<p>So 1st semester of college is over and I find myself to be really unhappy at Brown. Found out the hard way that the words “Ivy League” are so overrated.</p>
<p>I’m from California and I just feel incredibly homesick (the New England weather doesn’t help btw).</p>
<p>Anyway, I really regret not choosing Berkeley and/or not following up my waitlist offer at Stanford. Providence just isn’t for me.</p>
<p>How hard is it to transfer to those schools, and honestly does college become better after freshman year 1st semester?</p>
<p>This really isn’t the best forum for your post. Transfer forum is better or College search and selection. </p>
<p>My daughter from CA chose Brown over Berkeley. She really enjoyed her time there and was incredibly involved in working with profs on research right from the first year. She had a phenomenal resume for grad school and was accepted right into a funded PhD program. I don’t know what you think is overrated. If you are not taking advantage of the opportunities that’s on you. I’d recommend you get involved during what remains of your time there. She didn’t mind the weather somehow and is not in an even colder climate.</p>
<p>Berkeley will only take Jr transfers. UC system has a high transfer rate but mostly the slots are held for CC transfers. I don’t know the rate from 4 years, but it is certainly possible. You will have to apply to some other UC’s too as chances are uncertain.</p>
<p>Transfer for Stanford is more competitive than freshman admissions, it is only 1 to 4 percent. If you can make a case for why you should be there (not homesickness)you might have a chance if you have a good gpa and show involvement in the community so you would be an attractive addition. But slim chances.</p>
<p>Many students are homesick the first semester away. There are many such stories in the Parent’s forum each year of unhappy students who do a complete turnaround as they mature. So put in your applications but meanwhile act as if you are going to be there for the longer haul and see what you can get out of it. Find out more about what’s going on in your department, if you have a major picked. Start planning a semester abroad. But mostly, start making deeper connections with the people around you.</p>
<p>I sympathize and hope you find a happier situation, whether at Brown or elsewhere. As a college professor, I’ve seen that many students do start to like their school better after a semester or so, but that’s not always the case. Trust your gut, certainly, at least so far as to find out what your options are.</p>
<p>It’s true that competition to transfer is tough, but you got into Brown and Berkeley, so I’m guessing you’ve got some game. </p>
<p>This probably isn’t the best place to ask about transferring; ask on the boards of the colleges you think you’d like to attend.</p>
<p>Did you take all your courses for grades? If so and you did well then I think you can transfer to another college–though probably not Berkeley or Stanford. If you took all of your courses S/NC or have a sub 3.0 GPA, it will be tough to transfer into a top tier school.</p>
<p>I think you might want to get yourself checked out for seasonal affective disorder?–I think that’s the name. If that’s PART of the problem getting yourself the right sort of lighting for your room to counteract it can really help.</p>
<p>No, this is the right place for this post. What you’re really asking for is a forum to talk about what you don’t like about Brown and see if there are ways to fix it. </p>
<p>So tell me, what are you unhappy with, specifically. </p>
<p>The question here isn’t is it hard to transfer out of Brown (of course not, with good grades, recs, and essays). The question is do you need to?</p>