Not challenged at all; should I think about transferring to an Ivy?

Transfer Students
1

<p>My whole life, I've felt that I was a little too precocious for my surroundings. I've always felt that I operated in a level beyond my age, and as a result, I've never felt challenged by any sort of academic system. I've never struggled with grades, and content has come naturally to me with little effort on my part. I found intellectual stimulation on my own, reading and teaching myself skills that the school system couldn't give me. Throughout high school, I was told -- and had told myself -- that college would be a different place. I would be with people with likeminded interests operating at my level of interest.</p>

<p>I'm nearing the end of my first semester, and I can't help but be a little disappointed. My classes are easier than in high school. While everyone around me is freaking out and cramming, I'm just sitting back and feeling confused about why the material is so difficult. Many of my peers are childish, unloading vitriol against our professors and acting like smartasses. Everyone thinks they're so clever here (hell, maybe I do too), but I feel like many of the people around me are petty or shallow. While I'm pretty active socially, I haven't really met people at the level of passion that I was expecting.</p>

<p>As background, I'm going to a Top 25 private university. I'm here because I was offered a sizable merit scholarship. I come from a wealthy family and will receive no financial aid that isn't merit-based. Due to a number of factors in high school, I didn't fare as well in college admissions as I should have because I underestimated my own ability and neglected to apply to many of the schools I'm probably more than qualified for. Still, I was accepted into Ivy and Ivy-level schools despite never studying a second for the SAT. I also have a number of big-ticket hooks (a massive creative portfolio that spans screenwriting, game design, songwriting and composition, poetry, and a full length novel) that I believe would tip the scales in my favor and allow a successful transfer into a top 10 college.</p>

<p>I guess half the reason I'm writing this out is for the sake of writing it out. What I really want to know is A) Should I even bother transferring, or is this just a case of 'the grass is always greener' syndrome? and B) Is it even worth it to go to an elite institution at sticker price, even if I have the means to pay for it?</p>

<p>Another thing to consider is that I am likely pursuing a career in academia, where the college you went to actually bears some weight.</p>

<p>I understand why this whole post might come off as pretentious. I don't really like to talk about myself like this in real life, but I think it's important to understand in order to answer my questions.</p>

<p><strong>tl;dr: I don't feel challenged at my university. Should I wait it out or try to transfer to a more prestigious one, even at significant financial cost?</strong></p>

2

<p>When you say academia, are you talking a level that requires a PhD? If so, then only your graduate institution matters as far as prestige, so you’re better off saving your money by staying at the undergrad institution where you have merit aid and then spending your money on a really good grad school.</p>

3

<p>A really good grad school won’t require the OP to spend money. </p>

<p>OP, what courses are you taking? Can you try more advanced ones next semester? Have you thought about exploring UG research?</p>

4

<p>You know, you’d be a lot less pretentious if you just straight up said</p>

<p>I got XXX HS GPA. I applied to XXX schools and got in. I am attending XXX school. The classes I am talking are XXX. I want to transfer to XXX. </p>

<p>When you say not challenged at all, I got no idea what that even means. What is your course load? Are you taking STEM classes or doing a Liberal Arts majors? </p>

<p>Anyways if you like another school better you always have the option of filing for a transfer.</p>

5

<p>OP didn’t specify a major. Depending on the major, a really good grad school may or may not cost money. If the OP is in a STEM major, then yes, they probably can get funding for graduate studies. If in the humanities, not so likely.</p>

<p>OP, have you talked to your adviser? Is there any way you can test out of some entry level classes? Are there any groups/clubs on campus where you would be likely to find students you feel more comparable with?</p>

6

<p>If your classes seem easy this term, then have a chat with your advisor about taking at least one upper-level class next term. That will give you some tougher stuff to work on, and let you hang out with upperclassmen who might be more emotionally mature than your current crop of whiny freshman pals.</p>

<p>Why did you choose your current institution? Were you following the merit money so that you would have cash available for other things? How easy would it really be for your family to suddenly become full-pay?</p>

<p>Lastly, do you even need to be in college right now? With such an extensive writing portfolio, maybe what you should be doing is taking classes part-time at some institution that has a strong writing program, and devoting your time to writing instead of to random college classwork. Think that through too.</p>

7

<p>Doesn’t sound like you looked for what you really needed when you searched for a college. One of my kids wanted a hard school with smart students. She applied to places like Swarthmore, U of Chicago, and Harvey Mudd. Got into all of them. She didn’t apply to any Ivies, partly because her perception is that they are not necessarily the most intellectual students. Just saying, transferring to an Ivy may not satisfy your itch.</p>

8

<p>You could try looking for research, TAship and internship opportunities.</p>