<p>hi,</p>
<p>last year i got into both uchicago and dartmouth and was torn between them. i ended up with uchicago because of money and it was close to home. but after my first quarter i absolutely hate it. i know that dartmouth's class of 2011 is over enrolled and that is why i'm worried about going in as a tranfer. is it even possible? also, my gpa is kinda shoddy so i'm hoping to ride on high school accomplishments... what steps should i take?</p>
<p>My first question (as a UChicago student who ran a search for "UChicago" and came up with this post) is... why the hate?</p>
<p>I know Chicago is not the school for everybody, but I would say it's pretty adaptable to different sorts of people with different tastes, and I wonder (of course I don't know) if it's the school itself you hate, or that you haven't had a chance to find your niche yet.</p>
<p>What's your living situation, and is it right for you?(i.e. a BJ/Snell/Breck kid is not going to be happy in Pierce, and vice versa) If not, would you think about switching dorms to one that's more party-oriented or less party-oriented, more overtly nerdy or less overtly nerdy?</p>
<p>What do you do for fun? What sorts of activities have you gotten involved with, and who have you met?</p>
<p>What courses are you taking? Ones you like? Ones you don't? Did you end up with a bad professor? A class in a subject you realize you don't like?</p>
<p>Knowing very little about who you are and what kind of situation you're in, I think it's difficult for me or anybody else to advise you on the best course of action. If there's something about the Chicagoness of Chicago that is making you miserable, and it's something you do not think you can make work for you, then by all means transfer. If you decide to transfer, I think schools will take into account your high school accomplishments and that you chose a college that wasn't right for you.</p>
<p>I really didn't want to go into why I hate it, but you asked...
-The people are socially akward. don't try and sugar coat it by any means. there is one kid who wears tie-dye from his scarf to his sweatpants every single day. and there are multiple occasions where I have heard someone talking to themselves in the lunch line.
-cliques are worse than at my high school. since i don't look like i stepped out of an urban outfitters catalogue, the hipsters won't give me the time of day.
-i don't want to compete with kids who sleep in the library and don't shower during finals week. it's not my style.
-the dating scene is terrible. i have yet to find someone who meets my criteria: NORMAL, not a tool, and not bland/boring.
-i live in shoreland and it sucks. the bus system isnt that convenient and what the college likes to advertise as a 5 minute bus ride is a hassel to plan your day around.
-i dont do any activities. i've got my hands full trying to be pre-med with a 2.7 gpa. i am too slow for the sport teams anyways.
-my high school calc teacher was ridiculously better than the akward grad students who attempt to do the same. </p>
<p>that's all i can think of right now.</p>
<p>Ha, I've seen the tie-dye kid around.</p>
<p>If this is your experience so far, it sounds like other schools are far better for you, way better for you. Rather than "unpack" social awkwardness or offer my own take on it, I'd just say get out of the situation, it's obviously not right for you. It's not worth your time or your money.</p>
<p>Chicago has been, for me, a vacation from the world I knew coming in, and I was so thankful for it. This is not a school where being "normal" and wearing a Hollister button-down gets you any points, while being able to discuss Locke and Hume and being formidable at Guitar Hero will.</p>
<p>D's a terrific school and it may have what you feel Chicago lacks, but if you aren't admitted, don't stay at Chicago because it's the "best" school that offered you admission.</p>
<p>woah now. don't downgrade normal by comparing it to hollister. i dont own anything of the sort. i considered myself different before coming here as i would rather play capture the flag than get drunk at a party. i considered my high school different as the prom queen was on science team and the quarterback was best friends with a film major. but there is a fine line between different and weird for the sake of weird.</p>
<p>P.S. i mostly prefer locke to hume
P.P.S. rockband >> guitar hero</p>
<p>Hahahahaha. I guess when I think normal and well-adjusted, I think of my brother and his friends, who are pretty much head-to-toe Hollister. Are my measurements totally off? I'm not really one to listen for for fashion advice-- (or, rather, advice on being normal)-- I'm all about solid sweaters and jeans to try to avoid a "label" as much as possible.</p>
<p>Now that you've mentioned that you're in the Shoreland and the Urban Outfitters thing, I have my ideas of what house you're living in pretty much narrowed down (my guess is you live in Michelson, Bishop, or Bradbury). I'm guessing that because I have friends in virtually all of the other houses in the Shoreland whom I think fit your qualifications and they are having a grand ol' time.</p>
<p>I don't know what your workload looks like (honors calc plus AP5 bio plus hum plus gen chem? that would be unpleasantly intense), but you should definitely make extra-house socializing a priority for you. If nothing else, stop by Hallowed Grounds/Uncle Joe's (second floor coffee shop in Reynolds Club) to watch the primaries come in. Join the Free food listhost and flock to as many events as you can-- while you're gnawing on Rajun Cajun, you can expect to meet many other random people doing the same.</p>
<p>If you need to work, don't be afraid to send out an e-mail via chalk to your class and propose a study session on the A-level, where you can hang out as long as you want and talk a lot. I found that first-years don't do this as much as upperclassmen-- but for almost every class I've taken as a second-year, I've gotten e-mails from students proposing study sessions for midterms or dinners at the Med to talk about our papers.</p>
<p>At least in my experience, most people here don't <em>try</em> to be weird, they just stop trying to be "normal." I found that in high school, I was often suppressing a lot of the "real me" because I was scared of what other people would think of me if I actually acted like myself. Here, I no longer feel a pressure to be a certain way or act a certain way, and while my older brother still rejoices in telling me why and exactly how I'm weird, it's something I really can't control.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I do think you'll find a very healthy population of students who never particularly felt an inclination to be "different." My housemates include southern belles, cheerleaders, surfer dudes, school presidents-- exactly the kind of people one might consider best socially integrated. They came to Chicago because they wanted to experience a certain kind of intellectual atmosphere, and from what I can tell, they've all been happy with that choice.</p>
<p>(oh, and my apologies for steering a thread in a D forum, as my comments have nothing to do with Big Green--ordinarily I don't step in, but I felt my experience and suggestions were relevant to the OP)</p>
<p>Run For Fun21: I am a parent, not a student. Apply to Dartmouth with the understanding that they may not take any transfer students for the sophomore class--although your best source would be the school's admissions office. Is there any other college or university to which you are applying to as a transfer student? If so, this would be useful info. to readers wishing to suggest alternatives.</p>