Just decided to transfer out of Penn. Need advice!

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey so this message may be long, but I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me out.</p>

<p>So, I'm a freshman at Penn. Since deciding to go here, I've gone through some huge changes and kind of self-realization. All in all, I really just don't like the people at Penn. I know that's a huge statement because it's a huge school, but I really don't like the vibes I get from the people and the environment. It's super competitive here, people really only care about grades and post-graduation plans. I mean I guess I knew Penn was "pre-profession" but it truly is. I've found many many people here to be conceited, putting down those who go to state schools or God forbid, community college (gasp!). The people here are so stressed out! I don't like being around it. I mean I know it's not everyone, but I want a school where the overall attitude is open-minded, liberal, free-spirited, and laid-back. </p>

<p>But, anyway I've decided that I'm gonna try very hard to make this semester work. I'm gonna join some clubs, meet new people, etc. But I'm also going to apply as a transfer student to other schools. By May I believe I'll know whether I want to leave Penn and where I want to go.</p>

<p>I really really like Colorado College. I'm also considering Brown, Wesleyan, and Pomona. just found out it's too late to apply to Berkeley :(</p>

<p>1) I got into a bunch of Ivies as a freshman applicant, including Brown. How does reapplying work? Does that give me a better/worse chance of getting in? Can some of my essays be the same as last years app? </p>

<p>2) All my classes first semester were lectures. I don't know my professors. Are recommendations important? Can I use high school teacher recs? </p>

<p>3) I got a 3.25 GPA first semester, which to me is great. Is the great to Brown? To Colorado College?</p>

<p>4) So I'm looking for schools not too rural. I just want people to be laid-back, chill, outdoorsy, hippy even. Any other schools like Colorado College, Brown, Wesleyan?</p>

<p>Thank you so so much for helping. I really appreciate it.</p>

2

<p>I thought Cal only took jr transfers anyway??</p>

<ol>
<li>The main change at many selective colleges is that the transfer acceptance rate is lower than the fr admit rate. A major difference with B is that for transfers it has need aware admissions and limited FA.</li>
</ol>

<p>You were obviously a competitive candidate as a fr, but I don’t think there’s any innate help or hurt in the fact that you were accepted as a fr. </p>

<p>If you look at the CA transfer application, you will see that the main essay is very different from the fr application.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Read the college websites for who can send in an Instructor Evaluation form. For the selective colleges it is generally a prof or TA, not a HS teacher. Colleges recognize that fr will have difficulty getting strong LORs, so it’s more likely that a very strong one will help you, but an average one won’t hurt you.</p></li>
<li><p>OK for CC, not so much for B, W & P.</p></li>
<li><p>Macalester, Reed, Lewis & Clark, Pitzer, Vassar, UOregon.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>I think your GPA might be a tad bit low for Brown, so if that is your top choice in the end, definitely do well next spring.</p>

<p>And I understand that you may not like Penn, but it is an excellent school, and who knows, you may warm to it eventually.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

4

<p>I would also recommend Macalester and not rule out Wesleyan if you could write an awesome essay. It’s easier to stand out when their are less applicants, and less people apply to LACs – at least compared to Brown, etc.</p>

5

<p>Penn is my dream school…</p>

6

<p>I don’t mean to put down Penn. I just wanted to explain my reasoning for transferring. That being said, most people absolutely love it here and are extremely enthusiastic about the school. It’s just simply not the environment for me. and maybe i’m just not looking hard enough for the right people (i just don’t know sigh…)</p>

<p>but another question: does anybody know about resources students can get at their current school for transferring? i mean i know schools don’t like students transferring out, so what kind of advice and help can i get here? thanks!</p>

7

<p>I completely understand what you’re going through, I have close friends at penn who are similarly appalled by the student body’s condescension. I suggest you look very carefully at Pomona. I was admitted there as a freshman and it seemed like an intellectually stimulating environment. I am sure that you will blossom at Pomona.</p>

8

<p>Other than CCs, I haven’t heard of schools helping students with transfers, they aren’t hostile, they just don’t really have resources for it.</p>

9

<p>I know a 3.25 is good for you, but as a transfer (even from Penn) that GPA will not allow you to transfer “up” in a sense. I think your choices of Wesleyan and Pomona are good because I think they might except you based on the Penn brand name and NOT your GPA. </p>

<p>However, the competition for Brown is so intense that you need to have a 3.8+ to be competitive. Also I’m taking this information from what an admissions counselor told me through an informal phone call, and on the Yale website (a school comparable to Brown in terms of selectivity) it says you should really have a 3.8+ to be competitive. </p>

<p>Also Brown is “super” need-aware in that it HURTS you if you apply for FA. I’m not saying that’s how it should be, but that’s how it is. My personal opinion is that you should stick it out in Penn for another year. Join some hippy clubs, groups, or intramural sports. Try and branch out a little bit and make Penn work for you not only socially but academically. (Try and get that GPA as close to a 3.5 or above as possible!) If all goes to hel, and you still don’t like Penn, well at least you’ll be a more competitive transfer applicant. </p>

<p>Good luck! Also your reasons for transferring out from Penn is not unlike my reasons for transferring out from NYU. I hate how pre-professional and conceited the atmosphere is. If you’re not in the business school, people look down on you. While I want to study economics, I really don’t want to study it in a setting like Wharton or Stern. Anyways, Brown is my “dream” school too haha</p>

10

<p>^ Yea I heard that from a lot of people that if you apply for FA it could hurt your chances. This is very true for schools that NYU and maybe even Brown. I’m really upset though that students at Penn think of people who attend state schools or CCs in that way. I thought they weren’t the elitist snobby type. Shame on them, a good amount of students who attend state schools were accepted into Ivies or equivalent schools and couldn’t attend either because they couldn’t afford it, or their parents didn’t want to pay.</p>

11

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<p>No maybe, B is need aware for transfers.</p>

12

<p>Very surprising considering people call it a hippie school hahahaa</p>

13

<p>Just a quick correction, Columbia09 - NYU is need-blind. That doesn’t mean they don’t give terrible financial aid, but they don’t discriminate in the admissions process itself.</p>