Hey everyone,
I’m currently a junior at Cornell who is looking to transfer to Duke. I’m looking to transfer because I want to switch majors (to do that at Cornell requires internally transferring and for the college that I’m interested in here I’m not even allowed to internal transfer as a junior) and also because I seek a change in atmosphere (I have SAD which means that my mood and ability to concentrate is heavily influenced by the weather/climate and obviously Ithaca is an incredibly AWFUL place to go to school).
Although I feel that transferring is an appropriate action for me to take at this point, I have 2 concerning issues that will probs negatively affect my transfer chances and I’m not sure if it’s still worth pursuing it. First of all, I transferred once to Cornell already so I’m pretty sure that transferring again will be a negative for me in the admissions process. Secondly, my GPA isn’t that good (approx. 3.6 currently). I had a 4.0 in my previous college. The discrepancy in the GPAs is mainly due to the difference in location/climate and how it impacts my SAD (the previous college was in the city/good weather, etc).
Given everything that I said above, is it even worth applying to transfer to Duke? I ask this primarily because I know transferring to Duke is incredibly difficult and I’m not sure if it’s worth all the time and effort that I will have to spend on my application. BTW, I’m also considering other schools; however, my top choice is Duke.
Duke is never an easy school to get into, but it’s worth an application. Your grades are still excellent. Just be sure you have some solid options that will allow you to major in what you want. The major is more important than the school you go to.
If you suffer from SAD, then you should not remain at Cornell regardless of whether or not you are admitted as a transfer student to Duke.
OP: You have two solid reasons for seeking a transfer: Major & SAD.
To which other schools are you applying ?
Well another one of my dream schools is Columbia university because I really want to go back home (NYC). Other schools I’m considering are: Northwestern, Brown, Yale, and Georgetown. However, I know all these schools are very competitive and I’m not sure if I can get into any of these schools due to my GPA and transfer status.
Also, do you think that I should focus my personal statement on SAD+Major change (the why you want to transfer essay?). I don’t know if it’s wise to admit having a mental disorder (i think SAD counts as one) to a prospective college.
Thanks in advance!
@CollegeSun Duke, like most other T15 schools, will mostly admit transfer students for their sophomore class and a few for the junior class. If you’re currently a junior at Cornell, unfortunately there are not many options to transfer as an incoming senior to a 4 year college. Most colleges only confer a degree upon a minimum of two years of attendance.
Yes, I understand that, which is why I’m willing to prolong my undergraduate education if I do transfer (over 4 years)
@CollegeSun That makes sense now. Just wanted to make sure you were not going in the wrong direction. My rule of thumb for the general transfer essay of “why do you want to transfer” is to never shed a negative light about your current institution, which in your case is Cornell. You want to mostly explain the positive experiences you’ve had, which in your case would be Cornell and your previous college, and finally state why transferring out of Cornell is necessary for you. Also, given you’ve already transferred to Cornell, I think it would be in your benefit to compare all three schools (your previous college before transferring to Cornell, Cornell, and the school you are applying to) in the “why Duke/Columbia/etc.” essays. You’ve really got to explain why transferring again is necessary for you beyond just ex. “I like this major better”, “I want a more urban area”.
@doublepenguin Thanks so much for the advice! It’s very informative! Also, do you think that I should mention Ithaca/SAD and how it has impact my academic experience as one reason for transferring in the “why you want to transfer” personal statement? I feel that it is one of the most important reasons in my decision to transfer; however, i don’t want to give off that negative impression to colleges (e.g. this applicant has mental issues, can’t overcome obstacles, etc).
@CollegeSun I definitely think it should be one of your main components, but I would make sure you are not overly explicit with it because you don’t want to give too much of a negative light to the colleges. But, once again, I believe it is important for you to be honest in your why transfer essay, but just make sure you are not overly exaggerating the concern.