Finish undergraduate nearby or spend a few extra quarters at a better institution?

Transfer Students
1

<p>I need advice from someone other than my PI, my parents, good friends, or myself.</p>

<p>I originally attended a small top 50 LAC for my first 2 years and had to take a leave beginning this year because my financial aid substantially decreased and my family and I could not afford it anymore.</p>

<p>I applied to nearly all of the state institutions as a transfer for the winter 2010 quarter.</p>

<p>There are essentially 2 options:
A) I can stay and live at home, and attend a nearby 4-year institution of an extension/branch campus of the larger state university. It's regionally accredited, so it's not like it's one of those suspect online degrees. But academically, the campus is lacking and the faculty... well, compared to the faculty at my LAC, they are pretty mediocre. Less than mediocre. I am taking 2 courses right now, so it's not as this is just from looking at the website. I plan to either pursue an PhD or MD/PhD, and while the campus has a biology major, they don't have a biology department- rather just a "science department" that consists of all the sciences and math. The highest chemistry course they offer is organic chemistry (and I was really hoping to be more focused in biochemistry/molecular biology).</p>

<p>The PRO of this is that I can probably (hopefully) still graduate on time, or at least within a semester/quarter's worth of when I'm supposed to graduate (SPR'12). This is because they will actually accept a specific double course I took my first year at the LAC that was essentially introductory biology, chemistry, and physics packed into 1 course that counted as 2 courses. Since they're accepting this, I don't have to retake any of my introductory science courses again. Another benefit is that I can probably continue to work in a lab that I started to work in this past August at a major medical school (top 40 in research, top 10 in primary care) and that has been going well, and should be getting a good if not outstanding recommendation from once the time comes around.</p>

<p>The CON is that this school is really lacking in a rigorous academic curriculum. Plus what will graduate schools think when they see that I transferred from a well-known LAC to an extension campus? Basically I'm worried that they'll think I transferred because I thought it'd be easier. I'll admit, my grades from the LAC are kind of a mish-mash. My science GPA is about a 3.1 right now, my cumulative a 3.47... most of the reason my science GPA is so low is because of that introductory course (B- each semester, but the course counts as 2 courses, meaning B- x4 for the year...). I could give you a plethora of excuses for it, but I won't. My PI has tried to assure me that the institution you attend does not matter, and it is more based on your recommendations and GRE and the interview, but I'm still hesitant... plus living at home after 2 years of being independent (the past 2 summers I wasn't home either) takes a toll on you.</p>

<p>B) I can go elsewhere at one of the major state institution's, get better academic options regarding courses, majors, and better faculty.</p>

<p>Those are the PROs. I will probably also get better grades, so it'd boost my GPA a bit.</p>

<p>The CON is that those institutions will not accept my introductory course completely, and so I will have to retake at least some quarters of the introductory sciences. Which basically puts me back at square one for my degree, meaning really I should have just stayed at my LAC since I would basically be paying the same amount, having to stay at the state institution longer. Another thing is that I need to start at square one with my network again (regarding professors for letters of recommendation, staff, etc.). I would have to do this with Option A too, but with Option A I'm counting on being able to continue doing research in the lab I'm currently working at (which I really enjoy), and getting a great recommendation from the PI. Option A's school is also obviously smaller, so it may be a little bit easier to start up my network again.</p>

<p>So. What do you think so far?</p>

2

<p>(strictly my opinion, YMMV and all that. since i’m going through the admissions process now, i am probably not the best resource.)</p>

<p>Okay. I’m in Humanities (media studies, specifically) but what my advisor told me will probably still hold true for you. I am also on an MA/PhD track and I transferred in '08. Grad admissions committees should not care if you have to take extra time to finish a degree. </p>

<p>However, what grad admissions committees DO care about is course rigor in your undergraduate institution. So while your PI is correct that ad coms will not discriminate about being at an extension branch, they may look down on the whole “science department” situation. They may also look down at the fact that if you stay at the extension, you will only take up to orgo chem. </p>

<p>I think that you should go with Option B, but that’s my gut feeling. Another option would be to stay at A, but then work in a lab after undergrad and gain more experience. ANOTHER option would be to see if you can take graduate courses in your field at Option A to fill in for gaps in the undergraduate degree. Grad courses would show that you are qualified to do the work, have an understanding about biochem, etc. </p>

<p>This is just my opinion. Good luck with everything you do.</p>

3

<p>I vote for commuting to the branch campus.</p>

<p>1) You have a PI who is working in the field and who will be able to write a bang-up letter of recommendation for you. You have a PI who is in the field, and who has personal and professional contacts all around the country, if not the world. This is, like they say on the MasterCard commercials, priceless. </p>

<p>2) You have a decent, but not stellar academic record. In the smaller department at the branch campus, it will be easier for you to get the kind of grades you are capable of, and the academic letters of recommendation that you will need for grad school. Don’t worry about not being able to get all the courses you want. Some you may be able to pick up online, some you might be able to get in summer school or a guest semester at another universiy, and some you may be able to test out of because you are working in that lab.</p>

<p>3) Your PI and his/her buddies should be able to arrange for you to audit (or even take for credit) a couple of courses at the institution where you are working. That could fill in more gaps for you.</p>

<p>This of course is assuming that your real question isn’t “What do I do? I just can’t stand living with the folks for the next two years.” If that is really what it is all about, crunch the financial numbers and figure out a way to go to one of the state Us where you won’t be a commuting student.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>