Hey guys!
I’m seriously thinking about going to either University of Toronto or McGill, but want to try to transfer back to the states after freshman year (Columbia is my top choice). Does anyone know if applying from a Canadian university will hurt my chances, since the curriculums are so different?
Don’t go to a university planning to transfer right away. For one, applications are time consuming and a pain! (As you know.) For two, your odds of getting in as a transfer - international or not – are LOWER than as a freshman. (Most Ivies and elite schools have very few spots for transfers.) The strategy doesn’t make much sense, and it will affect how you feel about/integrate yourself at wherever you are during your freshman year. My advice? Go to a school you like the best, then do your best to make the most of it. Do very, very well, and you just might end up at Columbia for grad school.