Personal Dilemna, not sure what to do

Transfer Students
1

<p>First of all, let me just say that I applied to transfer to the University of Florida's Warrington School of business for summer entrance and was rejected. It was the only place I applied at the time. It only happened because they had already accepted as many as they were able to take after hearing the budget cuts were forcing them to take significantly less people...meaning my app which was completed on the day of the deadline was never looked at because they had no spaces.</p>

<p>So, today I return a phone call from a voicemail I had got while at work yesterday from a lady in the business schools office. She said a couple spots opened up for fall now, and of more than 620 applicants I am being offered one of them since my gpa was so high and said she felt bad about me getting screwed over for the summer. The only problem with this is, I have been planning to apply elsewhere for next spring over the last 2 months since hearing about my rejection...Cornell, NYU, Claremont McKenna, etc. Those are better schools, but have low acceptance rates (I think I have a fair to good shot at all though).</p>

<p>Pros for UF, I live 20 minutes from campus, I will profit several thousand dollars per semester because it is so cheap, can start in fall instead of spring, and I know for a fact I am accepted. Also, I would be surprised if I don't kick ass and make summa cum laude (at least 3.9 and a thesis).</p>

<p>Cons: Right now schools in florida are underfunded, overcrowded messes. They all have big budget problems which is what got me rejected in the first place. Aside from that, Ibank recruiting is abysmal. Raymond James recruits on campus for IBD, but I think that is it. I would LOVE to work there because I would rather work in florida than NY by far and the money is better when you consider the cost of living in NYC vs. St. Pete, FL (which is a kickass area btw). I am a third generation floridian and cold scares the hell out of me, so I would like to stay in the south, but I would at least like the option of being recruited by the BB.</p>

<p>Cornell (ILR) is where I want to go despite the cold (its only 2 winters that I would have to suffer through). It will give me better opportunities obviously, but the problem is the unknown. If I was guaranteed acceptance I would damn sure wait until the spring. But, I will have to take a semester off (well take two more classes at my CC to finish the recommended classes for transfer to ILR). I will also have to keep doing a lot of other things to help my chances of getting in. I think I have a strong shot based on stats, work experience, ECs, and recommendations (I know they will be very strong) assuming I write good essays. The unknown is the only reason I am considering between these schools, because I have only been accepted to one of them, along with the fact that if I go to UF I will remain a year ahead of my class (I was HS class of 07, now rising junior because of HS dual enrollment my senior year).</p>

<p>I am so unsure of what to do. I would appreciate others opinions, and would also appreciate if you would consider my situation and not just say go to Cornell because its what you would do. I do know some people in the northeast (close friends of family in NJ/NY area) that may be able to help me coming out of florida (a vp at GS among others, but definitely nothing guaranteed).</p>

2

<p>My first instinct is to tell you that if you really want to stay in Florida and work in Florida, head to University of Florida. But if you really think you'd like the atmosphere of Cornell or more selective schools, don't settle for Florida. Maybe you can ask Florida if there is any way you to defer your acceptance for a year? That way you can still apply to the schools you would like to apply to for Spring and Fall if nessecary (getting admitted in Spring is super hard if you ask me).</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I have lived in the same area my whole life (just outside of gainesville), and I know the UF campus well. I think I would love Cornell (it would be an awesome experience), but at the same time I think I am capable of pulling straight As at UF and wouldn't have to leave friends/family, not that getting those experiences would be a bad thing, but I would be leaving behind everything I love like living on a big lake and jetskiing/swimming for snow and studying. I think it would take considerably less effort to pull a 3.9-4.0 at UF than at Cornell, not that it would be easy (like it was at my community college that is the feeder for transfers to UF lol).</p>

<p>Right now, I really don't want to wait until fall 09 to resume schooling. So, its either this fall at UF or next spring somewhere else. Ideally I'd like to work in Florida, or at least Houston or somewhere in the south. I would be willing to work on wall street, but not for more than 2 or 3 years. </p>

<p>What I was thinking was that if I went to UF now, graduated 6 months sooner than I would anywhere else (at least; those other schools may not take all of my credits, esp the ones I took while in HS which could take longer to graduate), is that I could go to a top B school if I needed to a few years after graduating. Once I did that my undergrad wouldn't be important any more. </p>

<p>Since Raymond James recruits on campus for IBD, I don't see why it would be impossible for me to get a FT offer there after graduating, especially if I makes near perfect grades. I think it would be easier than getting a job there from Cornell (I would probably be stuck on wall st.). Or would I still be able to get Florida based finance jobs easily from Cornell? I already have a good internship for a local accounting firm (good considering I am from the community college...they usually reserve the spots only for UF students), and I think I can network well. I know this area a lot better than I would know NY... I only worry about whether I would regret not giving other schools a chance. I won't regret being debt free and living in nice whether, however, but I just don't know. That phone call was so unexpected, especially since I didn't even apply for the fall.</p>

