<p>Hi all. I'm about to start my freshman year in CAS, but due to several serious medical incidents this summer (I was diagnosed with clinical depression, anxiety, and Borderline Personality Disorder), I will likely try to transfer to UT-Austin after a year to be closer to home. While I'm waiting until I settle into Cornell to make the final call, I would like to be prepared.</p>
<p>Does anyone know who I should contact after I arrive on campus about transferring out? And how much my freshman year at Cornell will help in applying transfer to UT, assuming I maintain a high-enough GPA?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that. If I were you, I’d call admissions this summer to get your questions answered or get directed to someone who can. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>OP - Would it make sense for you to defer a year while you work on getting better? First year of college can be unsettling for many students. It will be a lot of adjustment. On top of that, Cornell can be intense when it comes to course work. If I were your parent, I would be concerned if it would be too much for you, I would want you to focus on your mental health rather than on school work. Your school work may suffer if you don’t feel 100% and then you’ll have a harder time to transfer with subpar transcript. Why not take a gap year and re-apply to UT Austin.</p>
<p>Your AP credits won’t appear as courses taken at Cornell. Your new school would determine which AP credits they’ll take, and it maybe different than Cornell.</p>
<p>If you are transferring to UT, you should NOT start freshman year at Cornell. If you had started college classes, many universities will only consider your application as a transfer (NOT a freshman application), and there may be many many class requirements you must fulfill to transfer. It’ll be complicated. Plus many classes do not transfer to UT from Cornell, so basically you probably still need to take 4 years to graduate at UT, kind of wasting your tuition and time at Cornell.</p>
<p>Plan on starting at 1 university and finishing there. You need to be mentally prepared and determined to succeed in college. Having a bailout/escape plan doesn’t help you succeed, but does you less stress.</p>
<p>Hey ForeverFish, I’m sorry to hear that If you’re looking to stay closer to home, I’d also recommend what oldfort mentioned and consider taking a year off. That way you can still apply as a freshman to UT so you wouldn’t need to worry about transferring, and you’d have your friends and family close by to support you. Furthermore, if you feel better and decide to attend Cornell the following fall, you’d have that option as well. </p>
<p>I think that with your previous track record you wouldn’t have much of a problem getting to Texas; it’s how and whether you want to go about doing it that’s more important. Perhaps email CAS admissions to see what they think and whether it’s still possible to take a gap year? If you do choose to attend Cornell freshman year, try to mix in electives and easier classes with your required courses, and don’t stress yourself out too much. </p>
<p>Best of luck! I hope everything works out for you. </p>
<p>Thanks, all. I really appreciate the genuine advice.</p>
<p>As of now, it looks like I’ll be starting my freshman year at Cornell on time. I’m keeping a well-balanced schedule to reduce stress, and I’ll definitely be taking advantage of Gannett’s mental health services. I’ll prepare a UT transfer application just in case and keep in touch with their admissions office.</p>
<p>I really hate to say this, but unless your mental health issues are well under control, I would not recommend Cornell. You don’t say what your plan to take in terms of courses, but many courses that are typical freshman courses at Cornell are curved to a B or B+ and this might be discouraging to someone who presumably did very well in HS, and looks to get good grades to transfer. Sciences like bio, chem and physics are quite difficult for many students, and people who thought they came to study science often find themselves in search of other, non science majors. Many intro courses in other fields are very large - econ, govt., history, and impersonal. Many students find Cornell to be very stressful, academically and socially. What does your doctor say about such an environment? What do your parents think. </p>
<p>I am an alum, and I am involved in various activities that keep me in touch with current undergrads and recent grads. I found Cornell to be quite challenging myself, and the lowest point of my academic career, which includes 2 grad degrees. I would wish you all the best, but I want you to be as fully informed as possible before you move all the way to Ithaca, far from home, and find yourself without the support that you need. </p>
If you’re looking to stay closer to home, I’d also recommend what oldfort mentioned and consider taking a year off. That way you can still apply as a freshman to UT so you wouldn’t need to worry about transferring, and you’d have your friends and family close by to support you. Furthermore, if you feel better and decide to attend Cornell the following fall, you’d have that option as well. </p>