<p>I am a freshman at Johns Hopkins but have been unsatisfied with my experience there and am planning on transferring for the Fall 2013 semester. I was planning on being a physics major but am now undecided (leaning towards math, applied math, or econ/business). I made this thread because I wanted advice on which schools I should consider transferring to and to get an honest opinion on my chances of transferring to those schools.
The main reason I am unhappy with Hopkins is my experience with the professors. All the professors at Hopkins are very intelligent people who have done amazing research in their fields, but generally I feel like they teach because they have to, and are very impersonal. Example: My Physics Prof. skipped class 6-7 times, I tried going to office hours but he showed up very late and went over things that was never put on the Midterms. The TAs for all my classes were very unhelpful. I feel like Hopkins wouldve been a better school to go to for Grad.
My other reasons are mostly social reasons that arent as important but are things I am taking into consideration when looking at other schools.
Heres a short list of schools I am already considering:
-Middlebury
-Brown
-Amherst
-Wesleyan
-Williams
-Columbia (this seems to be the odd one out since the other schools are LAC and Brown is kind of a mix between a LAC and a University)
Heres a brief summary of my credentials:
High School GPA: 3.8 (competitive public school)
6 AP courses (AP test was optional at my school, only took BC and Stat AP, got 5s on both)
Main Ex. Curr.: 4 year varsity wrestler, 2 year captain
Sat Score: 2160 (2400 scale), 1460 (1600 scale)
GPA at Hopkins: 3.73
1st semester courses at Hopkins:
Calc 3: B+
Music Theory: A
Mechanics: A-
Mech. Lab: A
Topics of Biophysics: S (pass/fail)
Objectivity (philosophy course): A</p>
<p>Just a couple of comments about your school selection:</p>
<p>While you do look like a competitive transfer candidate for these schools and it seems like you could write a good ‘why transfer’ essay, they are mostly small and so often have relatively few transfer slots. Some years Midd doesn’t take any transfers. Due to this you might consider adding another school or two.</p>
<p>Be aware that B is need-aware for transfers and has limited FA for transfers.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions, I am definitely planning on adding a few schools to my list. And yeah, I saw that a few years ago Midd didn’t have any transfer students :(, which is kinda sad cus Middlebury is known for having very interactive and caring professors. This is kind of snobby to say but, financial need isn’t an issue for me. I’m lucky and my family gets by pretty well. Are there any other schools not on my list that you think I should look into?</p>
<p>^Not snobby, just a reality :).</p>
<p>Looks like you don’t have a huge preference for rural vs. city, but prefer the NE. Columbia is an outlier because of their core vs. the open curriculum of B & A. Want to give some details about what characteristics you’re looking for (socially, academics, location, etc.)?</p>
<p>Dartmouth is similar to B in being a LAC/univ mix, but they do have a different social vibe from Wes & B, kinda more similar to Williams. I don’t usually suggest Yale due to their low acceptance rate, but it seems like it might be a good fit for your. If you’re interested in the West, perhaps Pomona.</p>
<p>Yeah, Rural vs. City isn’t a big issue for me. Although I feel like JHU is kind of the worst of both worlds, (constant police sirens, don’t get as much of a community feel as a school in the middle of nowhere while at the same time local restaurants are mediocre and expensive, not much to do in Baltimore). And I would really consider Pomona or Claremont McKenna but it’s too far from home (I live in NY).
So, I guess I’ll start with social. The frat scene is pretty big at Hopkins. There seems to lack a middle ground between people who get really drunk at hot and sweaty frats and people who stay in and never drink. I would like to go to a school where casual drinking is the main social scene. At williams, they allow drinking in the dorms but they have JA’s who’s jobs are to make sure nobody gets out of hand. Also people who drink and people who don’t drink are able to hang out and there’s no pressure to drink.
Academically, my main focus is having professors that reach out to students. The reason why I’m not sure if I want to go to a school with a core curric. or one that’s open is because right now I’m pretty undecided so a balanced education at Columbia, or getting to explore different majors at Brown both seem good to me. JHU is kind of in the middle, more flexible than structured though. Which I like but also don’t like cus it most kids specialize on their major, and try to use non-major courses to boost their GPA’s.
I definitely want to go to a school that’s more collaborative than competitive (but I know all good colleges will have competitive people because they had to be competitive enough to get into those schools).
Maybe all of this would help clarify what kind of college would best fit me? My dad wants me to apply to Yale, but the more I here about it, the more it sounds like it would actually be a good fit and wouldn’t just be an impressive decal on the back of the family car, so I’ll probably apply.</p>
<p>Hey FirstDay, hang in there. Better you realize this now rather than later. You’re definitely moving in the right direction with good LACs (Liberal Arts Colleges). Here are some other very solid ones you should consider: Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona and Swarthmore. You will DEFINITELY get more personal attention at any of these great LACs, but be prepared to work harder too. good luck!</p>
<p>FirstDay, just read your last post more carefully. This statement caught my eye: “I definitely want to go to a school that’s more collaborative than competitive (but I know all good colleges will have competitive people because they had to be competitive enough to get into those schools).” Seriously suggest you give Carleton a close look. Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with ctaylor657’s suggestion: consider Carleton College. Carleton has strong programs in sciences and economics among LACs. Do not give up the idea of majoing in physics due to your experience in the first semester of freshman year; also be open-minded to try taking courses outside your comfort zone.
If you have read “The Thinking Student’s Guide to College: 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education” by Andrew Roberts, you will focus on LACs.
In my opinion, since you have very good credentials, and you do not have to worry about financial aid, your transfer decision should be welcomed by many elite colleges. Do visit the schools you are going to apply. Best wishes for you.</p>