Hello,
Going to try to keep it short.
I am (trying to study) Finance. I’ve been going to a 4 year SUNY (that does not even have Finance as a major) for 3 years and have hated every single moment of it. The people, the resources, and the wasted opportunity are some of the biggest factors for this.
I want to transfer to a different university preferably within NY with a better name and would not mind to spend an extra year there to get a better degree. It is too late to sign up for Fall, but I am willing to take a term off to apply to different schools for the Spring Semester. I have also been looking into Information Science and CS programs that mix in business aspects into the mix.
I know I have only 1 year left but I feel very strongly about this and am looking for every opportunity possible to not go back to my current situation. I also know that I’m trying to make a mountain of a pebble, but if anyone has any insight (not CUNY please) into this please go right ahead, and I can most definitely expand and elaborate to those interested.
GPA: ~3.7 w/ ~90 credits. Work history: 3 (non finance related) internships, 3 jobs, few clubs, very active in HS but don’t think that matters.
You might want to think seriously about exactly what about your current school you dislike. You may want to consider a school outside the SUNY system. Although some are bigger and some are universities rather than colleges, and of course some have finance for a major, there are some commonalities that make them more similar to each other and quite different from other schools. They are bare bones-no extras-very utilitarian. They are not warm and fuzzy places. The administration of SUNY is decidedly distant and at odds with faculty in significant ways. The faculty seems disenfranchised at many SUNYs. I know many who say they’d never want their own children to attend. I can see hating it. I can also see wanting a real college experience. That is more likely for your outside the SUNY system.
Thanks for the response! My goal is almost definitely a school outside the SUNY system. I’ve grown to thoroughly dislike it for various reasons that I’d rather not go in to publicly. In a nutshell, it is so bad that I cannot stand to stay 1 more year to finish my undergraduate career there and would rather spend 2 extra years studying somewhere else and paying somewhere else to get my degree.
I am looking into schools like NYU, Columbia, and possibly Cornell (although I’m looking into their SUNY school as being the only SUNY I’d apply to), although I could very well be too ambitious.
A positive aspect is that, coming from SUNY, you’ll probably find almost anything better for you. It may be ok for people wanting a cheap efficient degree without having to encounter new experiences or bother them self too much. The four university centers are the epitome of the generic large public institution where you’re treated like a number. For students graduating from NY public schools, it is grade 13,14,15 and 16. with no disconnect. It is like a large NY generic high school. My experiences are mostly with a couple of the centers but my impression is that the colleges are similar.
Try to formulate some ideas about experiences that you would like to have that would justify another two years-like specific research experiences/projects, etc. Not only will it make your application stronger but you could really set yourself apart once you reach the workforce, by making the most of that extra year. Also apply from a position of strength rather than conveying the idea that you’d do anything just to get out of the lousy (for you) SUNY system. Is there someone at another college you’d like to work with, for example-contribute to their lab. Or did you acquire some skills that you’d like to bring with you to an experience working with someone at a specific school. Think hard about all the aspects of your current school and make sure you aren’t applying to any that may be similar.