Should I transfer from a large expensive university to a small LAC?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I don't really know what to do, and I was hoping to get some outside advice. Sorry if this is kinda jumbled, there's a decent amount of thoughts going through my mind right now and I'm trying to figure out the best way to explain this all so I can get the best advice possible.</p>

<p>I'm currently a sophomore at a private, expensive as all hell university. Originally, I applied and was accepted as a Biomedical Engineering major. 20 credits a term, extremely rigorous and to be completely honest- I hated the engineering aspect of the program. It just wasn't for me. And, I aspire to go to medical school which means that it would have been almost impossible for me to fit in all my necessary medical school classes. I know some people do that, but I just really couldn't see myself sticking through the engineering courses to get a degree that would have set me off pretty decently in life, but not with a GPA that would have been possible for me to get into medical school.
I also really, really struggled with calculus based physics, and while I excelled in algebra based physics in high school, I just could not seem to grasp calc based for the life of me, and ended up scraping by with a D in 101 and withdrawing from 102. Which pretty much tanked my GPA completely. So now I'm left with a 3.08 after doing not-as-great as I hoped due to me spending all my free time trying to understand physics and failing miserably.
At the end of my last term as a Freshman, I decided it would be in my best interest overall to change my major to Biology. I'm really happy with that choice, believe me. However, I'm just not so sure that staying at this private uni is the best choice for me being a bio major.</p>

<p>I get a decent amount of aid, but not nearly as much due to the change in billing, so I'm paying roughly 21,000 a year. And my financial aid was just cut even more because I was selected for verification, and something on my FAFSA got entered in wrong and there was a technicality where my work study was also cut leaving me in the hole another $3,000 for the course of this year.</p>

<p>I also had a mindset much better than that of last year going into this year, and have dedicated a considerable amount of time more to studying and homework and everything of that nature, compared to last year. However, I'm still not even doing nearly as well as I had hoped- I just got two sub-C midterm grades back and await one. The terms are 10 weeks long, which is, in my opinion, what's killing me. I think I just need more time to grasp the material even though I'm putting in hours of studying, it's like I blink my eyes and I have another exam even though I just took one a week ago.</p>

<p>I personally feel guilty attending this school, because it made sense when I originally made the decision- I was an engineering major going to a school well known for it's engineering programs. But now, I'm a biology major spending 60k a year on a degree that I won't even use after I graduate, except to get into medical school. Which seems like a fleeting dream at the rate I'm going at.</p>

<p>Which brings me to what I'm so lost and confused about.
I feel like I need to transfer to better my education for myself, but I don't necessarily know if I WANT to transfer.</p>

<p>I'm looking at a small LAC near my house which is significantly less expensive (35k vs 60k) a year to attend. And when I say small, I mean extremely small. Which means more attention, relationships built with faculty instead of TAs, help if I need it, when I need it, etc. </p>

<p>I'm wary about it though, because I feel as though with my current GPA I won't get much, if any, merit based aid. They do, however, ask for a high school transcript, so I could potentially save myself, if in my writing sample, I explain my grades and issues I struggled with my Freshman year.</p>

<p>The college's website displays almost 28k in merit based aid available, but I'm not sure if that's just for incoming students or if transfer students could potentially also receive that aid.
Overall, it seems like the most logical idea to me, I just don't know.</p>

<p>Here's my list of pro's and con's to transferring:</p>

<p>Pros:
-Smaller school, closer ties to faculty, etc.
-Considerably less expensive
-Would be commuting, saving even more
-Plenty of hospitals in the area to volunteer at (Two major hospital networks with many different locations)
-More opportunities - could potentially double major, or find internships
-Able to get into the Honors college at the end of Jr year to graduate with honors
-Will more than likely be able to bring my GPA up considerably due to closer relationships, etc.</p>

<p>Cons:
-Current school offers the co-op program. While this would not necessarily get me into medical school (most positions are paid, etc) it's a factor into deciding what I want to do.
-Involved in a few campus organizations (including greek life.. however there is a chapter of my particular organization at the school I would be looking into going to) and am not necessarily looking forward to parting ways with them
-Not sure how many, if any of my credits would transfer due to my major change, etc and the degree requirements at the new LAC. I've taken ~60 credits here due to the system we have.</p>

