<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I applied to three schools (Yale, Brown, Amherst) and am currently a student at another Ivy. Well, actually, I'm a student on leave. I've completed 99 credits and am applying as a junior. Will this leave, which was not a disciplinary leave, really impact my admission much?</p>
<p>i have a similar question - i just finished my freshman year and i’m considering taking a leave of absence for the upcoming year before applying to transfer.
but no one’s answered me yet…</p>
<p>I don’t think it would. But your 99 credits should be the real thing holding you back from transferring, assuming your college GPA is high and you have EC’s. That’s very near senior standing which you probably have already taken upperdivision courses that cannot transfer.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies. I think what I’m actually anxious about, though, is that I’m not even sure I want to transfer and I somehow want to believe that my leave will sabotage me. Columbia is a really awful fit for me and I’d be infinitely happier elsewhere. </p>
<p>Many people tell me that I should just finish off my remaining 25 credits at Columbia, but I’m a double major and won’t be able to graduate with both those majors in less than three semesters. Since I’m in for three more, I’m thinking why not make it four more in a different environment Unfortunately, a bunch of my classes were from the Core Curriculum, so I’m sure no other college will care for them. I can easily wrap up 25 credits at Columbia in one semester- I’ve done it before. </p>
<p>That brings me to a new dilemma. Is it better to graduate with just any degree (or one major instead of two) or really get the degree that you want? I want to get a PhD, but I can always apply to a Master’s Only program in case I’m not experienced enough. I’m not sure that spending extra time on a BA is worth it if I can have a Master’s under my belt in about the same time.</p>
<p>unless you’re going to a dramatically different field from the one you got your undergrad degree in, i don’t think the phd program you apply to will hold your major against you. they like variety in their programs, and as long as you have the grades, recs, can explain why you’re interested in the program, and demonstrate that you have some relevant knowledge about the field, it’s not too much of a problem. at least, that’s what my advisor and several profs have told me. (i want to go from philosophy major/art history minor to anthropology grad school)</p>
<p>also, you might want to look at the phd programs you’re considering. many of the ones i looked at specified that even if you have completed a masters in the same field at another school, you will need to go through their masters program before you can work on your phd.</p>