<p>I am a sophomore chemistry major at Carnegie Mellon. My experience has gone from great to mediocre in freshman year and is dreadful now. I feel like I'm not connecting socially anymore and just don't feel happy. My friends at home and my family have all advised me to transfer. Let's assume this is set in stone for now. What other schools might I apply to that are of the same caliber (or close) as CMU? Financial aid is a concern of mine, my parents said they don't mind as long as I'm happy, but personally I feel responsible for helping them. Also, I would like a place with a curriculum similar to CMU, or somewhere that would be likely to take transfer credits. I live in New York and would like some place relatively close (Boston, Philadelphia, NYC). I got into JHU, Georgetown, and BC during senior year, but I'm not really interested in any of those three anymore. My friends have suggested UPenn and Columbia, but they go there and I don't want to be swayed by that. My GPA is 3.5, with 4.0 in high school and 1500 SAT. I do research and may be published sometime soon, but that is not definite. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Quick question, you don't have to answer if you don't want to:</p>
<p>What changed during the year? </p>
<p>Usually, after your first-year, most students stick with the group of friends they made as a freshman. Most kids start to focus on their major and buckle down--with the attendant reduction in social life.</p>