<p>Considering I want to stay in the south, do you guys think I would be well off going to Florida? It is the best school in the state, and certainly the best Business school (27 on US News rankings), but its ranking obviously is outweighed significantly by geography (and its ranking isn't mind blowing either). Like I said though, I like my chances of getting a 3.9+ a lot more at UF than Cornell, but at the same time I would pretty much need that gpa for a shot at investment banking whereas I would not need quite that high at Cornell (but once again UF is my only guaranteed school).</p>

<p>It just sucks seeing all the people accepted to top schools for transfer on CC, and thinking I could probably be one of them (not that UF is bad). The thing about all those schools though is that they have no connection to florida, and I want to work here. To me, being happy where you live is very, very important. Money won't do me any good if I am miserable (living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan). I only have a few days to make up my mind, and I have no clue what to do. Would it be hard to get a great job in Florida or Texas from Cornell or NYU? Everyone around me wants me to go to UF (my mom is an alumna and was summa cum laude herself in 83), but I am sure it is the right choice for me. Yesterday I was thinking what that phone call from UF could be about and was thinking if it was an offer of admission there is not way I am going at this point, but the more I think about it the more open I am.</p>

4

<p>Look, this is an easy one--go to the University of Florida this fall. (Always take the bird in the hand before going after the one you "think" you'll get).</p>

<p>Pros:
You can live at home, in-state tuition and much cheaper overall, you love it there in Gainesville, weather is better, the athletic atmosphere is better, you want to work in Florida upon graduation, you have no idea whether you will get into any of the other schools you are being considered for, and how do you know if you even meet the other school's transfer application criteria (for example, did you know that you have to meet certain foreign language requirements for Cornell to transfer--even as a business or science major--and that you need lots of sciences to transfer as a business major), also what makes you think they won't pull a "Harvard" on you and decide to take no transfers at all next year?</p>

<p>Cons: Prestige, prestige, prestige--which is all illusory if you plan to take a job in Florida. Most locals will be just as impressed by your degree from the University of Florida as they will by Cornell. Heck, about 1/4 of the people you talk to will probably have graduated from Florida themselves--so who do you think they will think should get a chance at the job?</p>

<p>Best of luck with your decision--but in my view it's a whole lot easier than you think.</p>

<p>P.S. I don't suggest you do this--but you do know that it's possible to take the Univ of Florida offer and still apply to the other schools? The other schools will not be impressed if you show a "gap" in your education, by the way.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the advice. I would be applying for ILR at cornell though which has no science requirement. I am well aware of all requirements and have thoroughly researched it, along with being in contact with their transfer counselor for over a month. He has helped me a lot in figuring out what I need to do.</p>

<p>I only have a few days to take the UF offer. It is crazy because I did not even apply for the fall and they are still offering me admission because they realized they screwed me and some others over (I had a 3.98). It is the states fault though not the business schools (and it was their provost who just resigned that made the decision to cut transfers down on a whim).</p>

<p>I would be a junior at UF and I guess I could apply to Cornell for spring still. I mean only 60 of my credits would transfer, but at the same time, do you really think they would accept someone that is trying to transfer from a school they just transferring into? If I decide to go with Florida I can talk with the transfer counselor at Cornell about it. At this point I guess Cornell is the only school I would like to go to enough to turn this down. I am only 19, and am already a rising junior, so its not like I am exactly behind in school. </p>

<p>If I go to UF and get no debt, would it be likely to get into a great business school assuming I get excellent grades, MCAT score and work a good job after graduation?</p>

6

<p>First, Wall Street firms have layed off so many people this year that experienced bankers are flooding secondary markets. I've never heard of the Fla bank you mention, but why don't you call them and ask if they are laying off or hiring. And honestly, I could be wrong, but I never heard of an ibank having a Fla. office for anything other than retail.</p>

<p>The bankers I worked for last summer tell me that for the next several years banks will add fewer young hires and hire only the very best. If you want a serious ibanking job as opposed to being a broker in a regional office, hold out for a school that gets recruited. Expect to have to spend a few years in NY. Give it a try, it's really not that cold and the experience of getting away from where you've lived all your life is important. I bankers are sophisticated, worldly people who travel a lot and you will be more attractive to banks if you don't seem regional.</p>

<p>In addition, the trend is for ibankers not to go to B school.The guys that get the top jobs out of college and do well are no longer leaving to go back to school like they used to.</p>

