Should I transfer to Emory?

<p>Hi Everyone. I am recently got into Emory as a sophmore trasnfer student and I am completely confused about what I should do about it. I currently go to Rutgers, New Jersey's state school. I did well my first year and honestly have a great support system going, people I can go to advise for and what not. Emory was never really on my mind until I decided to apply to schools for transfer just for the heck of it, but now that I got in, I want to seriously consider it.</p>

<p>The main issue is, I have no idea how I will do at Emory. My family really does not want me to go because they know that my end goal is to go to med school and they don't want me to ruin a good thing. I plan on being premed and a bio major at Emory. If I do attend, it seems as if I will have to take Bio 141Lab, Organism Form and Function, Calc ii, and orgo 1 lab as my science courses my first semester (I will have completed orgo 1 and 2 by the end of this summer). I don't know how harsh that is for a first semester and I am not sure if having to get the Bio 141 prereq out of the way will put me behind all the other students who started the major from their freshman year. </p>

<p>I personally want to go to Emory because I do not feel that happy at Rutgers. I feel kind of stuck in the same environment, same situation and I just want to explore somewhere new and truly grow. But then again, I don't want to kill my GPA and spend a lot of money over that. </p>

<p>Do you guys have any suggestions? </p>

<p>Has Emory offered you any financial aid? Honestly if you are doing well at where you are at and have a good support system going, it makes more sense to stay at Rutgers. A good track might be better than the extra stress involved with transfering and being behind in terms of graduating. Perhaps a good question to ask yourself is why aren’t you happy at Rutgers? Can you change your situation without transferring schools?</p>

<p>That courseload is actually pretty easy. Calc. 2 at Emory is joke"ish", 141-L can be tedious but is easily manageable if you do not have the lecture. If the instructor teaching organismal teaches it like Beck, it will challenge you intellectually (he runs it pbl and data analysis style), but will still result in a very solid grade (average for course is usually high B or B+). However, if you are paying way more for Emory than you did at Rutgers and plan to just come and take the easiest science courses and instructors, just don’t waste your time. </p>

<p>*Also, I don’t see how your GPA would die as a biology single major (as in not doubling with another science or challenging social science track or something). That’s just not common (Most of the pre-med biology single majors get high GPA’s and “meh” MCATs and some have high GPA’s and good MCATs if they choose the right science instructors in either biology or other departments.). Make sure that you take the correct courses that will help you train for the MCAT. Don’t worry about grades as a biology major, they make those pretty easy to get (even more challenging instructors). You just may have to “think” harder as you earn those high grades, but it certainly is not remotely overwhelming. Make sure to take at least a couple of courses that have a discussion section or focus on reading primary literature/ analysis of data (these include but are not limited to: Anything taught by Eisen or Beck, evolutionary biology with anybody other than Dr. Real, Human Genetics which I would honestly advise over organismal form and function as you should just wait and take that with Beck in the spring, and maybe biochemistry 2 over in the chemistry department) in science before taking the MCAT though or else Emory biology courses will not afford much of an advantage and you will be wasting your money. </p>

<p>Thanks for the replies! I’m still pretty confused as to what I should do but it seems like many many many people are telling me it’s not worth it. It make’s me sad but I also have to be realistic. Again, thanks for the advice! </p>

<p>If you are not happy at Rutgers and you think transfering to Emory will help you suceed then go for it. Emory also has excellent research opportunities like being next to the CDC and the weather isnt freezing like it is at Rutgers. </p>

<p>The whole CDC and Center for Aids research really impressed me and I mentioned that in my essay! I’m still on the fence though because depositing would mean I have to withdraw from my current school. I’m by sure if I want to give up on what I already have if I haven’t even visited emory.</p>