<p>Hi all! I currently attend Stanford and I really am not loving it. It feels like a very big, impersonal university to me. I just feel like another number and I feel that I made a poor decision when it came to college.</p>
<p>I gave first quarter a try with an open mind and an open heart, and I still feel that it would be in my best interests to transfer. Are there any other Stanford students who have transferred/do these feelings get better as one gets into the upper level classes?</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of someone transferring out of Stanford after one quarter (of course it happens, since Stanford’s retention rate isn’t 100%). I’ve only heard of one person who transferred out of Stanford, and that was once freshman year ended. I think you probably need to give it more time, as the first quarter is different/odd compared to the rest. I’m not saying that you’d necessarily love Stanford after an additional quarter, but rather that it’s best not to jump ship after only 11 weeks. Another concern would be transfer credentials: some universities would be hesitant to consider you because you’re half way between a freshman and an upperclassman; others would ignore your first quarter and consider you a freshman (so you’d essentially be applying with high school seniors, i.e. applying to college all over again); and others would just lump you in with sophomore and junior transfers, who are more competitive. As such, I think it’d be a good idea to consider whether it’d be worth it to transfer or not, after you’ve spent more time at Stanford. If, with more time, you decide that the pros of transferring outweigh the cons, then you definitely should try to transfer. (Remember, though, that it’s too late by this point to start next fall, so you’d have to take a year off to apply before you start again.)</p>
<p>Actually the transfer applications for most universities I am interested in applying to aren’t due till March 15th (for entry in Fall 2012); that seems to be the case for most of the top universities. I would be lumped in with the sophomores/juniors so that makes it more competitive.</p>
<p>That being said, thanks for the advice. I will certainly try to give it more time, but right now, I just can’t see myself there for four years.</p>
<p>Sorry I had assumed that you weren’t going to continue at Stanford. What I meant to say is that most universities will not consider a transfer application from you if you don’t finish freshman year. (Rather, they require that you apply as a freshman, for which the deadline’s passed.) If you’re applying for Stanford-caliber schools (e.g. HYM), then it might be a better idea to apply as a freshman, where the acceptance rate is much, much higher. In deciding which route to take, consider the likelihood that you will change your mind significantly over the next two quarters, and the likelihood that you will get into your transfer choices. If both those seem unlikely, I’d take a leave of absence from Stanford (so you haven’t officially “quit”) for the next several quarters, apply as a freshman in the fall, take the time off, and if you don’t get in, then you can just come back to Stanford. If you do get in, then you can file to leave Stanford permanently.</p>
<p>Of course, this is assuming that you’re applying to transfer to schools where it’s much harder to transfer than it is to be admitted as a freshman - and you very well might not be. (A bit of elitist assumption there, oops.) And of course, if you’ve already decided which route you’re taking, then you can ignore all this. ;)</p>
<p>I would really give it some time. In the meantime, go visit colleges where you think you can “fit in” and I am not sure any college can meet everyone’s expectations. Assuming you tried to get involved in activities/clubs and seek out things that interests you. It takes time to settle into a new environment. </p>
<p>Don’t make hasty decisions because you’d be transferring to another school where there is NO guarantee you’d find it any better. Good luck, you may also post in the parents forum…there were few posts with the same issues as you.</p>
<p>Cookies, a friend of my daughter had a tough first year at Stanford; she wanted to transfer by December. She was bored by the weather – she grew up in a sunny, 4-season climate, Stanford’s weather by turns bored and frustrated her (too much rain.) She felt uninspired in her classes, and had a hard time making friends. “All they do is study!” she’d say. "I’d say, hey, let’s go for a hike. And they’d respond, “Can’t. I have a chemistry test in two weeks.” She found many of them academically competitive and arrogant. She thought Palo Alto was a bore, and wished she’d picked a school in a more urban, edgy environment. Her parents resisted her desire to transfer, they felt she was throwing away a significant opportunity but nonetheless, she applied to - and was accepted - at her state u as a transfer student. Well, maybe just having an “escape plan” is what did it, but once she thought she was going to leave Stanford, things there started changing for her. Or maybe SHE just got better at seeking change and making it happen. She made friends who were more outgoing than the ones she first met; through Stanford, she got involved in politics; she changed her academic orientation and found the intellectual stimulation she felt she was initially lacking. By the end of her sophomore year, she was a happy, challenged Cardinal. </p>
<p>So in answer to your question - yes, it does happen that people don’t like their school at first, even Stanford. But there is a reason why Stanford is STANFORD. It has a tremendous amount to offer, a wealth of resources and possibilities. So give yourself some time. Explore the school, keep trying new things, actively try to meet more people. Odds are you’ll feel differently about the school shortly - and before you know it, you just might love it. </p>
<p>Not a week goes by where I don’t find myself hating an aspect of Stanford (mainly it students, who are incredibly boring for being the “best of the best”). I often find myself being very politically-incorrect just to get an halfway-decent conversation going. I would never even consider co-terming because I want to leave and get on with my life, somewhere far far away from Palo Alto. </p>
<p>That said, I’m considering co-terming. This place is cool, and it’s made me who I am. Even the overly-technocrat student body has served to strengthen my moralism. Classes are getting better, I am looking forward to getting back to school, and my extracurriculars are fulfilling. </p>
<p>Cookies- my roommate freshman year expressed a similar desire. He filled out the apps but never submitted them. So who knows?</p>
<p>Cooks- My relative is at Stanford. Had a rough majority of the first quarter, not academically, but with the roommate and dorm stuff. Then things began to click- slowly but she was pretty happy and looking forward to going back. </p>
<p>I am lucky to have a family member there to explain things to me should I be fortunate enough to go next year.</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine it not being perfect but I guess nothing ever is.</p>
<p>I am so proud of my family. I have to pinch myself sometimes- she made amongst all of you there in the RD round- what like 5% acceptance. Amazing</p>
<p>My feeling is that you simply have enough explored enough options to find something that fits you. Stanford has a lot to offer other than academics and studious over-achievers, so don’t give up just because your freshman dorm or first academic quarter doesn’t feel right.</p>
<p>That said, I am also a freshman and this is just my rather unsubstantiated feeling.</p>
<p>Stanford feels large and impersonal? With <7K undergrads? If you’re thinking small liberal arts school then yeah, maybe you can find something smaller, but Stanford’s pretty small as far as most world class research universities go. There are so many opportunities to get involved at Stanford, to meet new people and do new things. For most students it seems that the difficulty is narrowing down involvement in ECs so that you don’t blow it in what are often very difficult classes. Uninspired by classes? At Stanford, that’s all on you since the opportunity to take whatever the hell you want is right there at your feet (or fingers). Stanford seems to bend over backward to try to make students feel at home, all it takes is a little effort on your part - like they tell you repeatedly, you’ve got to own the place and make it yours.</p>