7

<p>Raymond James is a MM bank based in St. Pete, Florida, so yes they do have Ibanking in Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play in Raymond James Stadium btw. The NY based banks probably don't do I banking here though. It will be a few years before I graduate, so who knows what the state of the economy will be at that time. It could be booming again.</p>

<p>Your right it would probably be good to get away from home, but there are disadvantages too. I am really unsure of what to do. I don't exactly have a written guarantee that I will be accepted to Cornell or any other school, so it is risky if I turn down this offer. They just stopped spring/summer transfers, and now fall is the only chance to transfer to Warrington, so its now or never.</p>

<p>What if I went to UF and then tried to transfer out after the first semester to Cornell? Not sure if the upper level classes I would be taking would transfer, but I would still rather go to UF than go back to my community college to take two more classes and pray I get into ILR at Cornell. Would trying to transfer to Cornell right after I transferred to another school (albeit from a CC only 1 yr after HS graduation) hurt my chances of being accepted vs. staying at my CC? Of course, I would be taking a full load at UF vs. 2 classes at my CC. Its not like UF is some bad state school though, they have a lower acceptance rate than many other top publics like UT-Austin and Michigan and are close to Virginia.</p>

<p>I am open to more than just Ibanking though. If I got a good offer at a great company I would consider it. I would also consider consulting and maybe even law school. I figure that if I get stuck at UF and do well that I can just go to a great MBA program a few years later and do something great with that.</p>

8

<p>My opinion - based on all you have said.</p>

<p>Go to UFlorida. The pros way outweigh the cons. Most critical is that you want to work at Raymond James in Florida in the end anyway. You can be the biggest fish in the Florida pond, or one of the biggest fish, and pave the way for a good offer from that firm.</p>

<p>If you want to see other places, explore other options, do it as you suggest in your last post - go to UF, start your career at Raymond James, look at MBA programs or law school after you have two or more years under your belt. You can see another part of the country, explore different industries and functions at that time.</p>

<p>Good luck and congratulations.</p>

9

<p>Andale, my only worry is if I didn't get a job at RJ. It being the only place that recruits on campus I would be screwed if I didn't. I do think I am capable of getting straight A's though along with networking and working. Assuming that happens, I don't see how I wouldn't at least get interview by RJ, so I guess I would be doing alright for myself. Do you think transferring to Cornell after transferring from my 2yr CC to UF is a viable option though? Is it worth the time to make a great application, or will this look bad to them and keep me out? I think I will call Ian in ILR admissions (transfer counselor) on monday and ask him about it after explaining the situation.</p>

<p>Yeah, I will probably end up in graduate school at some point anyways, so I am probably making too big of a deal out of undergrad. It will be easier to get a great gpa at UF.</p>

10

<p>I guess I missed the part about your already having been at a cc; I thought you would be starting out at UF. I don't know if it is feasible to transfer into Cornell (or a number of other schools) if you have 2 years at cc plus 1 year at a 4-year. You would have to ask, but most schools require you to do 2 years at their campus to earn their degree and, ergo, don't accept transfers beyond junior status.</p>

<p>Have you spoken to UF's career services office... to find out whether top students have ever gone to other IBs even if they don't recruit on campus? had any kind of internships in summers at places which would appeal to you?</p>

11

<p>Well, I would probably try to transfer right after the first semester, but Cornell would only let me transfer 60 credits, so I would only have junior status anyways. I have only spent 1 year at the CC post HS, but had like 21 credits from HS when I dual enrolled there my senior year. 12 of those won't transfer anyways, so I wouldn't even have the full 60 without taking more classes (so I would be able to transfer a few UF classes and still only be a first semester junior at Cornell). </p>

<p>I do have an AA degree though, but like I said, much of it was earned in HS and since 12 of my 65 credit hours were used for HS graduation requirements they will not transfer to Cornell (but will to UF). I want to apply for spring transfer to Cornell, so I would be in the process of trying to transfer during my first semester at UF and if accepted transfer after having only done one semester there.</p>

12

<p>The more I think about it, the more I want to go to Cornell. ILR is a unique program and I think it is something I would rather do than just go to a B school like everyone else. I am going to talk to the transfer counselor at Cornell, but if he says that going to uf and trying to transfer out will hurt my chances I will probably decline the UF offer. I may feel differently tomorrow, but who knows. I am going to second guess myself no matter what I decide. I have been dead set on Cornell the last month an a half, and I don't think I am going to waver just because I got an offer from a lesser school (even if it is still a great one and in my hometown). </p>

<p>I am not even sure I take the offer if Cornell says it won't hurt my chances, but I really don't know. There are several other colleges that place in IBanking better than UF that I could get in pretty easily, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if I got rejected from Cornell (but it would be pretty close).</p>