p>Just my $0.02.</p>
<p>Lecaf, you're just proving my points. You re scrutinizing and judging me, which you have no place to do. At the same time, you're keeping quiet about your own reasons, which for all we know might be a stupid as you make mine seem.</p>
<p>There's really no point for this. You seem to have decided that I shouldn't get in and that my reasons are all wrong. In the fall, you and I either will or will not be at our intended schools, and these conversations won't matter. </p>
<p>I'm not going to go on with this - it's just pointless. Good luck in your pursuits.</p>
<p>Lecaf Oz, keep it up, you might feel better about yourself someday.</p>
<p>Allright guys, thanks for all your input, even if half of you decided you'd rather analyze each others lives based on online forum posts :D</p>
<p>Anyway I think Lecaf brings up a good point about specific reasons to transfer. I'm guessing Viola, like most smart people, wouldn't post her very specific reasons on CC. This is basically how I wrote my "Why Cornell/JHU?" essay - I sat down and literally jotted down a list of stuff I genuinally like about the schools. Not an ideal Cornell or ideal JHU, but the real colleges as they are, with their imperfections and unique traits like any other school. Then I wrote about why these attributes appeal to me and why I value them specifically. Then I wove 'em together and made it an essay. The other essay was a lot more personal and about me. Now, I'm not gonna share specifics on a board full of gunners trying to get into schools like Cornell and Johns Hopkins.</p>
<p>It's the internet. I can do whatever the heck I want as long as I don't break the rules. And you just don't get it. My intended school, is whatever the one I'll be at. Maybe it's difficult for you to grapple the notion that I'm not ****ed off at my school. It's not the do or die situation that you think it is. This is not community college vs. good school; you're at Binghamton.</p>
<p>At around this time next year, you'll forget all of this. You'll be a student (hopefully by then), doing your own thing, at a college. You're freaking out (which is why you continuously try to justify yourself to us). Just go out and enjoy life.</p>
<p>Also, I see that elvis-troll is back. elvis-troll, how come you've never had one post of substance out of the 20 that you have? No insights - scurry back to your hole now.</p>
<p>Star, good points. Look, the bottom line is - don't worry about how you do at Cornell if you are accepted. Just do your best and how some confidence in your abilities. I understand that for law school admissions GPA counts a whole lot. I don't know anything about Law, I've never considered such a career. Nevertheless, humility is a very important aspect of intelligence, and if you have truly given so much effort to the transfer process, you will be fine.</p>
<p>I hope to get to see you at Cornell next year!</p>
<p>Anyways, here's a little bit of reality:</p>
<p>Obviously, these are all biased, but it's a good source to get alternative viewpoints. You can look up Cornell too.</p>
<p>Thanks Viola and I wish all you transfers best of luck.
Lecaf, for some reason CC doesn't let us link to other sites but if it's a site with negative comments about colleges like Cornell - well, you can find those negative comments here on CC too. I mean basically everyone realizes that each school has its flaws and positive attributes. For those applying, the positive things outweigh the negative. I know Cornell and JHU both have flaws, no one's idealizing them here, but that doesn't turn me off to those schools. I've decided i'll just apply and see how things go. if they reject me, it'll be easy, if they accept me, it'll be a harder decision to make.</p>
<p>I know you realize those flaws StarG, and I really have no issues with your posts usually (that is, you have very rational and explicit reasons for leaving NYU). Your attitude is the one I've been trying to point out, but for lack of any better words.</p>
<p>I'm just not so sure about Viola though...</p>
<p>I have Duke beating Bing in my bracket.</p>
<p>Don't even get me started on Dook.</p>
<p>Lecaf,</p>
<p>You say that pre-law and pre-med students are scared. Then you go on to say that law and medicine are really just numbers games. Then you go on to say that getting a 3.7+ is the most difficult thing because you are going up against the brightest students. You do realize this, correct?</p>
<p>I don't think that the pre-law and pre-med students at any school would appreciate you calling them "scared" because they are pursuing a rigorous endeavor, albeit a well-defined one. I certainly don't. </p>
<p>Take a transient third-person perspective. I think you will find that your condescending opinions have lost a lot of their value on this forum.</p>