<p>Sorry this probably will get kind of long</p>
<p>I just finished my first year at my state's flagship public university (UNC). I had a very hard time deciding which school to go to last year after decisions came in. That being said, I absolutely love it here, and I can't wait to go back in a couple weeks.</p>
<p>Now, you must be thinking, why is this guy thinking of applying for a transfer? </p>
<p>Part of me is thinking, what if I had gone to another school? When I applied, I didn't apply to many places. I think that was influenced by other people's comments about where I would apply. It was known at my school since the beginning of junior year that I was at the top of the class. I also played football, and some of my teammates got into the habit of calling me #1 even though I wore #60. I was accelerated in math and people would always ask me for help. I was known by everybody as the smart slacker valedictorian. When it came time to apply, people would say "where are you gonna apply? I bet like Harvard and Yale." </p>
<p>I was in the spotlight, and am the type who dislikes the spotlight and parading around accomplishments. I don't know why this discouraged me from applying, but I didn't apply to Harvard or Yale. I applied to two Ivies, got accepted at one and wait listed at the other. I also got into Duke.</p>
<p>When some people find out where else I got in, even sometimes at UNC, they are like, "why are you here?" My supervisor this summer, who has 40+ publications to his name and started a successful journal on health and nutrition asked me the same question, except he asked why I picked UNC instead of the more prestigious Duke while it was just about the same distance from home.</p>
<p>Money was not really an issue, but it did factor into my decision because I do hope to go to med school. I didn't qualify for aid, but I am fortunate that my family is well-off enough to comfortably foot the bill for a big name private university. The main reasons I picked UNC is for the more laid-back environment. I didnt want to be surrounded by people who were so career-driven that they forget to live life. I also didnt want to be around people who look down on other people and schools because they are not as smart as them. (Im not saying this is necessarily true for all Ivy Leaguers).</p>
<p>So, the nerd side of me is thinking what it would have been like studying at a world-renowned university with students who are admittedly more academic than at UNC (I have UNC friends who have taken classes at Duke and have been there myself). Some part of me is wishing I was there. Maybe it's just the comfort of having the backing of a big name. UNC has less than 20% out of state students, and I find the fact that more than 80% are out of state at these other places attractive.</p>
<p>What's holding me back from applying is that I would be entering with only 2 years left. It might be hard to start over making connections with professors, other faculty, and students within campus organizations. Then again there is the difficulty of getting accepted as a transfer to big name schools; I heard it's more difficult than getting in from high school. My SAT score (do they consider that for transfer apps?) wasn't great; I didn't prepare at all. I'm pre-med, I did ok grade wise but not stellar (all As and one B in phys), and I was involved but not that involved. I decided on a chem major after considering BME if that's relevant.</p>
<p>So, for anyone who read all that, what do you think?</p>