Current freshman at an Ivy League (not HYP)
Hoping to transfer out
I made the stupid mistake of taking the hardest courses possible. Courses of interest are the hardest math and physics classes possible, and intermediate macroeconomics. My only grade released is from intermediate macroecon and is an A-. Projected first semester gpa is 3.3-3.4. Possibly a 3.55 if I’m lucky
Specific opportunity is not available to me at my institution that is available at others
other stats:
1550 new SAT
800’s on Math 2, Chem, Physics
Prospective math major
What schools can I get into?
The professors teaching the math and physics classes are writing me recs so I also feel obligated to continue the sequence. I will probably do better now that I got used to it. Is it possible to submit midsemester grades or have my professors write update letters on my performance?
Your stats should get you into just about any university. I wouldn’t stress over it. Just apply and see what happens. Also, there’s no shame in going to a big flagship university. They tend to have more resources and opportunities there, as well as scholarships.
update: so the curves on the online reviews were very wrong. I ended with a 3.077. Do you guys think it’s safe to drop physics? Will it look bad? It eats up most of my time and takes away from other classes. I could have a 4.0 for the midsemester update if I drop physics, maybe a 3.7 if I don’t
I recommend you to stick it out. A math major without physics is not very useful. Assuming that you do well after freshman, you may still get a 3.7 after college, which will be pretty good from an ivy.
By dropping physics I meant drop to the level below the hardest possible one I could take.
@WarriorJ do u mean i shouldn’t transfer? Do u think i can make a lateral transfer this year anyway?
Also I’m pretty much convinced that the rest of my college career will be 3.9+ because most of the upper classmen said that with my courseload everything becomes a walk in the park after freshman year.
I’m confused. Are you saying that your cumulative GPA is 3.07 after the first semester? If so, I strongly disagree with coolguy40 in that you will not be able to get into “just about any university.” (Little chance at top Unis with a 3.07).
The question is, why do you want to transfer? What is missing in your current collegiate experience?
The major that I want does not exist at my current school.
every College has a math major.
Im in an engineering school
@h0p3fultransfer I don’t think that you are giving us enough information, and much of what you are saying is vague.
For example “hardest math and physics classes possible” is not actually a clear description.
Similarly, with regarding to dropping physics I don’t see which physics you are taking, nor what else you are taking.
“What schools can I get into” is really not possible to predict without knowing a LOT more information.
The physics class I am taking is very similar to the 260-261 physics sequence at Yale. The math course I’m taking is very similar to math 25 at Harvard. I was considering dropping to the physics class immediately below because I’m not a physics major and the class is taking 30+ hours a week. It’s a physics class harder than AP physics C. I was also in intermediate macroeconomics and a calculus-based stats course. Next semester I’m taking the next semester of the math sequence, Real Analysis 1, Intermediate Microeconomics, and the physics class whether it’s the hard one or the easier one.
I was actually doing very well during the year. I had a 3.9ish before finals (because of midterms) and then I got a fever during finals and my GPA just plunged after that. I didn’t even know that going to medical services could let me postpone my finals, which is unfortunate.
Seems a lot of CC students point to illnesses this year.
So you’re a math major wannabe who chose an engineering program? And after a semester, you want to leave the college because you have a B average? Why? What’s the fixation on gpa? And how do you think another college (especially a lateral move) would make classes easier or wipe away this first year record?
Why can’t you just pick a better balanced courseload, going forward?
I can’t tell if you’re trying to accuse me of going to Columbia or you’re talking about College Confidential.
Either way, it’s not that the classes were too hard. I think they were just right for me. And the econ and stats classes were normal upper-div weed-out courses for freshmen with AP credit or upperclassmen. I took those two because I think learning econ is important for everyone period and my math interest is in probability theory. I was legitimately sick. And I’m not leaving because I have a B average, I’m leaving because I have to in order to major in math. I was just considering dropping to the lower physics class so when the mid-semester report has to be filled out, I’ll get a 4.0 guaranteed
Also, do admissions officer even recognize advanced courses I’m taking? Should their nature and difficulty be mentioned in a recommendation just in case?
Why not just transfer to the Uni’s Arts & Sciences college?
btw: you might as well mention the Uni, since you have already narrowed it down to 4: not HYP, semester system (excl. D), and has an engineering program. That leaves Brown, Cornell, Columbia, or Penn. And Brown has a flexible curriculum, so that leaves 3.
Regardless, ANY Uni that has an engineering school does math and physics well. What specific math-physics program are you seeking that your school does not offer?
Again, why do you really want to transfer, since claiming ‘academics’ is a real stretch?
If it is Columbia, it is not easy to transfer out of CoE to CAS.
^^And the OP should take that as a sign that transferring to another highly selective school is gonna be problematic.