I am a sophomore mathematics major on a pre-med track currently enrolled in a university that ranks in the #100~120 range. I transferred into this school in between my freshman and sophomore year from a school that is unranked, in which I was enrolled in a dual-acceptance program with a medical school that ranks in the #80-100 range. My reason for transferring was because I was unhappy with the academic environment and rigor of the undergraduate school, and also felt that I could get into a better medical school. I also wanted to pursue a mathematics major, which this undergraduate school did not offer. While I contemplated transferring throughout pretty much my entire freshman year, I finalized by decision extremely late in the transfer process (for a very long time, I considered just toughing it out). By this time, very few schools were still accepting transfer applications, so I ended up transferring into a school in which my test scores overqualified me (my high school GPA is pretty weak, but not bad for this school).
While I am much happier at this school than my previous school, I still feel that I am not reaching my highest potential. The mathematics program in this school is not the strongest, and I am exploring options to transfer into a more competitive school. My questions:
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Does anyone have any experience transferring for a second time? (I’ve read many anecdotes and know that it is possible, but I’d love to hear more)
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Will transferring undergraduate schools twice look bad for my medical school application, even if I am able to adequately justify my reasons?
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Finally, could anyone recommend schools that would be good to transfer into based on my stats? My dream transfer school is Penn, but I know it’s a stretch because my high school and freshman year GPA’s are below average, although I have made a huge improvement in my new school.
SAT (single-seating): 2140 (590 CR, 770 M, 780 W)
SAT (SuperScored for two seatings): 2240 (690 CR, 770 M, 780 W)
SAT II: 740 Chemistry, 800 Math II
ACT: 33 (English 33, Math 35, Reading 29, Science 33, Essay 5)
High School GPA: 3.73 (unweighted, high school does not weight GPA)
GPA at first college (cumulative for two semesters): 3.57
GPA at second college (cumulative for one summer session and one semester): 3.88
I am active in my current school’s pre-med club and in pharmacy research. I anticipate being able to get very strong letters of recommendation if I do apply.
I would stay put. Be happy that you can pull a strong GPA I your current environment. I think a second transfer does look bad.
I certainly do appreciate that I am doing well in my current school, but I would overall still describe myself as unsatisfied. I would characterize myself as the type of person who does better in a competitive environment. Going into more details about justifying a second transfer: I feel that transferring was really the only option I had if I wanted to pursue a mathematics major. Waiting another year or even another semester would put me even further behind the mathematics major track and make it hard if not impossible to finish in four years. (even now I am considered “behind” schedule). I get that transferring twice can give off the impression that I am too picky, but is it really so bad to want to transfer out of a school I had little choice in attending?
" is it really so bad to want to transfer out of a school I had little choice in attending?"
If you had been serious about transferring to a “better” place for math, you could have taken a semester or year off while working on that transfer application list. How serious are you about med school? How serious are you about math? If med school is your real goal, then stay were you are and work on that GPA. The name of the place you graduated from will barely matter when it comes time to apply to med school. Your GPA, MCAT scores, and letters of recommendation will. It makes a lot of sense to study at a somewhat “easier” place so that you can have the GPA you need.
If you are more interested in math, then admit it. Drop the pre-med stuff, and get the advice of your math professors about the best place for you to pursue your long-range goals in math. Those professors will know whether or not it makes sense for you to transfer out, or whether you can work toward your goals where you are right now.
If you are serious about math and are thinking about graduate school then it probably does not matter a whole lot where you get your BS but how much research you have done and how good your GPA in math is. Then you can aim fora top notch mathematics graduate program, which will be more important for your career than where you get your BS from. I agree with @happymomof1 that you need to decide what your priorities are for post-graduation but your best bet probably to stay at your current school in both cases.
Those pieces don’t align. You had lots of choices:
=you chose an unranked college for your first university (despite stats that should have enabled you to get into well-ranked places) - not an obvious choice for somebody who thrives in competitive environments
=you chose as your first college one that doesn’t offer your major (presumably b/c it gave you a straight shot into medical school?)
=you chose to ‘contemplate’ transferring until past the major transfer deadlines (again, not characteristic of competitively oriented people);
=you chose to dump your sure shot into medical school (your stated goal), b/c you felt that you could get into a ‘better’ one
=to get to that ‘better’ med school, you chose to apply to a college you apparently only rate as better than nothing, rather than waiting another term to apply to transfer to a college that you like.
Now you are trying to decide about transferring again, but worry that:
Actually, it gives the impression that you don’t think through your choices before making them and/or you can’t stick to things.
One of the big things about college is learning to take responsibility for your own success. If you aren’t reaching your ‘highest potential’ - what are you doing about it (other than doing another dump and run)?
Or, is this more about trying to ratchet up the prestige ladder?
@matthewjohnlim I’m in the pretty much exact same situation as you. Certain circumstances prevented me from getting into a ‘competitive’ school as a freshman (I already knew I would be a math major wherever I attended and that hasn’t changed since), and now I’m trying to compensate for that. Others have also suggested to me, that I stay put where I am, even if I don’t find myself to be very challenged by the curriculum. True, GPA, MCAT, and ECs matter most in the application, but of course prestige and rigor of the curriculum has an effect on GPA as well. If you’re unhappy with your current situation, just try and apply for a transfer. If things work out, great! If it doesn’t work out, that’s fine too. Make the most of your situation and excel in what you can do. Good luck!