<p>Hello I'm currently a freshman at an ivy (don't want to say which) and while I'm still getting used to it here, I don't really like the atmosphere. It's a mixture of homesickness and extreme competitiveness along with other social issues that just have me uncomfortable and hating my college experience. I am doing well in classes so far, it's not that I think it is too hard or I can't handle it. I have thought about transferring to the University of Michigan which is much closer to home, more laid-back in many aspects, and I have been been to many times in my life, always having a positive experience. My family really wants me to do this as well, but I've been laughed at by some people for even considering going from a top 10 school to a state school. Is it really that ridiculous of an idea? And would this possibly hurt my chances at grad/med/law school if I went from a higher ranked school to a lower one? This is not for sure, I know I haven't been in school long but it's something I'm thinking about doing in the future if things don't get better. </p>
<p>Give it a full year, you have the privilege of a great opportunity a lot of people wish they had. It’s very rare for anyone to feel completely comfortable their first year away from home no matter what school they are at. If you still find that you don’t like where you are at after a full year of school, transferring closer to home isn’t a bad option. If you were smart and dedicated enough to get into an Ivy League school, going to UM won’t hold you back from any future graduate school plans.</p>
<p>I had a friend who went to Dartmouth and it was the school she always wanted to go to during high school. She got there and was miserable. She would complain how much she hated it. She ended up going for another semester and it got much better. She is now a junior there, so I would recommend going the full year with an open mind and if it doesn’t work out then think about transferring.</p>
<p>It won’t hurt you. You are an excellent student who can succeed anywhere. You can certainly get into grad/med/law school from UMichigan with no trouble. If you are miserable, you might wait and it will get better, or you may wait and spend more time being miserable.</p>
<p>As everyone else suggested, stay there a year and if you don’t like it then you can transfer.</p>
<p>My uncle went to Harvard and he was misrable. He ended up transfered to Penn and graduating from Wharton. He is retired Sr. Management from a Major Financial Institution as big as Chase. You will do fine.</p>