Hi! I was accepted to Georgetown as a transfer from Tulane for the spring of 2021 (I am a sophomore). I am currently double majoring in neuroscience and public health at Tulane and I am on the pre med track. I was accepted to Georgetown as a bio major but would change to biology of global health and neurobiology with a possible minor in public health and still be on the pre med track. I am worried about transferring as I am worried about the competitive environment at Georgetown. I am a decent student (no Albert Einstein) but I don’t want to be in a cutthroat environment. I do not want to constantly feel like I’m competing with my classmates and there’s no collaborative environment. Anyone know the situation on the type of environment there… especially for pre med students? Also, I don’t think I will stick out at Georgetown as a student because everyone there is brilliant…? Would coming from Georgetown look better than Tulane for medical school? Or does undergrad truly not matter as much? I am content and comfortable at Tulane as I have built a life for myself here and have friends, but I yearn to find a more intellectual community that is more focused on academics. Plus, I love dc and feel that in terms of extracurriculars it has more to offer for what I want to do. This is urgent as I don’t have much time to decide. Would you advise a transfer to Georgetown or is it not worth it? What would you do in my shoes? Mind you, Tulane would be substantially cheaper for me to attend.
Any aspect of georgetown and what life is like there especially academically is appreciated! I do well at Tulane but am by no means at the top of my class. I humbly accept I am not the smartest student here- we all bring something different to the table as students. But I want to know if the environment feels as competitive and cutthroat as people say it is at Georgetown. I think I could potentially thrive there but I am worried about the competition and stress culture. Would it be better to play it safe? Is it worth the transfer and picking up my roots and starting anew? I know the pre med program is top notch but would it make a difference for med school or not?
Hey! Congrats first of all! Getting into Georgetown is amazing and you’re right, everyone says that the environment is cutthroat. I’m not a current Georgetown student but I have transferred to another school this year and I can say that I was unhappy at my previous institution and I am happy where I am now. I’ve spoken to a lot of people from Georgetown who talk about how the students sometimes may be toxic and how club culture creates cliques and an unfriendly environment. If you are already happy at Tulane where you’ve put down your roots, know you’re doing well and will do well, and worried about the culture at Georgetown, I would not transfer if I was you. To add on to that, you mentioned that Tulane is cheaper and that undergrad may not have a huge effect on med school (my sister went to a great med school from a state school so I can echo this point). At the end, the decision is yours so do whatever you think will be best for you as a person! Good Luck!
- Having one name or the other on your med school app will make 0 difference. Having super strong grades (+MCAT) and good LoRs will make a big difference.
- From where I sit, there is a lot of competitiveness at Georgetown- but that is not the same thing as cut-throat. You have a lot of focused, ambitious young people, who are pushing themselves as much as anything. IMO that can be a good thing- creating a virtuous circle in which students see their peers pushing themselves and do the same in turn, and the result is that everybody does better work as a result (of course, like anything, that can go too far, which is when it turns cut-throat, but it doesn't have to).
- Can your parents afford to pay for both Tulane / Georgetown AND med school? is there debt involved? If there is debt, imo it's a no brainer: don't take on more! If your parents will pay for Georgetown but not med school ask them if they would put the difference between the two into a savings account for you. If your parents will pay for both- super!!
- Go back to why you applied to transfer in the first place: when did you decide? what has - and hasn't - changed since then? Was the initial reason b/c you were unhappy with the outcome of your 1st admission round? Thinking that through may help you see what your path is.
What is your GPA at Tulane?
How do you feel that you are generally doing at Tulane? Do you like it there?
Is there any significant difference in cost between Tulane and Georgetown? Would you need to take on debt either way?
Are you getting the opportunity to volunteer in a hospital or other medical setting at Tulane? Are you getting to know any professors?
So far I have not noticed any reason for you to transfer. I think that transferring might be a risk with no obvious benefit.