Transferring to top 50?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys!

I’m pretty new here, so if there’s a similar post that covers my question, a link would be great! Thanks!

Ok, so: I’m one of those stereotypical students with literally perfect test scores and a good GPA who probably didn’t try hard enough on her essays and thus got rejected from all except her safeties.

Right now I’m choosing between Emory (the Oxford campus tho) and UCSB, but I really really wanted to go to Tufts or Penn. I’m looking at biomedical engineering with a premed focus, btw.

My question is, is going to one of the schools I got into and transferring into my ideal schools a viable option? From what I’ve read, taking a gap year isn’t super successful (and with $100 in my savings account mine would be nothing extraordinary) but I can’t find that much on the successes of non-community college transfers into top-50 schools.

Additionally, if it’s better to suck it up and go to Emory or SB, is it better to go to the higher-ranked school with a good biomed program but a full price tag, or a lower-ranked school without biomedical (I got in for mech engineering and SB doesn’t have a bioengineering major) but only $6000 a year?

Thanks!

2

Lots to unpack here

  • Biomedical engineering is a highly competitive major, generally more competitive than the school as a whole, which may be a partial explanation for your rejections
  • Because BME is so "hot" right now, finding "top" transfer schools for BME with openings they haven't filled with current students is going to be tough
  • However state universities reserve spots for community college transfers. check with each state university as to how many spots they save for BME majors and what sort of stats successful transfer have.
  • Getting into BME anywhere is an accomplishment to be proud of and turning your nose at Emory is kinda nuts. I'm not sure why you got zero financial aid if you have so little to pay for college.
  • If you have only 100 to your name, you can't afford full pay "anything" because you need to graduate with low debt to reduce your total cost of education including medical school
  • But UCSB doesn't have your major. Is there a major at UCSB that would be your second choice if that is what it takes to leave yourself in decent financial shape to apply to medical school?
3

@evablack
Well you seem lucky actually, because you didn’t get into Emory College, what a great opportunity to get a great education since your so called “high stats” clearly weren’t high enough. But since you ask you should probably go to UCSB as it’s much less. If you’re going to transfer no need to pay a lot for your first two years.