<p>Ugh. I just don't know what to do. I feel like this is one of, if not the hardest decisions I will be faced with.
How do I even begin to decide what to do?
How do I try and save my grades currently?
Do I transfer at the end of this term, and the spring semester there, or finish out the year, go on my co-op, and decide after this year?</p>

<p>I'm so stressed already with my grades and the pressure to bring my GPA up, and the decision to do this really isn't helping.
Thanks to those who take the time to read this all and give any advice. I really do appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Do they even take transfers for spring semester? I will say, your current track doesn’t seem like it is keeping you on track for med school, and you may be building more debt up than you would with the other option.</p>

<p>Realistically, though… I wonder if you still have a shot at med school. Those physics grades will kill you, and it gets really hard to bring your GPA up. And a Bio degree isn’t the most employable on its own if you don’t get into med school (not to complicate your picture more).</p>

<p>I would say that in general you should do the following:

  • Contact admissions at the LAC and discuss options for transferring mid year, and discuss how many of your credits would transfer.
  • Discuss financial aid as well. Figure out if it would really be cheaper (taking living at home into account as well).
  • Consider what you are going to do if you don’t manage to get into med school. You mentioned double majoring, maybe adding something more marketable would be good IF you can do it without increasing the number of semesters you have to attend.
  • Not sure what your options might be for retaking that physics class and doing better in it. You probably have to get over the hump for med school admission, right? Make sure you have taken and understand the calc you need before trying again.</p>
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<p>@intparent‌ The calc wasn’t the issue- I did fine in my calc classes (got a 5 on the AP BC exam). My high school GPA was a 3.8. With the current switch to Biology, I’m only required to take algebra based physics, which means I’ll be able to do well in that course. Unfortunately, my university’s policy is that classes can be retaken, however the initial grade will be on the transcript still unlike some other universities where the second grade can actually replace the initial grade.
I do have back-up plans, I love genetics and would potentially further my education in graduate school in that field. Also, I really wouldn’t be opposed to going to nursing school or becoming a PA. I need to do something medically related for my final career path- I love medicine too much not to. My ideal goal is medical school, but I do have other options planned out. And if all else fails, I love biology enough that I could become a high school bio teacher without qualms either.
Also, if I can’t get into medical school with my GPA at the end of my 4 years, I have full intentions on taking graduate level courses until my GPA is high enough to be accepted. </p>

<p>I’m going to e-mail the admissions department, and see what my options are. My mother also knows a few people who work at said LAC who she’s going to get some advice from.</p>

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<p>It’s going to be tough getting into med school with a B average, even if you transfer schools. Maybe nursing would make more sense, or health care administration? I’m not sure how biomedical engineering was compatible with a career as a doctor, anyway. Anyway, I’d be rethinking the career path and how you’re going to get where you want to go. I think at this point med school will not be happening unless you go to an offshore medical school, and you have to decide if you want it that badly. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Good that you have backup plans, as the idea of taking grad school classes until your GPA is high enough for med school doesn’t make much sense to me. I just don’t think it would work… med school admissions officers aren’t dumb, they can see who got the GPA as an undergrad and who didn’t. </p>

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<p>Maybe I just read it wrong or something or was misinformed, but I recall reading something about taking graduate courses to boost a GPA for medical school on a thread here once. Will need to look into that more, I guess!</p>

<p>@Trisherella‌ When I first started school, I didn’t have an intention of going to medical school, hence the biomedical engineering degree. I had wanted to go to medical school prior to college in the beginning of my high school career, strayed away from that path, and then mid-way through last year, decided that that was what I wanted to do once more. Because of that, I didn’t try as hard as I could have to set myself up for some “cushion”… I ended my first term with a 3.5 but could have gotten a 3.7 or a 3.8 if I would have doubled the effort I put in. I just didn’t think it was 100% necessary to devote all my free time to school because I wasn’t planning on doing anything and as long as I was passing, my GPA didn’t matter. But now, obviously it does. (I know, stupid of me to think like that my first term but the past is in the past.)</p>

<p>If I transfer and some of my credits don’t transfer, does my entire GPA transfer or just the GPA out of the classes that transfer? If that makes sense.</p>