<p>Hi,
I'm contemplating on whether to transfer from a liberal arts college in LA to an Ivy, Stanford, Pomona, JHU, or U. Chicago. However my ultimate scholastic goal is to attend med school. Will transferring to a more prestigious school as a junior in college aid my admissions to a top tier med school, or should I remain in LA and try to make the best out of it here? My only worries about transferring is whether or not I can build strong relationships with the faculty in larger schools and receive outstanding recommendations as well as if I can take advantage of more opportunities there.</p>
<p>Is it good LAC? Or a crappy one? Or somewhere in between? Do you have great relationships with prof’s at your current school? Already in great EC’s? </p>
<p>To be blunt, I have a hard time believing that you’d put yourself in better shape with one year at any of your target schools. Two years maybe (but still unlikely) but that would put you applying in a gap year. For most students, I’d say stay put and make yourself as “special” as you can.</p>
<p>Currently I attend Occidental College, I know its not a bad school, but not the best at the same time. </p>
<p>Thank you for your very truthful reply. I really need as much as advise and comments as I can get. I was thinking of transferring because when I returned home from my first year, I wasn’t too happy with my school especially about the class scheduling and on campus housing. I also didn’t think I was getting enough bang for my buck. However when I returned to school, being around my friends and professors I enjoy Oxy, so I have a dilemma.</p>
<p>Stay at Occidental if you are happy and doing well. It is a very good College. You will need a 3.8+ and mid 30’s MCAT to be competitive at the best medical schools. Your MCAT score will probably not change depending on your undergraduate College. If your currant GPA is excellent there is no reason to believe you will do as well or better at another school. You might do worse.</p>
<p>I can’t tell you whether to stay or go, but look at the numbers of transfers to such schools. With the exception of Cornell, which is transfer-friendly, the Ivies accept few-to-zero transfers each year. Ditto Pomona and Stanford.</p>
<p>Weak letters of rec or old ones if you chose to try and get them from your current undergrad, less leadership positions available to you as the new kid on the block, interruption of all relationships that you had with professors/health care folk/researchers, having to start over everything basically. You would also have to explain what prompted you to transfer (Hint: Prestige is not the right answer).</p>
<p>I know I am a bit late, but I am a prospective freshman now and have a few things I want to add. </p>
<p>You want an Ivy League education?!</p>
<p>Heloo!?!?!?!?!? Oxy has an awesome program w/ Caltech, un-arguably the best science school in the country. You could take 1 class there, establish a little connections with professors, and get an awesome research opportunity by next semester. I also understand that scheduling is a HUGEEE problem b/c Oxy and Caltech do not have the same registrar schedules. But, isn’t it a “pre-med’s” job supposed to be to go “above and beyond” what is expected? </p>
<p>Go to Cedars-Sinai for volunteering. I know many Oxy alums that got into Harvard Med school (but, ironically, only a few that got into UCLA or UCSF). Plus, they kind of have an “underground” connection w/ USC Keck School of Medicine, but it’s a rumor and I can’t confirm its accuracy. </p>
<p>LORs are VERYYY important for Med Schools. Imagine someone at UC Riverside. Class size of 500 for a general chem class vs. 40 for Oxy. </p>
<p>You sound like an extremely intelligent individual and you should NOT take a route just because it has the “ivy” sticker on it. If you have a 3.72 or higher, I don’t see any reason why you should transfer. </p>
<p>I know I shouldn’t even be talking b/c I am not even a student there. But, hopefully, soon will be. Why? B/c (1) Caltech Program, (2) small class sizes = awesome relationships w/ profs, and (3) FAIR grading curve in science classes = high GPA.</p>
<p>Plzzz do not hesitate to message me for questions, advise, or whatever.</p>