What would you do?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello there. A little background information: I don't know what major I should pick (still haven't found a passion), I go to a community college that follows a quarter system (Bellevue college), and I'm super lost. </p>

<p>I have been mindlessly taking science and math courses (intro to bio, gen chem 1, 2, and planning on taking 3 over the summer, calc 1-4) and realized I have a lot of credits for a class of '11 student (after this quarter, I'll have 59 quarter credits, and the only "pre-req" class that is unworthy of being counted, in my opinion, is Intro to Chem). I really would like to take Summer quarter but I don't even know if that's a good idea now. I've been looking up some schools (granted they are dream schools such as Ivy leagues [I know, I know]), and most of them are telling me they won't take any applicants with over 2 years (or over 90 quarter credits). What's worse, they usually only accept applicants during Fall quarter, and since the app for Fall 2012 is already over, Fall 2013 is my only choice. But by next Fall, I'll most likely have 120+ credits, which is way overboard. Should these top-notch schools be considered at this rate?</p>

<p>Now, I've been thinking about applying to University of Washington for the Winter quarter, but I really feel like I'm rushing it. There's the whole aspect of going to a community college, so obviously I would like to go to a university ASAP, but there's also the whole pride part. After all, UW was the school that rejected me when I was in HS, and a big chunk of my school went there, so there's the whole "feeling left behind" part. On the other hand, my narcissistic side is telling me I'm too good for UW. I'm not going to lie, some really strange switch turned on as soon as soon as I graduated from HS and entered college. I have a pretty good GPA (3.88 cumulative, 4.0 in math & sciences) and it's probably only going to go up after this quarter. </p>

<p>Going off on a different note, while we're at it (this is purely for my own personal interest), I would like a genuine response regarding my behavior. I am subconsciously ego-feeding myself for getting 100%'s on my tests (ok, not always, but literally 1/3 of the time, I get 100% or better, and the other 2/3 usually results in a test score with an avg of 95%) while people around me are usually getting C's. I can't tell if the tests are just stupid easy or if indeed some light bulb did go off in my head. But it's a frickin' community college for goodness sake. I have no real comparison to compare myself to (at least I don't think), so all I'm doing is getting cockier and cockier. I have a feeling I am really looking at college lightly, and that once I step into a university, I'll get screwed. But is this really the case? Would you say that I am being cocky over nothing big, or is it something I should rightfully be proud of? Could I keep up at a university, or would I be screwed? From an objective point of view, what would you say about me? And yes, please be as brutally honest as possible for the honest answers will help me most.</p>

<p>Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, I'm in no hurry, so why try and go to UW as if I were in a hurry? Besides, in order to transfer to UW, I need to have a clear idea of what I want to major in, but I have little to no clue. It seems as if I'm literally wasting credits and wasting my college life without a clear direction as to where I'm headed (or am I?). Whether it's Winter 2013 quarter, or Fall 2013 quarter, I do plan on applying to UW, and as much as my narcissistic side hates to admit it, UW is more than enough for me, and will probably become my new school (but then again, it's cocky for me to even say "probably" because that just shows how much I scoff at UW, which is ironic since UW trumps my community college all day) (<-- that's me going off on a tangent). However, that doesn't mean I won't appreciate comments on whether I should stick with UW or try for something better (a friend of mine recommended I look into Carnegie Mellon).</p>

<p>So, my question to you guys is: What would you guys do if you were in my case? Apply for winter 2013 at UW, or keep going to community college and apply to UW and all those other "prestigious" schools for Fall 2013? Should I "reach for the stars" and give top-notch schools (top 25 at least) a go, or be content with UW? Would I even have a chance at these top-notch schools when I'll have over 100+ credits easily by next Fall?</p>

<p>And last (and most importantly), is going to college and taking classes for the sake of learning all that bad? I really have no interest in becoming an engineer or going to med school, yet I am greedy for all the math & science classes I can lay my grubby fingers on. My counselor and schools alike are really pressuring me to hastily stumble upon a major, but I really don't want to. Is my attitude an inefficient path in today's education system if one wants to thrive? I mean clearly, if I were to just take classes for self-fulfillment, I'll end up with over 200 credits at this community college, and will have a very low chance of moving on to a university (I presume). So what would you say? Go with the system or go rogue?</p>

<p>THANK YOU for reading my overly-long and complicated/unorganized thread, I tend to repeat myself quite a bit just in case the message wasn't clear enough. Any responses will be greatly appreciated, thanks again.</p>

2

<p>UW is a great college, so if that is where you end up, congrats. With your gpa there are many great private colleges that will take you as a transfer student. However, the ivy type schools are a crazy long shot for even transfer students with a 4.0 because the transfer rates are often really low (2% for Stanford for example). However, the entire world of colleges just below those super-selective ivy type schools are a possibility.</p>

<p>Your testing scores you mention in your class do not mean you are “too good” for a school like UW. But it does mean that you have the potential to do extremely well after transfer to almost any school. At any solid college you should be able to do well AND be challenged by at least some of the upper division coursework. What I mean by “challenged” isn’t necessarily stress and sweat, but that you are able to dive into complex classes that are fulfilling and are engaging. You may or may not ever sweat a class at UW or a private–but most good colleges should be able to stretch you and get you ready for a career or grad school.</p>

<p>As for fulfillment classes, you can do that with the rest of your life. Perhaps pick a basic area you want to explore for 2 years to finish your degree. Upper division coursework should be a bit more engaging for you.</p>

3

<p>This is a very helpful response, thank you. Realistically, I honestly don’t expect to get into a top school (such as Ivy) but I still am a bit more ideal than realistic. As a matter of fact, getting into UW will be a challenge. But what do you think about my timing dilemma? Transfer to UW ASAP by Winter, or take my time (as I personally believe that I should do) and transfer next Fall with over 110+ credits? And as for the fulfillment part, I would say it’s a bit more than fulfillment. Well, it is mainly fulfillment, but not fulfillment in that sense, if that makes any sense. I guess what I’m looking for is knowledge, not just a know-how on what to do and live as a drone for the rest of my life.</p>

4

<p>If money is not an issue, waiting until Fall is probably fine. Double check that your target colleges do not have a limit of units in terms of considering you a “senior level” transfer student. Some colleges (such as the UCs) have such cut offs in the fine print for students coming from 4year or combo 4year and CC.</p>

<p>College only lasts for about 4 - 6 years (unless ones goes to grad school), so you probably need to consider career options that have you feel like you are up to something better than being a drone! That way you can then enjoy the college years without feeling the need to draw it out into decades worth of classes… a career where you are being creative, where constant learning or being challenged to expand your knowledge and skill base will probably be good for you. I would start thinking of ways where you could be a constant learner but still earn a paycheck while doing it. :)</p>

<p>I’m exactly the same way, so I understand!</p>

5

<p>Thanks annika, I’m decided I won’t worry about it too much, it seems all too trivial. I’ll just continue floating</p>