<p>grad school admissions are much less "character" based and much more focussed on what you can do in your research area, seriousness of purpose, imtellectual strengths, potential to contribute to the field.</p>
<p>pyewacket:</p>
<p>Yes, I agree to a point...it is based on reserach potential and your statement of purpose. However, intellectual strengths aren't quite as important (i.e. amazing GRE scores with a mediocre GPA and recs won't do...).</p>
<p>That being said, with jumping around schools you don't get as much of an opportunity to seize amazing research opportunities that will help you develop the necessary relationships with your professors to get excellent letters of recommendation. For an excellent publication-bound research project (i.e. to get publication of reserach before entering graduate school) initiative must be made to constrain a project with a professor before the start of the junior year. Being a junior transfer limits many possibilities in research and will hinder (not kill) your ability to get into a top-notch reserach oriented program. </p>
<p>I didn't transfer at all during my undergraduate career and attempted to begin research at the beginning of my senior year when I really decided I wanted to pursue graduate school. I ran into a lot of problems (both with my advisor and health-wise) and didn't end up completing my senior thesis.</p>
<p>I'm not saying transferring will kill every opportunity that is out there...but if you are interested in a research-based graduate program, it will likely hurt more to transfer again (for 'prestige' and academic reasons that Ecape has stated in other threads) than to stick it out and make the best of research opportunities at your finger-tips and yield every opportunity to make the best use of your school...</p>
<p>ok done with that rant...I doubt anyone will listen though...</p>
<p>I don't KNOW if I want to go to graduate school. If I do want to go, I don't know what for. I'm in a transitioinal phase right now in a lot of ways. Since I'm going to Smith for my sophomore year, it is not as though I'm transferring around a lot. I will only have two schools maximum on my transcript.</p>