<p>Oh yes, I agree completely. When I said "on your resume" I meant it as "in your past." I wouldn't put it on paper.</p>
<p>Seashore's answer is the best you could give, and that's worth about -5 points.</p>
<p>JHS, do you mean, that I would be at a disadvantage by 5 points, for including this on my resume or for making this transfer in general. If I just have UPenn on my resume, will I be at any sort of disadvantage?</p>
<p>
[quote]
so, I should not show all three schools even if I had a 3.8+ from each school?
[/quote]
No, you will not put all three schools on your resume, if you follow what I believe is the excellent advice (ie, it agrees with my advice ;) ) being given by several of us here. You will list whichever GPA of the following two suits you best: your UPenn GPA as reported on your transript or your cum GPA from all 3 schools. (If you choose to do the latter, there is a remote possibility that you would have to provide 3 transcripts eventually, but not highly likely). Easiest will be just to report the GPA that shows up on your UPenn transcript. Which I'm sure will be stellar.</p>
<p>Confusedkid123 wrote:
“I attended Dartmouth College in NH for my freshman year and could not stand the location of the school, being that it was located in a very rural part of the country (I always felt adverse to the location but at the time, it seemed that Dartmouth was the best choice for me). I felt that the social scene entirely revolved around fraternities and drinking, things which were not for me at the time. I just felt socially isolated, even though I had a ton of friends back home and had made some connections with students at Dartmouth. However, I considered most of those relationships short-term ones and nothing of much substance.”</p>
<p>Cheers wrote:
“I took your review of Dartmouth as a verbal thrashing of the first degree. You not only trashed Dartmouth--you basically said you couldn't develop relationships of substance there, implying that Dartmouth students were beneath you. The snobbery doesn't add up. Hundreds of bright kids go up to Dartmouth knowing that the rural/frat/drink scene is too big….Non-fratties find their people at Dartmouth. They find their intellectual niche. It's there--as it is at almost any university.”</p>
<p>I still feel that Cheers’ input is as valuable as always. What you get from CC is pure gold: honest opinions which would be almost impossible to extract from any other form of communication. However, I have a different take on the OP. Certainly it is an exaggeration to say that what the OP wrote was “a verbal thrashing of the first degree”, and I don’t see how he implied “that Dartmouth students were beneath” him. I think the OP did get the message from all of the responses, including the ones from Cheers, that he needs to be wary of a potential not to dig in where he is and to make too many changes. </p>
<p>While it is wise advice to avoid speaking negatively about any former school or company in an interview situation, I’m not sure that is what Confusedkid123 was doing here. Saying that the location does not suit you is a reasonable thing, as Dartmouth’s shockingly beautiful rural campus in charming Hanover might not appeal to those who prefer urban locales. That the social scene “entirely” revolved around fraternities and drinking may not be completely true, but CC posts are often all about one’s $.02 based on their own limited experience and impression. I think people cruising CC for information know and expect this – it’s just one other way to research a school and college topics and you have to take every post with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Having spent a lot of time socializing at Dartmouth, I can see how someone could get the impression that it is a big frat and drinking school if they fell in among a crowd who favored those activities. Certainly, there are a lot of frats, sororities, and parties! Cheers makes the assumption, though, that such a description is inherently negative and I have to differ. Many students, and parents, would actually consider such a description as a fine image of a perfect school (filled with a brilliant academically, athletically, and socially talented student body which will produce many uber-successful future businesspeople, lawyers, etc.). </p>
<p>Of course there are also intellectuals, non-Greeks, and non-drinkers at Dartmouth. I guess the OP was just giving us his overall impression. My take was that he wasn’t being critical at all, just saying he realized he didn’t fit in there. </p>
<p>Confusedkid123 didn’t say that all relationships at Dartmouth were short-term and lacked substance, just that he was unable to develop ones which were more than that. It was not a criticism of Dartmouth, just an analysis of one persons experience as a student who was unable to fit in there. His comments didn’t dispute the accurate image of Dartmouth as a place where people who fit in and commit to the community develop life-long relationships with an elite group of peers. I don’t see how what he wrote in any way inferred that Dartmouth students were beneath him, just that he found more people like himself (by accident or through sheer numbers) at Penn.</p>
<p>If Cheers thinks that I was putting Dartmouth down, then I guess he/she misread my post. I have the utmost respect for Dartmouth. I said from a personal standpoint, it was NOT the right fit for ME, not for everyone. I met some amazing people there, including faculty and others there. Dartmouth is truly an amazing school, just not right for everyone. I am sure the same applies to Penn and Northwestern, and just about everywhere.</p>
<p>I think it's not necessary to base every decision on what might look good to somebody else down the line. Theoretical employers? Why not make a decision on what feels best for the present. No one is trashing Dartmouth or Northwestern, but I imagine we all realize they might not be the best fit for everyone. Sure, we can all adapt to an existing environment if we have to, but sometimes making a move is adapting to new circumstances in a healthy way too. I moved around as my life circumstances changed. It wasn't easy, but it made sense and worked out.</p>
<p>I'm going to give Cheers a little bit of support here...on one of the points made. When I did recruiting of recent college grads for a previous employer, I was skeptical of students who seemed to find it difficult to adapt. I would put the OP in this category....even though there are explanations for the changes.</p>
<p>However...10 to 20 years down the road...it won't make a bit of difference. While the OP may need to list "all school's attended" on a job app (NOT on the resume, as noted by almost every poster), once out in the workforce with a few years experience, the multiple undergrad experiences will not be an issue. </p>
<p>A few additional observations.....with this wide range of experience at top tier schools, the OP could have an interesting career as a college counselor. Also, OP will be considered an alum from all of the schools, will get solicited for donations from all of the schools...and can attend reunions from all of the schools. Will have very interesting connections for networking....</p>
<p>So, in the long run.....could be a very good situation!</p>