To transfer or not?

[SUNY Geneseo]

So at my school, biology professors and math professors do not believe in curving. Currently, the average grade in my gen bio class is a 63. The same thing happened last semester, and the professors added half of a letter grade (I went from a B to a B+, the class average went from an E to a D). While calc grades are not as low, I have never had a calc test or final grade curved here either. The washout rate for science majors is 75%. That's special forces rates.

My friends at another good, but not great, state school have had every grade they've received curved. I took a calc II test during my friends class one time when I was visiting on spring break and the thing was a joke. I know I got almost everything right. A week later I here the curved passing grade was a 40.

So should I stay at the better school and struggle to get a 3.3, or should I go to the not as hard, but still respectable school and get a 3.9/4.0? Which would look better to pharm schools? Am I screwing myself over if I come out of a strong school with a biochem degree and a math minor with a 3.1 or a 3.2? Or would I screw myself coming out of a weaker school no matter what my GPA is?

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[cdpiano27]

Ha, I have a cousin attending SUNY-Geneseo, but for a liberal arts; he could not get into the business program upper division because his GPA was not high enough (I think a 2.8 or 2.9). I thought it was not a strong science school, and SUNY-Buffalo was really the strong science school. And I did not think Geneseo had as much respect as Stony Brook or Binghamton.

I would say transfer to the school that can get the higher GPA. If you have 3.3 from SUNY-Geneseo and someone has a 3.9 from SUNY-Albany, the person from SUNY-Alabany will get in.

Well it is different if the 3.3 is from UC-Berkeley versus 3.9 from SUNY-Albany.

So I would recommend a transfer to your friends' school. As long as it is NOT a community college. Don't transfer to a community college, since you are already at a 4-year school.

Which is the other school that your friend is at?

 

[cdpiano27]

That being said, just make sure you can get a high score on the PCAT. I think if you study enough on your own you should be able to get a great score on PCAT.

I think transfer to the easier school, especially if it is not that well known as being easier, as long as it is a 4-year school.

Just make sure that the science classes are the same way. If you cannot learn the science well enough for the PCAT, then just get supplementary O-chem, G-chem books and do problems on your own.

 

[SUNY Geneseo]

University at Buffalo. Geneseo is a MUCH higher rated school than any other SUNY. The only other comparable one is Binghampton. UB is a 3 in Baron's and Geneseo is a 2. Kiplinger just rated Geneseo as the #1 value for public school for out-of-state students, and #6 value for in-state students. It was ranked up with the likes of Michigan and Florida and UNC.

Honestly it's such bull cuz I worked my tail off in high school to get in here and now I feel like Im getting screwed over by the professors here. From what I've seen so far, UB's undergrad school is a joke and I know I could pull a 3.7 without working hard, and if I was working like I am now I feel like a 4.0 wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[cdpiano27]

Yes, but that really stinks that they are grading in this way.

I am Florida and went to Central Florida for my undergrad (I liked Orlando better than Gainesville)

But I knew many people who went to UF in Gainesville. The science courses were hard but totally doable and if you sincerely worked hard, at least you would have a good chance of getting A's in lower division science courses (physics, general chem, etc.). And now I go to school at NC State (graduate school) and know many people who go to UNC-Chapel Hill. And from what I have heard, UNC-Chapel Hill's undergrad is very similar to UFlorida.

So it sounds like SUNY-Geneseo is making their sciences at the undergrad level on a tougher curve than either Chapel Hill or UF.

I know that Georgia Tech has the average at about a D or something like that. That particular school is known for a very, very tough grading system.

Anyway, you should find out how many from SUNY-Geneseo can get into Buffalo's pharmacy program or other programs. If not many people are getting in, than it is not worth getting a 3.3 from SUNY-Geneseo vesus a 3.7 from Buffalo.

In fact, I think if you can get over a 3.5 from Buffalo, you are almost guaranteed a spot in the professional pharmacy program over there. And SUNY-Buffalo, as you might know, is one of the best pharmacy schools in the country.

I think 3.7 from Buffalo would be much better than 3.3 from Geneseo.

I was told about Geneseo being a good school from my aunt/uncle (my cousing currently is a senior undergrad there), but I have NEVER heard of it talked about in the same league as a UF or UNC-Chapel Hill in the sciences. And I have done all of my college/graduate school in Florida and North Carolina.

 

[SUNY Geneseo]

K thanks for the input. I'm hoping that once they weed out all of the kids who aren't serious about being science majors they will start curving some in upper level classes (but from what I've heard some professors do, and others have no problem failing half the class). I know Geneseo kids have a much easier time in grad school than most other kids because of the course load, so I'll see how it goes. Thanks again.

 

[BigEast55]

I am also a freshman at Geneseo, and probably in the same classes as you, and yeah Bio II is bull this semester, but it still shouldnt be killing your GPA. They are weed out classes, but if you can survive that Geneseo has a 94% acceptance rate into Medical School, which is amazingly high (the national avg. is 47%), so I am sure that it is equally good for pharm school.

The only thing that would make me question this is that if you could get into UB's program where they assure you a spot in pharm school with a (i think) 3.7 GPA in the pre-reqs.

But Geneseo is excellent, stay here, kick ***, and go to a kick *** pharm school.