Transferring: Should I do it?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I am currently a second year chemical engineering student at the Illinois Institute of Technology but with third year standing. However, I did not want to go to IIT in the first place and was ultimately forced to by my parents for financial reasons (they gave me full tuition and a small additional scholarship towards room and board). I don't like it here at all. I feel that the student body lacks any motivation and that classes become more simplified because half of the students don't do well on exams and quizzes. I don't feel like I'm getting the quality of education that I was hoping for and the overall experience I wanted. Now it probably just sounds like I'm complaining, but if I'm going to be miserable I would rather know that I'm getting a degree from an institution that is more well-regarded. So I am currently considering transferring after this year. I have a 4.0, am in the "honors" program, have done research the past two summers and last year, am a tutor in chemistry and chemE, started a chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, and am part of an engineering outreach program at the university. So I have a lot of things I'm doing, but the only motivation I have is about getting out of here and going to a different school for graduate studies. I had originally planned on going to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology while looking at colleges, but now for a transfer I am considering others depending on if they can give any financial aid.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long rant, but basically I just want to know if it would be wise to transfer at all. I also don't think I want to stay in ChemE and would much rather do some sort of EnvE or Environmental Chemistry program (which they don't offer at IIT for undergrads, so I went ChemE).</p>

2

<p>Figure out if you want to change your major first, find what schools offer the majors you’re looking for (grad schools, undergrad schools, and their requirements), then decide if you want to transfer.</p>

<p>Realize that a lot of schools aren’t going to take your upper level courses as transfer credit and this will set you back probably a minimum of a year. If you do end up changing your major, you will be set back even more.</p>

<p>You sound like you’d be competitive for a top grad school if that’s what you want to do. Why don’t you stay put, save money, and use the money and time saved to go to grad school?</p>

<p>Not having gone to a top undergrad isn’t going to hurt you much in the job search or grad school admissions if you keep that 4.0 going.</p>