Prestigious Schools Accepting Sophomore-Level Transfers?

Hi everyone!

I have given it a semester, and I’ve found that my feelings do not change about the college I’m currently attending. I got accepted to my dream school in the spring, but due to financial incapabilities I was ultimately restricted to attending schools that were in-state. Though the school I’m attending now is a top public university, I am still unhappy here; I haven’t really established an emotional attachment or connection to this school as the semester comes to an end, even while being on campus.

I have also been talking this over with my parents, and they are unhappy with the way my school has been handling certain measures, ie financial aid and covid-19. Additionally, I have gotten a couple of scholarships, so my financial situation has slightly improved to the point where I believe that I am financially able to transfer. I know that my dream school does not accept sophomore-level transfers. However, I am looking for schools that do. I would preferably like to attend a university in a bigger city, but also an academically renowned school. Not as prestigious as an Ivy, but a school somewhat comparable to NYU or the UCs.

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I am concerned that there might be too many universities that fit your description. It is also hard to know what to suggest without knowing what university you are currently at and what your major is. What you want in a university is also likely to matter a lot. Do you have any geographical preferences other than “in a bigger city”? Is your problem with your current university related to size, prestige, isolation in a small town, or something else? Transferring to another school with the same problems is certainly possible, but not advisable.

Transferring to a school to find more “prestige” often does not work out well. You are likely to find out that more prestigious universities are not necessarily any better than where you are. A far better plan is often (not always) to make a strong effort to excel where you are, and then if you ever get to the point of looking for a master’s degree apply to well known prestigious universities at that point.

Also, a lot of university students are currently frustrated with their studies, largely due to issues related to COVID. COVID is of course a problem everywhere, but hopefully will not continue to be a problem forever.

“Comparable to NYU” makes me wonder about NYU, BU, and Northeastern. I do not know if they take sophomore transfers. I do know someone who went to McGill as a sophomore transfer and found it academically challenging, but loved it. He ended up getting his master’s there also, and then returning to the US for his PhD.