<p>So, I'm finishing up my freshman year at Caltech with pretty bad grades and having learned the true meaning of stress. I love Caltech socially-that aspect is pure bliss, but I've found that I'm not that happy academically. Caltech is too focused on science and too intense. I miss being able to do art, and I miss my sleep. I'm fairly certain that I could graduate from here, but it might take five or six years, and it won't be kind to me. I know that my stress levels while I've been here have been way beyond what I can really deal with. This has admittedly been somewhat exacerbated by getting sick a lot, but it's still not a great place for me, I think. This isn't even really what I'd call a time management issue: it's an issue of needing more time to complete all of my work, and simultaneously needing more time to relax to maintain my sanity. I'm pretty sure that after this year I'd be able to handle any workload except Caltech's, MIT's, and maybe UChicago's without real trouble. </p>
<p>Anyway, I'm wondering what my chances of transferring to a slightly less prestigious school are. I'd rather deal with the stress here than transfer somewhere substantially worse (I don't want to go to a state school), but if I could transfer to a place like Harvey Mudd (that would be my ideal: hard, but in a sane way), Pomona, maybe Rice, that would be ideal. I was admitted to Harvey Mudd (and given the scholarship they give to the top 25% of their admitted students. This would not be available to a transfer, but I know they really wanted me as a freshman applicant) last year, and don't know what my kind of failure freshman year would mean for me if I tried to transfer. </p>
<p>Also, if I plan to transfer, I'd want to take the next year off (or at least most of it) to work. This is very simple to do at Caltech (I'd be able to go back without trouble later). However, I don't know how this affects transfer applications. I certainly don't know any profs, although I'd probably be able to ask one of them to write me a recommendation. I know I could get a spectacular recommendation from one of the grad student TAs. I figure that if I transfer, my time would be better spent not working myself to exhaustion and illness (which is what I've been doing). Also, if I managed to survive all of my classes next year and not drop them or fail them, I'd be mostly taking in-major classes after that, which are somewhat less terrible. </p>
<p>I know that failing at Caltech doesn't tend to mean that struggling would occur at other schools, but I'm not sure that admissions officers see it that way.</p>
<p>I have failed some classes (on pass-fail) and might fail one this term. I’m probably going to be able to re-register without problem. I’d also probably be able to do another term and do well, but I burn out after doing well for a term here. So I’d probably be able to get good grades next term, although my sanity would suffer. If I have a 2.something when I try to transfer (keeping in mind that a 2.something is below average here but not dreadful) what sort of chances does that give me? </p>
<p>My main reason for wanting to transfer is that Caltech is not a great fit, although I’d also like a workload that is difficult but sane. I’m kind of in over my head here. I don’t think that I would be anywhere else.</p>
<p>Yes, a LOW 2 something (which I don’t think you have) doesn’t look good regardless where you went. You would have an easier time if you had at least a 2.7. If you like the environment, and feel like you CAN handle the next few years then I would stay. Believe it or not, you may miss the rigor you had. </p>
<p>Also, if you enjoy your major, and that’s basically all you have left to work on then you should be fine, and your GPA should increase. </p>
<p>Call Harvey Mudd and your other choices and see what they tell you as far as admissions go, but if you really like the environment, you may want to stick out one more semester and see how it goes!</p>
<p>So, while I love it socially, I’d prefer an environment which had non-science as well. I’d like to have the opportunity for more political action, more art (I hadn’t realized how much painting mattered to me until I got here and suddenly lacked the time for it. There are three art classes offered here: painting & drawing, ceramics, and silk screening. It makes me wish for cross-registration with PCC, which actually has art classes), and humanities classes that are taken somewhat more seriously. </p>
<p>Also, given that the college I’d be most interested in transferring to is Harvey Mudd, I’d probably not miss the rigor, as they are known for being ridiculously challenging (the general consensus is that Caltech is even harder though). I explicitly don’t want to transfer somewhere easy, just somewhere saner. I kind of in over my head right now. If I avoid the classes that people say are not easy, that helps, although some of those are required classes. </p>
<p>My gpa right now is going to be entirely based on my grades this term, because the first two quarters are mandatory pass-fail for freshmen. I have no idea what it’s going to be, except for low. If I do well in the next two quarters, it becomes more heavily weighted towards that. On the other hand, the longer I stay here, the less worthwhile it becomes to transfer. I like a lot of things about tech, although the amount of stress here is actually beyond what I was able to understand as a high schooler.</p>
<p>Mudd would work for your desire to get more art/humanities classes in, especially with the other 4C’s courses available. However, getting more sleep/a less taxing workload? Mudd probably won’t offer that. Mudd is supposed to be on par with Caltech in that regard (some say Mudd is harder, some say Caltech is harder, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus), and I’m not sure how much relief you would find. If it’s the stress there and not the social environment wearing you down, Mudd will likely be about the same or could be even worse. Unless you think the ability to get the art classes in will provide an outlet, you might want to be careful with that mentality.</p>
<p>Additionally, it’s important to be aware Mudd will be fairly concerned with how well your courses so far have matched the courses Mudd students would have already taken. The common core is extremely important to the school, and they likely won’t bother taking students in on transfer that don’t have a similar background to the students there. You would need to get in contact with admissions and check out what it would take for you to be considered.</p>
<p>The core is fairly similar, and from what I’ve seen of Mudd it is very slightly easier. Not in “can slack off now” way, but in the “I can sleep a healthy amount now” kind of way, which is kind of what I want. I will have probably fulfilled a lot of the core requirements already. I think that Caltech requires more Physics and Mudd requires more Math and CS. I think that taking a load less heavy in the sciences would be helpful, although I still want to do more of that than humanities. I’m going to be taking Caltech’s one two-d media class next term, and I hope that will provide an outlet. </p>
<p>I guess I’ll probably prepare an application and then see how the next two quarters go before deciding to submit the application or not. I’ll need to do well academically to transfer. My impression of Mudd, from Mudders, Techers, and from sitting in on their classes, is that Mudd is hard in a sane way. The total time spent on work is likely to be similar, but different in style. Their website is down right now though, so I cannot check on their classes. </p>
<p>Regardless, I think I’ll spend some time before deciding if I should submit an application. Remembering that I can transfer may be helpful in keeping me sane.</p>
<p>What are your stats? Unless there is some ‘it’ factor that you have, I don’t think you can just be accepted because you were at caltech. I don’t even know if they’d look at your application if you don’t have at least a 3.0, which I’m not sure if you do if you’ve failed a few classes,</p>
<p>maybe you could call a harvey mudd rep. to see what’s possible? however, i doubt they would tell you youd do a whole lot better academically than at caltech, but who knows? if its your environment thats pulling down the grades then you just might be able to pull it off</p>