Hello everybody!
I’m currently a freshmen at a top Public University (top 30 in USNEWS rankings) and I’m also in the honors college. I’ve given it a semester but I really don’t like it here. I haven’t found a lot of people who have similar interests as me and some of the classes are a bit disappointing. Although my school is a great school in many aspects, my personality doesn’t fit well in here. I am looking for a much smaller school with a more intellectual vibe.
The problem is I moved a lot in high school, internationally, and I wasn’t very competitive in high school so my stats aren’t that great. Also I wasn’t set on transferring last semester so my college GPA and involvement aren’t great either. So what should I do now? If I want to transfer I want to go to a significantly better school such as an Ivy or Duke and the like. Should I still apply to transfer this March or should I wait until my Sophomore year when my stats are better? Or is it more wise to suck it up and stay here and try to get into a good graduate school?
My Stats:
High School GPA: 3.9 unweighted
College GPA: 3.56 (really bad because I had light medical issues and I took courses in fields I had no exposure to)
SAT: 1440
SAT math: 780
AP: 5,4,4,4,3
Extracurricular: interned at a large academic company before, volunteering, magazine club, basketball team, a few awards such as AP scholar but not anything really impressive, assisted some of my teachers with teaching, very diverse background, good essay writing skills
For undergraduate-focused schools of this type, you might want to consider Vassar, Hamilton, or Reed. Any of these would be at least somewhat more selective than, say, UVa, if that’s partly what you would like to consider in transferring (http://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9).
Hi thanks for replying @happymomof1. I was admitted to a top 3 pubic university honors college.
I only have one subject test score and a lot of ivies and selective private schools asked for two. Also I took the old SAT so technically I have a 2050/2400 which is not impressive. I just had a high Critical Reading and Math score but a bad writing score. I think there’s a chance I would do much better if I retook it.
I’m considering economics or Pre-law at this moment but I also want to major or minor in English.
Money isn’t really a problem for me. The school I’m attending now is quite expensive for out of state and does not really offer much financial aid so I think transferring to a private school with great financial aid might be a more economic choice. However, I do not know much about how much financial aid private schools are willing to offer for transfer students.
Often, transfer students will be treated in the same manner as first-year students once admitted. This is particularly true at well-funded private colleges.
@merc81, I think that’s true for need-based aid- but if OP is able to pay for an expensive OOS, even a well-funded private college may not see much ‘need’ in evidence.
Do you think I should try Brown or Tufts this year with my stats or should I wait out until sophomore year. I really want to get out of this place. I qualify for financial aid it’s just that my current school does not provide much for out of state students.
What you want may be Carleton, Wesleyan, Vassar, etc.
If you want something closer to UVA but more undergraduate focused with less sports/Greek influence, look at Hamilton, Haverford…
Read the Fiske guide and look at for rather than perceived prestige.
If money is an issue, there’s no need to prolong the process. Brown would be a reach, but, if that is your template, then yes, as others have said, you may want to also consider smaller undergraduate focused universities like Tufts or Rochester or even a larger LAC like Wesleyan. In any event, you want an institution that actually has available beds on a regular basis; smaller LACs in isolated areas of the country generally do not meet that criteria.
Thank you guys so much. I don’t know if I’m going to go on to graduate school so I’m a bit worried that not many employers know about the liberal arts colleges.
The reality is that most employers dont know most colleges, even by name, unless they have a sport team, they live nearby, or they have a city or state in their name. Employers don’t know rankings either. They don’t have time and don’t really care. What matters is whether the college has a good career center and alumni network and what you do there.
They may or may not. However, graduates of top liberal arts colleges nonetheless often do very well as they enter their professional careers. The first-listed school in this Forbes article, for example, is a small LAC, as are half of the ten included:
I’d agree, though, that if you are uncertain as to what your most beneficial move might be, then another year at your current school might be advantageous.
Thank you guys so much! I thought a lot of people would think I’m overreacting and tell me to tough it out. You guys gave me a lot of support and motivation. I’ve decided I’m going to apply to one or two of the liberal arts colleges this year and if it doesn’t work out I’m going to get stronger stats and apply again next year. I have one question tho, my school is already pretty academically challenging (top 3 public, especially being in the honors college) and “anyone can find their tribe in a big public school.” My question is how should I justify my reasons for transferring? Should I mention how my personality doesn’t really fit here? Or would that sound really whiny.
