<p>I was wondering if I should just transfer after a year or get my undergraduate from Rutgers and then just get my MBA and/or JD at a better school. I heard I should satisfy the pre-req firsts. Does that mean? I really enjoy the urban environment which is why I went to Rutgers (that and my parents forced me, wanted me to commute). But after my freshman year they said I can transfer. I really want to stay around the NYC and Philly area (note always in a urban environment). </p>
<p>Should I do more EC than I planned? Do the number of majors I have matter? (Its easy to get several majors/minors from Rutgers especially since PolSci requires classes from other majors.) Should I just take a major/minor and fill the other credits with electives? Or instead of random electives make them toward another major/minor? Would you suggest any other colleges to apply to?</p>
<p>HS: 3.8 GPA unweighted (At a highly regarded HS, curricular was all APs)
ACT: 25 ( Didn't care much for it)
HS Extra Curricular: None (School didn't have that many)</p>
<p>College: Rutgers
College GPA: Aiming at 3.8 or higher
Extra Curricular: College Republicans, Republican Newspaper, Indoor Soccer and Outdoor Soccer, Leadership Courses and Classes
Year: Going to stay one year at Rutgers then transfer for Soph year
Major: Political Science and I can add others if I want instead of taking electives so I might add History and Philosophy.</p>
<p>Well, of course, the decision is yours and I think your question is a bit premature as you haven't even been there yet. Here are a couple of things to think about:</p>
<p>financial aid - if you need this, be aware that financial aid tends to be much stingier for transfers (although not impossible to get what you need, less likely)</p>
<p>residential experience - this can make a big difference in how you react to your college situation; comparing Rutgers as a commuter to any of the others as a campus resident is not really a fair comparison. So you might ask your parents to reconsider your living on campus - this term, next term, or sophomore year if you don't end up transferring. If I could wave a magic wand, I would have you live on campus from the get-go.</p>
<p>transfer adjustment - transferring can be an adjustment (I transferred and so did my son). So it helps to really have a strong reason to do so, to get you through any rocky parts. </p>
<p>MBA/JD programs tend to be costly, lol, with not the same kind of financial support as PhD programs. If Rutgers is your low-cost option, you might want to stay there for that reason. Check out the success rates of Rutgers grads wrt admissions to MBA/JD programs that appeal.</p>
<p>Wrt majors/minors, my opinion is that you should proceed as though you were NOT going to transfer. Major in what you would like. If you are only going to be there one year, you won't really be far enough along to have several majors and minors anyway. The important thing wrt coursework is to: take a serious courseload; get to know two profs well enough to get good recommendations; and do well in your GPA, as you already mentioned (3.5+ ideal).</p>
<p>Most important: Go into Rutgers with an expectation that it will be great and that you will love it. Take full advantage of everything it has to offer. Don't think again about transfer until semester break. That will be plenty of time to complete applications if you really want to transfer. But don't set yourself up to dislike the school.</p>
<p>If you're really unhappy at your current school, then maybe a transfer is necessary. But if it's a whole lot of money and you ARE pretty content where you are right now, then grad school would be an equally good option.</p>
<p>I went to my first college with a hunch that it wouldn't be the right choice, but hoping for the best. I recommend you do the same... embrace Rutgers for the first semester. Do everything you possibly can! If you still have that nagging feeling that it was the wrong choice after a while...go for it and submit applications. By throwing yourself into everything when you first get there, you'll show you tried your best to make it work. But you never know. If you make an effort to make it work, you may find its the place you want to be. There's no harm in submitting apps. And you'll have until spring to decide if you get some acceptances. I wouldn't recommend being miserable for four years...but I agree with Andale about adjustment. It's hard, so don't going leaving a place where you're happy just because Rutgers wasn't where you "planned" on going from the beginning.</p>
<p>And by "everything" I mean quality ECs. Be in a club or two, create one, try to be a leader and develop something new to show you're trying to carve a niche for yourself.</p>
<p>So if i do all that and still decide I want to transfer. i should start applying during the summer so I can get in for the fall? Or should I do it even sooner like around March/April and then send in my grades for the freshman year?</p>
<p>I don't even feel like transferring anymore. I really don't like the school that I'm at but ever since the semester started I kind of feel like I should just finish up here. I'm still going to apply to a couple of schools though and see what happens.</p>