<p>I am considering transferring out of Emory to Texas A&M University. My gpa is in the low 3's and no where near competitive enough for medical school or dental school. I will be a junior in the fall. My friends at A&M who had similar grades as mine in high school now have very high gpa's, and I have taken summer classes at A&M. Should I transfer to A&M as a psychology or nutrition major and business minor in hopes of getting better grades?</p>
<p>What premed classes have you taken? What grades did you get in them? </p>
<p>If you’re going to be a junior, your best bet is to take the semester off before transferring because many schools won’t accept an upperclassman student. Here’s TAMU’s [transfer</a> deadlines.](<a href=“http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/gettingin/deadlines.aspx]transfer”>http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/gettingin/deadlines.aspx)</p>
<p>Also, if you really want a high GPA, you should go to one of the regional state schools rather than A&M. Have you thought about any post bac options?</p>
<p>I’ve taken general chemistry and organic chemistry. I got a-/b+ in general chemistry, and I’d rather not say my organic chemistry grades on here. I’m re-taking organic chemistry at A&M and so far I’ve been doing okay. It seems that it is harder at Emory. I’ve talked to a few A&M advisors and have been told that I can be admitted. I have considered getting a masters or doing post bac to try to get my science grades higher. I still have to take physics and bio. Do you think these classes will be easier at A&M than at Emory? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>You are comparing a summer course at A & M to a semester course at Emory. It’s not fair. If you had taken the equivalent course in the summer at Emory, it also would have been significantly easier than the semester course. Physics will likely be harder at A & M (it doesn’t get much easier than Emory, and an engineering oriented school will probably even make you take calc. based for a pre-med requirement), don’t know about biology. That’s usually pretty easy at Emory too. You can transfer, but I would just stay. You screwed up in orgo. (as many pre-meds do. Many of them still get in. Especially if they do well in the other courses) and it brought your GPA down. You can take plenty of upperlevel bios (most are fairly easy to do well in. Certainly easier than gen. chem or orgo) your senior year or something to bring the math and science GPA. Human Phys. is easy, developmental biology is easy, evol. bio is easy, the bio version of biochemistry is also easy, and finally many of the NBB electives (the electives that are labeled “NBB” that is) are not tough. Do well in physics and bio and take a couple of those and you should be fine before applying to med. school or whatever programs. Just make sure you try to do decently in the non-science courses so that your overall GPA goes up with it. Did you not do as well in those as you were supposed to? Other than orgo., you seem fine to be honest (I mean, you only have 2 science courses represented so far and you didn’t do well in one of the sequences. You have 2 sequences left in depts that tend to award much higher grades than the chemistry department). You have the next 2 years to raise it and physics and bio make an okay combo (2 fairly easy lectures, one easy lab, and a medium difficulty lab). Who did you take for orgo. by the way?</p>
<p>Gallivan. I guess summer courses are easier. Some of my friends used practice tests from UT/A&M and said they were generally less thorough, but I wouldn’t know.</p>
<p>Gallivan grades on a pretty strict curve (basically curves strictly to 2.5-2.7 no matter the exam averages). I wouldn’t worry about it (especially, if you do well at A&M). Yeah, Gallivan is in the “big 3” of orgo (Soria, Weinschenk, and Gallivan) analogous to the big 3 of gen. chem (Weaver, Morkin, and Mulford. Did you take any of these 3?). Any of those 3 are probably going to be significantly harder than most other schools (including elites), as it doesn’t matter how “thorough” they are moreso than the types of exams they write. Their exams focus less on memorizing reactions and reaction types and more on difficult (never done before) mechanisms, and explanations of things you haven’t really practiced for. Most schools don’t test the way they do. But yeah, given that you got a 3.5 average in gen. chem which grades on the low side (2.7-3.0), you likely are decent at figuring out problem types and doing the necessary math, so physics 141/142 should go very well (normally I think it’s between 3.0-3.3) as, unlike the big 3 for orgo, they aren’t designing exams difficult enough to force the necessity for a curve (normally, exam averages are 80 or higher, and Bing will give one low scoring exam that goes no lower than 70. This is different from the two chem classes where the average of any low scoring exams will be 50-70). If you do the work and understand the problem types, you should do well. Bio has a similar grading scheme, and is of course very predictable as well (averages will hardly ever even dip into the 70s and even if so, it’ll be like 76-79).</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your replies, bernie12!</p>
<p>whenhen, did you transfer to the university of oklahoma? I just noticed it under your username. Also, does anyone know someone who’s transferred out of Emory? Did that transfer regret their decision?</p>
<p>My daughter wanted to transfer (she’s same year as you, hence my screenname) but her GPA was worse than yours so she ultimately didn’t apply.</p>
<p>A friend of hers transferred out after freshman year to UVA and is happy he did.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to knock the school or anything – just to answer your question. She is now looking forward to being back at school, but I think it’s partly because she doesn’t want to be home…</p>
<p>I feel a person transferring to places like UVA or Vanderbilt are transferring for different reasons though (these people usually didn’t want to be at a place like Emory in the first place. They really wanted/needed the sports, the intense greek life, etc and could care less about the academic environment as long as they were decently reputed). You don’t transfer out of Emory to those for a “less stressful environment”. You transfer to places like that for the atmosphere. If your issue is both academic success and social/emotional, you would usually consider elsewhere. </p>
