<p>I just finished my freshman year at a top 10-15 private university. I really do love the school but I'm starting to realize that it may not be the right place for me. It's EXTREMELY focused on academics and the social life could definitely be better. I find myself studying all of the time and I feel as though I'm missing out on the fun of college.</p>
<p>I was a very good student in high school (4.0 with most demanding schedule) and did well on my ACTs (33) and was heavily involved in extra-curricular activities (president of clubs, captain of sports teams, etc.). In college, though, I definitely didn't do as well as I did in high school. I'm a pre-med at a school with near-impossible pre-med classes and I've struggled to get Bs despite studying ALL of the time. MY GPA has suffered--it's about a 3.3-3.4 right now, which I know isn't terrible but it makes transferring more difficult. I also had trouble getting involved in extra-curriculars because I simply didn't have time (weekend labs, study groups 3 nights per week, etc.).</p>
<p>When I applied to colleges as an incoming freshman, I was accepted to Michigan (I was also accepted to honors without even applying). Looking back, I should have considered the school way more than I did. At the time all I cared about was going to the best school that I could get into. Now, I feel as though Michigan offers most of what I'm looking for in a college, and a lot of what I feel I'm not getting at my current school (better social life, not so intense academics but still very good). I know the deadline to apply as a fall '09 transfer has far passed, but does anyone know if it's possible for them to simply re-open my application for readmission? Even if I can't apply for fall '09 because it's simply too late, could the fact that I was accepted as an incoming freshman give me an edge for winter '10?</p>
<p>there are prestigious schools with great social lives, like Cornell, USC and UCLA. Typically, bigger schools (which is why I am assuming you’re reconsidering Michigan) have better social lives but that can be more focused around sports.</p>
<p>Are you still considering pre-med? If so, then I would suspect the course load would be similar at most places. Though I have many friends at a top tier public universities who are doing pre-med as well as another major of their choice (international relations, sociology, philosophy etc) and they have time for extracurricular activities. But then again, some of them are very bright and don’t need as much time as many other people to get an A in a class.</p>
<p>Sofy–My concern about those schools is that I won’t be able to get in because of my college GPA. I feel like I could have a much easier time getting into Michigan because I’ve already been accepted as a freshman applicant so it might be an easier process to simply readmit me (I’m not sure about this though)</p>
<p>Iuvo–I’m definitely still going to be a pre-med student. I’m positive that I want to go to med school. The school where I currently attend is known for having a very, very rigorous pre-med track, so I feel like if I transferred to a school with a less intense pre-med focus I could excel more and my GPA would increase, making me a better applicant for med school.</p>
<p>I’d go wherever you will feel happy. I’m not extremely familiar with pre-med tracks, but I know they are intense no matter where you go. If possible try consulting with pre-med students at schools you’re intrested in to see if there will be a difference in the amount of time you’d be spending on work there.</p>
<p>My D, also premed, did the opposite, transferred from UMichigan to a top private. However, I think that her experience may help shed some light on your situation. She really only took a semester each of Orgo and math at UM as she transferred as a soph and didn’t decide until second semester of fr year that she really wanted to do premed. Since she was at the top of her cohort at UM, it was relatively easy to get top grades even in a competitive premed course like Orgo. First semester after transferring and her grades in her premed courses dropped and she got her first B. Second semester she cracked down and got all As. So, it definitely was harder to make top grades, not impossible, but it took more time and effort, as you have experienced. </p>
<p>So, while I’m not trying to encourage you to transfer, I do think that there is some validity in your reasoning that you would be able to maintain a higher gpa and have more time for other activities at UM. UM and the top privates all have high caliber students, the difference is the proportion is larger in the privates. And you are correct, that for a decent shot at Med school, it is very important that you have a competitive gpa; the difference between UM and a top private in getting into Med school is very small, as all are highly regarded. Also, you will need time to do medical and other ECs for Med school too, it’s not all grades.</p>
<p>As far as opening your file and admitting you next fall, the only way to find that out is to call UM. No one here knows the answer to that, and even if they said they did, this is the kind of information that you should ONLY get from the primary source, not on a discussion board.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t get too caught up in the ranking systems. They are pretty artificial, and tend to obfuscate the facts that are truly important in a college education. I, for one, transferred from Harvard to Brown, and by every measure used the rank the two, Harvard wins out, but I will be FAR happier at Brown. Just go with your heart - that is really all you can do, and more often than not it really pays off!! :)</p>