I’m currently a freshman at UC Berkeley. I’m looking to transfer out to a smaller school. I had a very hard time adjusting to large, public environment at Cal. I really struggled with an inability to focus along with serious depression. Most seriously, I struggled with suicidal thoughts, and every day I thought of killing or harming myself. I won’t go any further in this post, but I wasn’t able to finish my studies.
For these reasons, I obtained whats called a medical withdrawal from this semester. I am not able to start in the Spring due to the “semester out” rule, so I’ll be starting in Fall 2022.
I think it would be beneficial for my health to go to a smaller institution with more resources and less of a frenzied, tiring culture. Would such a thing be possible with my medical withdrawal? Or is it not possible, and I should instead focus on maximizing my happiness at Cal?
For transferring, I’ve been looking at Brown, USC, and Northwestern (where I was admitted in high school).
My high school stats were 4.0 GPA, 34 ACT, 800 math2 and 780 chemistry SAT II.
Breathe. You have experienced so much this semester. Give yourself the gift of time. There are many students struggling this year and I am glad that you found help or help found you.
You need a little time to reflect and recalibrate what you want from your college experience. Transfer applications are not due usually until March, so you have time to visit some and really think through your options and the supports on campus.
You will qualify for accommodations when you are back in college. You will want to have those in place.
Your doctors and therapist will be able to help you sort out if going back or starting somewhere new is best. Each journey is different.
What is your home state? Talk with them about staying in a three to four hour radius or at least a direct flight home. Do you have any family or family friends in Chicago or Providence? Look at when colleges notify transfers. You can look at their websites and on CC. Some will notify you by the end of May, but others were stringing people along at the beginning of August. No one needs that stress. It will help you to know where you are headed by early June so you can start to make plans, request accommodations, etc… make sure to look at housing availability for transfers, too.
Maybe for the Spring, you can take a college class online or at a college near by where you are currently living. I have found that helps some former students who have found themselves where you are. It may help you sort out if medications are working and some of your priorities.
I would not take any CC classes second semester…right now you may still have freshman, rather than transfer status at some schools.
Contact your NU AO and ask them what the application process would be for you and if you are a transfer or freshman applicant. Was NU affordable for you as an incoming first year?
You will have to research what your status would be for each school you apply to. If you are certain you want to transfer, you will need to have at least one affordable safety on your list. What state do you live in?
Just want to say kudos for prioritizing your health and getting help. Being well is most important. Focus on that first and then worry about finding a good fit to transfer.
Do a deeper dive about school before transferring. NU is on the quarter system and classes are very fast paced. I don’t see it as the most supportive environment.
I’m sorry you are struggling. I hope you have proper medical care now.
The schools you want to transfer into are all reaches. I don’t actually think you are a transfer student. As a medical withdrawal, doesn’t that mean you’re effectively starting from scratch, like a high school senior?
If the high stress environment was too much for you, can I suggest you add some small, more low key schools? I think all you mention here, frankly, might be a bit too much for someone who is clearly fragile and needs to be mindful of mental health. I definitely don’t think Northwestern or USC should remain on your list. They are both really big. Even at Brown, you’re still going to start out with mostly larger, more impersonal classes.
Clearly you are still looking at well regarded colleges, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for “less.” Look for a low stress environment with collaborative and friendly students. William and Mary, Vanderbilt, Wesleyan, Vassar, Rice, Bates, Middlebury and others are known for being friendly. Brown too, but I’m concerned that the pressure of an Ivy League school might be an issue for you. Look into a few of those I mentioned, and good luck.
I’m not an expert on the three schools you mentioned but all are at the top of the heap.
Perhaps you should find a school that is laid back. It doesn’t need to be tippy top. It needs to be the right environment for you.
Maybe it’s a William and Mary or Vanderbilt.
Maybe it’s a private that is 2nd or third tier - perhaps out in a place where it is the town such as Grinnell. Or a school that has a strong wellness program such as Connecticut College.
I would stay away from quarters - I know someone at Denver and while it’s less classes it’s really fast.
Focus on you - that’s far more important than a big name.
Just for the record many do not consider William and Mary a low stress nor collaborative environment. YMMV.
