I am currently a sophomore at a small state school in Maryland called Salisbury. I am not happy at the school at all academically, socially, and for many other reasons. The classes are too easy for me, there aren’t a lot of opportunities and, aren’t a lot of pre med students so theasy environment isn’t really serious. I am studying abroad in the spring and I’m seriously considering transferring after that. I am currently a psychology major with a Chem minor. I have a 4.0 GPA and I’ve done volunteer work and shadowing. If I transfer to a more prestigious acanemic school with better opportunities and connections will that help me for medical schools do you think that will help me in the long run even if it means an extra semester or two/summer session to catch up?
Transfer because your current school is making you unhappy and you want to attend a college that is better fit, not because you think it will improve your chances of gaining a med school acceptance.
Because a transfer may not help you at all and may actually hurt you in some cases. See: [The Relationship among Undergraduate Educational Pathways, MCAT Exam Scores, and Acceptance Rates for U.S. Medical School Applicants](https://www.aamc.org/download/303696/data/aibvol12_no4-therelationshipamongundergraduateeducationalpathwa.pdf)
You may also want to read this article: [Study: College Transfer Students May Have Trouble Getting Into Med School](http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/2012/11/01/study-college-transfer-students-may-have-trouble-getting-into-med-school)
Realize that if you do transfer to another school, it will delay your med school application cycle by a year or more. You will need to complete 2 full years at your new school before applying. This is because most colleges require 2 years of grades before the health advising office will write a you a committee letter. Also because you will need the extra time to establish yourself at your new college, get involved in ECs there & develop relationships with your professors to get the LORs needed to support a med school application.
While transferring from a lower ranked college to a higher ranked, more academically challenging college is the preferred route, it’s still something you will need to address in your PS or secondaries.
So you need to make an informed choice. If you are seriously unhappy with your current school AND you have an opportunity to attend a college that offers better opportunities, support and academics AND you’re willing to delay your med school application by 1-2 years, then a transfer may be the right decision for you.