<p>Hi, I've been accepted to JHU and I will be attending it this fall. However, because I want to major in physics/engineering I really feel the need to transfer to a better nearby university such as MIT/Princeton/Harvard and continue physics at one of those schools after one year at JHU. Is it possible to transfer to these top schools after one year, and what are the likelihoods that I will be accepted, granted I maintain at least a 3.8 at JHU? Also, I'll be needing scholarships. Do they give these out to transfer students who transfer after one year? </p>
<p>I'm also an African American. (I don't know if that helps when considering transferring.)</p>
<p>You realize JHU has an amazing physics department right? This year alone, JHU's small physics program is sending 8 undergrads to phD programs at Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford among others. As to your question, chances are not good. Princeton for one does not accept transfers and Harvard may not either (they did not accept any transfer apps this past year due to space limitations). MIT is also ridiculously hard to get in even with a 4.0 from anywhere. If people do transfer from JHU, its usually to Columbia for the NYC diehards but thats rare.</p>
<p>Yeah usually the only transfers are to nearby Georgetown (for IR majors to do their foreign services program) or Columbia (for science or creative writing).</p>
<p>And even these transfers are rare. Don't bother, JHU's science and engineering departments are among the best, if not the best in the country.</p>
<p>You haven't even arrived at Hopkins and you are already planning your transfer, lol... <hitting head="" against="" wall=""> </hitting></p>
<p>Coming from a student who transferred TO Hopkins, transferring to a new university isn't as easy as it sounds or seems, and really, when the differences between schools are negligible, (specifically, the majors and prestige), I really wouldn't advise pursuing this path. In addition, as the other posters mentioned, Princeton does not accept transfers, and Harvard does not intend to even look at transfers for at minimum another year, due to housing limitations.</p>
<p>Enjoy freshman year, explore the majors you are interested in, and see where it takes you. </p>
<p>And get off CC and enjoy your pre-college youth! :D</p>
<p>True, JHU Physics is one of the absolute best. Giacconi teaches at Hopkins - Nobel prize sound familiar? Hopkins has been able to attract and keep the highest caliber of faculty, see the list here:</p>
<p>My suggestion in the same as above - get off CC and move on past the college admissions process - you're done with it and you are going to a GREAT university where thousands upon thousands of students wish they could attend. There is nothing another school will afford you that a place like Hopkins can't. Best of luck and congrats on Hopkins.</p>
<p>Give it a chance. Grad school is what matters for physics anyways, not undergrad. The people I know from hopkins at MIT and Stanford are doing fine from their rigorous Hopkins undergrad physics education. JHU undergrad is physics is elite. Year after year, Stanford, MIT, Princeton continually accept Hopkins undergrads for phD studies. With acceptance rates for these programs at around 15%, it shows these programs believe and trust Hopkins provides a quality undergraduate physics education also.</p>
<p>WealthOfInformation, thank you very much for your inspiring information. You truly made me feel better and luckier. You really live up to your account name!</p>
<p>Wait, Blah2009, I thought you mentioned that Princeton does not accept any transfers. Or are you talking about something else? If so, what is this PhD studies for undergrads thingy? Is it done after the first year or during? Do the colleges which I attend for these studies provide any financial aid?</p>
<p>Also, Blah, if "Grad school is what matters for physics anyways, not undergrad," then I guess it wouldn't make a difference whether I chose to attend UC Davis instead of JHU, right? (I got accepted there too.)</p>
<p>Blah was talking about how Hopkins undergrad who major in physics are accepted to graduate (PhD) programs at MIT, Stanford, Princeton etc every year</p>
<p>I'm a fellow JHU '12ers, but I must say, as ballin' as JHU BME and Whiting are, they sure as hell aren't MIT. Except BME of course, which is #1 ;) I don't even know why I wanted to go to MIT, good thing I got rejected then :)</p>
<p>So, tanman, you're not talking about people majoring in physics who complete their four years of undergrad and go on to do their PhDs at grad schools like MIT? Or is this a special program that occurs DURING the undergrad period?</p>
<p>Just a piece of advice. If you start your freshman year with a plan to transfer you will miss out on a golden opportunity. That is especially true if your plan is to try to transfer to one of the most elite and highly selective schools in the country. Transfer admissions to a highly selective school is MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE than freshman admission. If your not admitted then you may have wasted your freshman year working to transfer school ... then what. </p>
<p>Heed the advice of the students who have posted so far. Give Hopkins a chance ... you may be suprised about how amazing the Physics program is.</p>
<p>I'm referring to kids who graduate from Hopkins and go on to PhD programs at Princeton and other schools. Hopkins has an inside track at getting kids into these programs due to the distinguished faculty. Look at where Hopkins profs got their PhDs and the awards they have won, and compare that to UC Davis' faculty. At Hopkins you will find faculty who mostly obtained their PhDs from the likes of MIT, Harvard, Uchicago, Berkeley, and Stanford. As a result, their letters of recommendation, should you distinguish yourself at Hopkins, will hold substantially more clout at for graduate school than faculty at UC Davis who obtained their PhDs from the likes of Boston University, Michigan State, UCSC, UArizona. In fact, if you look at the UC Davis Physics website, there isn't a single faculty member who obtained a phD from MIT or Harvard.</p>