I agree LACs could be a good choice for OP. Safety schools could include a state flagship and/or less selective state schools. Would be good to know more about what OP is looking for in a school, e.g., major, size, vibe, home state, etc.
Got it - my daughter applied - that was our impression after our tour, interview, and interaction with Hillel kids… and I found this below.
My real statement is - even if it’s deemed less than first rate, perhaps a less rigorous school might be ok for the OP but certainly one where they can feel well.
While the OP may be a city person, nothing is more refreshing (although not necessarily medically curing) - nothing is more refreshing than a daily walk in the park - which can happen in the city - or in an isolated place like a DePauw which has a huge campus. The big thing is though - the right school is the one where you can thrive (and can afford), not the highest ranked and that’s what i was trying to convey.
Thanks for the info on W&M. I found this…but yeah, as you say, may not be the right choice.
There are currently more than 35 different health and wellness programs on offer at College of William & Mary’s Health and Wellness department. These range from the more typical, such as yoga therapy, to the more unique, such as one called “Authentic Excellence,” which helps students discover the difference between “fear-based excellence” and “authentic excellence.” The wide range of wellness programs on offer at College of William & Mary is unsurprising, as Thrive Global notes that it has devoted substantial research, funding and facilities to student well-being,
I think you should really think about staying where you are. Certainly apply to transfer, if that makes you feel less trapped, but UCBerkeley is probably a great school for you under different circumstances.
As a freshman during the age of COVID, I would think a lot of kids are depressed. In fact studies show this is true, especially for your age group. And I assume the previous year and a half have been difficult too, possibly isolating.
Even in normal times, I know that many student struggle emotionally and socially in the first semester or even two semesters (or quarters) and end up thriving. This was true for all three of my own kids and many of their peers. Obviously clinical depression is different from being sad, but being in a new environment can certainly be a trigger.
There is a term “geographic cure” which refers to the idea/sometimes illusion that moving will make things better. Right now, getting the right medication and effective treatment are probably the most important way to make things better.
Do you think that if your depression lifts, Cal could work? Do you think it might be good to wait until you feel better, to decide?
If you are determined to leave, I would look for a small liberal arts college, not the schools you listed. Look up “little Ivies” and “Colleges that Change Lives.” As for Ivy League schools, Harvard and Yale have their house systems. It is a lot easier to get lost at Brown where there is no house system.
One other thing: there is no required timeline here. You do not have to jump right back in if you are not ready.
Yes. This will be possible. This does not mean that you will be accepted to every possible small school, but there are a lot of them and you can get accepted to some very good ones (particularly given your excellent high school record and test scores).
Right now the main thing is to get well. Are you seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist to help you deal with depression? The medical community really has gotten a lot better at dealing with depression. Depression is common, and some people believe that it is more common among very smart people. When you get well, there will still be many great colleges and universities for you to choose from.
The next thing would be to figure out what type of school would be a good fit for you.
Since you have no university courses completed after graduating high school, and a valid medical withdrawal, I am not sure whether you are a transfer student. You might be looked at more like the way a student would be considered while taking a gap year. Admissions staff at any university that you are considering will know the answer to this.
Northwestern is a bit smaller than UC Berkeley. However it is not necessarily any less stressful. It is certainly a highly ranked and academically very demanding university. The quarter system seems to me like sort of a mixed blessing. When I was in graduate school I very much liked the quarter system. You get to take more courses during an academic year so that subjects you really like you take the next course in the sequence, but subjects that are not quite as important to you do not go on for quite as long and you get to take more of them. However, the end of the quarter comes up quickly and this works better if you are inclined to always stay ahead in classes. This will be a lot of work at any highly ranked university.
I suppose that you could apply to a range of universities now, then by sometime in April you can decide which if any you would like to start at in September of 2022. Life is not a race and taking a year or two to get ready and to plan the next step is a very reasonable thing to do.
Depression is no joke. Your priority right now is getting treated for depression. Once you have that under control, then talk to your doctor/therapist about possibly of a different school. I usually don’t recommend transferring, unless it’s for financial reasons, or need to move back home for health reasons. If neither apply, you could end up in a worse situation than Berkeley.
It sounds like you have what you need. The school already gave you a health accommodation, and you’re in a city with world class medical facilities. Not all schools are that generous. I’d say, just focus on easing back into Berkeley if you can.