<p>Anyway, Classof2015, I hope things turn up for your daughter. I think many students strongly consider transferring out of elite schools after freshman year. It like is a mixture of buyer’s remorse and perhaps academic surprise in some cases. However, usually it gets better as you often have more freedom to choose your courses and path after freshman year. Chances are your daughter’s grades will also increase for similar reasons (more choice to choose classes of interest) in addition to the fact that she is now familiar with how it works. I wish you guys the best of luck.</p>
<p>Actually, I think I messed that up. I believe your daughter is a rising junior (if the 2015 stands for her year of graduation). Either way, it does get better. If your daughter is/was a pre-med or anything, normally that sophomore year is the roughest (as normally it includes orgo. and physics, typically the two most hated classes of pre-meds). I would just advise one to start taking courses that you really like starting junior year as the freshman and sophomore year for those on pre-bus and pre-med tracks can be kind of rigid (you’re just in “requirement” mode).</p>
<p>
Just saw this post. Yes I did, but that was mostly due to wanting to major in a subject that wasn’t offered at Emory and for which no analogues exist. I’ve known two people who transferred after their freshmen year, one to Vanderbilt, one to NYU, and a third to Northwestern. Two of the three did it for the prestige factor, while the third did it because he preferred a city school which placed a heavy emphasis on music (he’s a DJ). I also know two other people who are seriously considering transferring for monetary reasons. </p>
<p>Some people end up regretting transferring, particularly those who applied when they were depressed, under extreme pressure, or otherwise not mentally sound. One of Emory’s most successful alums transferred from a top NE liberal arts college because she wanted warmer weather. Even 30+ years later, she told me that she regretted the decision despite having a career that would make most at Goizuetta tremble in awe. Like her, I do at times regret my decision to transfer, but for the most part I’m satisfied with my choices.</p>
<p>Also, Classof2015, was your daughter considering transferring for financial reasons? I know you’ve previously written about your disgust with Emory’s financial aid department.</p>
<p>I know a person who transferred to NU because of engineering and prestige (I also had a roommate who transferred from NU. Don’t know why, but it apparently made no difference in his GPA as a polisci major. It remained 3.4), I just don’t see why someone would transfer to Vandy for that. There isn’t much of an advantage there. It’s kind of silly unless you prefer their atmosphere (I know one person who transferred there for that reason which makes sense) or an unoffered program (Peabody’s cool for example). To people who do that, it’s kind of “good riddance”. I would imagine having a difficult time transferring from a liberal arts college to a research university. Transferring from a highly intellectual atmosphere to a highly pre-professional environment is certain “different” and I don’t know if I would have liked it. I also hear mixed opinions from people who transfer from much lower ranked schools to Emory. Many loved it, but many commented that while the academics (many were flat out seeking academic rigor. Interesting how transfers do this, but not current students) and opportunities were much better, they could care less for the atmosphere (normally demographics, especially socioeconomic were daunting. Some were also annoyed that many people were just smart people that wanted to get high grades and party their way through. I suppose they were expecting better given the reasons they transferred) and wanted to simply hurry up and take advantage of the opportunities and get out of them.</p>
<p>On the flip side, I know someone who applied, got accepted, and then chose not to transfer out of Emory.</p>
<p>I don’t think they are too happy with that decision.</p>
<p>It goes both ways.</p>
<p>Did they “choose” no to transfer out or were they pressured to stay by some “figure of authority”? I can’t imagine going that far and backing out, and then regretting the fact that you did indeed back out. One would have to wonder if something was pulling them back. Regardless, I suppose they’ll be alright.</p>
<p>Hey bernie12. Just have to say I have appreciated your kindness and interest in giving information on Emory on this forum. It’s really helped me a lot. I wish the administration was as caring.</p>
<p>whenhen – many many reasons made her want to transfer, one of which was the abysmal financial aid we received; the other was her whole academic transition which was rough. Then there was the last gasp of “maybe I’d be happier at XYZ…”.</p>
<p>I agree about UVA – the person who transferred there really basically should have gone there from the get go – it was more his type of school.</p>
<p>I think/hope D will find her niche, grades-wise, and she seems to be genuinely happy to be heading back there soon. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think she would have been unhappy anywhere for the same reasons she was unhappy at Emory. You take yourself with you wherever you go.</p>
<p>Thanks for the good wishes bernie12.</p>
<p>Same to you whenhen at your new school.</p>
<p>Idk what their reason was… </p>
<p>Different career path, friends, lovers. Those are the reasons I can think off the top of my head that would make you want to stay but then regret it if they start falling apart. </p>
<p>The school was similarly regarded but different atmosphere. And it offered much more aid.</p>
<p>Emory needs to raise funding so that they can do better with “middle class aid”, because it is kind of disappointing when you lose a middleclass student even in part because of finances. If transfer admissions somewhere else is offering better aid than freshman admissions here is, then something is wrong. I loved Emory Advantage (I am not middle class), but I realize that others who have a higher income may be deserving as well, and many such people get screwed over in many senses. They need to retier Emory Advantage brackets and reassess how they treat cases that fall outside of that range. They may likely claim that they cannot afford it, but I don’t buy it. Schools with similar endowments and some that are lower are doing better at this. A common case I see is when a student strongly considers Emory, may even prefer it, but then chooses another elite school similar in stature because the other one gave them more grants. This is inexcusable.</p>
<p>Yes, they need to make it work. Based off the things I’m seeing on the Secrets FB page.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t apply to this particular case, though, since this person was international.</p>