Transfer out of cornell?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Okay so I'm looking for advice. I'm in ILR at Cornell and I haven't really been happy here. I'm not doing too terribly and have a mix of As and Bs so far, but I'm not really interested in my courses. The social life here consists of little else besides Greek life, and I'm not interested in all in Greek life. Because Cornell is so isolated, it's hard to escape from here. I always feel trapped on the campus and it's easy for me to get very unhappy very quickly.</p>

<p>That said, it's hard for me to consider giving up the Ivy that I dreamed of as well. I'd look into transferring into schools like Georgetown and GWU, since I think DC might suit me better, but Georgetown might not even take me without such a high GPA. As much as I love GWU, would it be worth passing up Cornell?</p>

<p>I also have intense dreams of law school. All I've ever wanted to do was be an attorney. I know that GPA is a big factor. I always wonder whether it's better to get a 3.4 at Cornell or a 3.7 at GWU. I know that no one has the answers for every school, but I was wondering about everyone's opinion. Thank you guys for any feedback you can give me! I appreciate it.</p>

2

<p>I would advise for you to give it some time. Maybe you will get acclimated as the term wears on. If that doesn’t help, I would then follow up with the transfer process. You need to remember ultimately you want to be happy and enjoy your college education/experience. Therefore, if you feel you’ll be happier in DC then go for it. Of course you’ll be making some sacrifices but like I said before you will be in a better environment. Don’t get caught up on the name/prestige issue.</p>

<p>Since I’m not familiar with the requirements for the schools you mentioned, try to get in contact with someone from your perspective school(s) and talk to them. They’ll be really helpful in aiding you to follow up with the plans.</p>

<p>Good luck. If you need anything else come back. I’m sure other posters will have more experience with the specific schools and specific questions you voiced concerns about.</p>

3

<p>At the end of the day, if you’re not happy and, knowing more than you did before, you’ve found some places that you reasonably expect should be better experiences for you, you should transfer IMO. Life is short, and these are an important four years.
D1 found herself disliking her initial choice, but stuck it out to the end, and now regrets that. It didn’t get better for her, it got worse. D2 came to a similar conclusion at her school, transferred, and is very happy about it.</p>

<p>Before you make a final decision though, you should see if there’s ways to make it good for you where you are. Looking forward, is the future ILR curriculum also of disinterest? Or do you have the worst of it, required courses that you don’t like, mostly this year.</p>

<p>Make a real effort to improve your social situation. The truth is, most people there do not belong to fraternities, and after freshman year those not in the greek system have virtually nothing to do with it. D2 is there now, has nothing to do with greek life, and is having a great time there. She finds stuff to do with her friends, goes to house parties in collegetown; she also works and does extracurriculars.</p>

<p>It’s all about connecting with a group of people who you like. The fraternities provide a pre-formulated way to find such group of people, but the majority who are not into that scene have to be more proactive to find their niche, or luckier. Join clubs, get a potentially-social part-time job, etc. Throw a party. Really think about what you can do in this regard and put in real effort.</p>

<p>There’s enough to do there if you have people to do it with. If you don’t, you can be in downtown NYC and be bored.</p>

<p>But if you try all that, and things just aren’t working out for you there, and you can’t see how that’s likely to change going forward:</p>

<p>Transfer.</p>

<p>Like most other schools, the place doesn’t work out for literally everyone. Some people are better off elsewhere. Even if only due to luck of the draw of who they find themselves surrounded by.</p>

4

<p>^ …very much agree with everything that Monydad said above, and I’d add a reminder or two in terms of the old adage that “the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.” A high percentage of freshman (though not all) at top tier universities struggle to find their social niche. It’s just par for the course that it can take time for many students. The transition to college from home can be daunting for the less social and adventurous – at least for the first semester or two – at any university. Moreover, one of the key advantages of Cornell is its wealth and diversity of colleges, majors, programs, clubs, et cetera. If you find that ILR is not quite for you, then you do not necessarily need to “jump the fence” to redirect your academic energies. Cornell makes available its internal transfer program to students who are in good standing. Whatever you decide to do take the time you need; good luck to you.</p>

5

<p>I know of two people that transferred to Georgetown with me that were from Cornell and they gave similar reasons; the academics are pretty much on par, but they were looking for something more international and less isolated. Additionally, Georgetown’s Law school is a plus if you would consider waiting Cornell out. Keep in mind every situation is unique but these were the common things between the two I noticed.</p>

<p>Social life is different here as well, although there are a couple unrecognized but very reputable fraternities (such as the Foreign Service Frat) and some clubs and sports are known for parties, oftentimes its a group of friends at an apartment, clubbing in the city etc its a unique scene.</p>

6

<p>i’m sorry that you’re not happy :frowning: i’m surprised that you can’t find things to do besides frat parties and stuff though, because i’m not involved in greek life and there are still plenty of things going on. what if you study abroad for a year? you might be happy doing that</p>