Hi! I am a undergraduate student at Florida Gulf Coast U(sophomore 2019-2020) and a biology major. I am contemplating on the idea of transferring my last 2 years to NYU, Columbia or Barnard after taking this year to boost my GPA which at the moment is a 3.16 (3.6 first semester and 2.86 second). I have always dreamed of going to school in the city being that I am from the area and am quite familiar but my parents took my college experience and influenced me to have more “fun” in a sense then ultimately focus on school which I know they care about too. I have always had a hard time in school because of the people around me and the fact that I try to fit in places I really do not belong. I love the university I am at, but with the dream I am trying to achieve, the distractions are high. Another issue I have is the people around me are not caring for their studies to the extent that I would like to be caring for my own. I know that the way I care for my studies is more important than those around me, but simultaneously it is a bit difficult when you cannot find tutoring help or when the help you’re receiving is in accordance to a larger study group. The academic competitiveness is just not there for me and I am wondering what a school with a higher caliber of education and competition between students could provide me. Thoughts?
the transfer applicants that are accepted to very selective colleges such as Columbia are those that could have been admitted as a frosh applicant (and in some cases actually were) but chose to go elsewhere for family or other reasons.
Given your 3.16 gpa it seems the academic challenge is plenty strong. Your gpa makes a selective college a stretch no matter what your chances were back when you were a HS senior. Perhaps you should look at colleges such as CCNY if you want a college in NYC
Your GPA doesn't indicate you are exceeding academically. This is very much a you issue vs a school issue as I see it. GPA for transfer and med school is an issue. If you think you are better than your peers, leverage that and increase your GPA.
Realistically you have to get much more serious about your education, and particularly getting much better grades. With a GPA of 3.16, I don’t see much chance to transfer to “NYU, Columbia”, nor to get accepted to medical school. You have to find a way to put the distractions to the side. You need to hang out with serious students, or hang out with the library and your class notes. You want to be the strongest student in every class if you can do it.
I have known a few premed students. They study pretty much all of the time. Academics is not just job 1. Academics is life (along with gaining experience volunteering in medical situations).
Getting A’s is generally speaking significantly more difficult at highly ranked universities. You need to show schools that you are serious. Try to go for the entire year next year with only A’s and if you can A+'s. Then see where you stand.