<p>I currently attend a good university as a bio/chem & econ major on the pre-med track, but my transfer application was accepted by a small college. I've been planning to transfer out of my current school since reshman year.</p>
<p>Unusual situation; my past college academics:
My freshman year was a disaster. I didn't know it at the time, but I qualified for academic accommodations due to a disorder/disability. I didn't receive any accommodations during my freshman year, and my GPA was just over 2.5, both terms. I also have a Pass (term I) and a W (term II) on my record. I didn't try to apply as a sophomore or freshman transfer since I didn't meet the 3.0-minimum requirement.</p>
<p>I started receiving the academic accommodations this past year (my sophomore year), starting with provisional/incomplete accommodations in summer 2010. Since then, my grades have been firmly in the A/A- range, with the occasional B+ (7/4/2 equally weighted classes, respectively). There are 3 exceptions to this: calculus II taken in that first summer (B-) and organic chemistry I & II, taken during the fall and spring semesters (C+ and C, although I retook term I at NYU, receiving accommodations, and got a B+).</p>
<p>Current problems:
As of the end of this summer term, I now have a GPA just over 3.25. My average GPA excluding my freshman year is between 3.5 and 3.6. I'm not permitted to overload (my overall GPA is too low, despite semester GPAs ranging from 3.175 to 3.925). I talked to advising, but was told that I can't overload because my overall GPA isn't at least a 3.3 -- my academic accommodation disparity doesn't count as a "special circumstance" (i.e. my freshman year grades will still be taken into account in determining whether or not I'm permitted to overload, even though I wasn't on a fair/equal footing with my peers at that time). </p>
<p>By the time my applications are due in senior year, my maximum GPA will be just over 3.36 -- assuming I max out my credits during both the winter and summer sessions. I anticipate being able to overload in fall '12 and spring '13, but that's too late. </p>
<p>The catch is, I want to go to medical school. I can't do it with a 3.36 GPA.</p>
<p>Transferring... and medical/professional schools:
Will transferring give me a clean, fresh start -- and give me a better position when I apply to medical schools? </p>
<p>To my knowledge, my GPA won't follow me, though I know I'll be required to submit transcripts from each of the schools at which I took courses. Admissions committees will see all my grades, I know, but will transferring help me? The college I was accepted to has a lower rank and lower level of difficulty than the school I'd transfer from... it also doesn't offer any 400-level courses... or any graduate-level courses, while my current/old uni does. However, based on course difficulty and the offered academics, I would be able to graduate from this new college with a GPA in the 3.7+ ballpark.</p>
<p>Do your overall and major GPAs get "reset" when applying to professional/graduate schools -- after transferring?
I.E. Though the admissions committee would see all my grades and courses, when evaluating things like my major GPAs, would they include the grades from my old school... or would they calculate my major GPA from just the new grades? When looking at my overall GPA, would they calculate it by combining my GPAs from my old school AND the school I'd transfer to, or just by looking at my new GPA?</p>
<p>In short, I will be getting the same/higher grades at my new school, and if this alone followed me, I'd have a decent shot at med school (MCATs/standardized exams are not an issue). Will transferring help me at all?</p>
<p>Why I'm transferring:
I don't have a good environment at my current/old school. It's massive with huge class sizes and too many students for too few professors = professor recommendations, research positions, and club executive/board positions are almost impossible to get. I have nothing left behind for me (no research set up, no ECs that show leadership), since I intended to transfer out this year. It's also a rural college, and since I don't have a car, I miss out on a lot (most) of volunteering and off-campus opportunities. I have a low class rank/GPA I can't fix; there's no way I'm getting honors. However... I did get accepted to an honor society chapter at this school. By application-time, I'll have very little going for me in the extracurricular field (maybe 1 leadership position out of 5 activities, 1-2 completed semesters of research, no long-term volunteering) and a mediocre GPA (3.3 to 3.4), but I will have one minor "honor."</p>
<p>But the new school is twice as expensive, especially since I need to live in a single room off-campus. My senior standing (>100 credits) will go down to sophomore standing, since I lost 3 full-time semesters' worth of credits. There are no 400-levels, and course options/electives are extremely limited... even major requirements are very limited, being much smaller than those of my old uni. I'll graduate with a BA instead of a BS degree. By application time, I will be in a much, MUCH better position where both my GPA and extracurricular activities are concerned (2+ semesters of research, short study abroad, maybe 2-4 leadership positions, a 3.7+ GPA, but no "honor society," although I could graduate with honors) -- BUT my old results may still damage me when applying, as may the transfer itself?</p>
<p>Would transferring help me out significantly ("this person decided to go to a school they were better-suited for; that was good"), or would admissions committees view this in a negative light ("this school has fewer course options, easier courses, no "senior" or graduate-level courses -- this person took an easy way out")? </p>
<p>Should I sacrifice my potential, higher GPA and more volunteering/club opportunities for a wider and more challenging array of courses?</p>