To transfer or not?

[PanRoasted]

Currently at University of Connecticut. Originally, I only came here because with tuition paid and housing almost all paid for, I pay about 2k out of pocket per semester. I do like it here, but I find that the pre-med program (or lack thereof) is quite disconcerting. I know I can get a lot of pre-med advisement right here at SDN, but honestly if I had never found sdn I would be very lost (something I've come to resent about my current school). I'm done with my first year with a 3.9 (not including classes I took in HS, otherwise it's about a 3.5-3.6), with research + a pub on the way. Taking summer classes now, and I've all but secured an A in the class I'm taking now. I'm confident that I will continue to do well. Is it wrong for me to want to switch to somewhere like Yale or JHU? Or even UCLA? I know you should stay where you can do well and are happy.... but one can dream, right? In any case, should I send out a couple of apps to other schools come time for transfer apps?

P.S. money was tight when I applied to schools, but now my family's financial situation has turned up.

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[NickNaylor]

UConn will not limit your opportunities:

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=18592

I wouldn't transfer unless you have a very good reason. There are definite downsides to transferring. Because you feel like the pre-med program is "lacking" doesn't quite cut it in my book, especially given that they have applicants that do well. Yes, this is just one person, but you're not going to be limited JUST BECAUSE you don't like the pre-med program.

 

[CodeBlu]

What about your happiness?

Are you happy at the school? Do you have friends, like your classes etc?
I went to an undergraduate where pre-med advising was lacking SERIOUSLY. No one went, because the office was never open. I think it was just there to say they had a place for Pre-med advising.

However, I wouldn't change my undergrad institution for anything. Plus I think highly of UConn anyways. Chances are you've gotten the gist of things at UConn, how profs operate, what classes to take and not to take. Why go put yourself through that ALLL OVER AGAIN!

 

[PanRoasted]

Yes, I'm very happy at the school I currently attend. I guess I'm just having a fleeting moment of wistfulness, of what it would be like to attend a school with a lot of history/tradition. 20 years from now, it would be nice to say that I went to somewhere like Yale or Northwestern for undergrad, but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's irrelevant.

 

[Perrotfish]

Currently at University of Connecticut. Originally, I only came here because with tuition paid and housing almost all paid for, I pay about 2k out of pocket per semester. I do like it here, but I find that the pre-med program (or lack thereof) is quite disconcerting. I know I can get a lot of pre-med advisement right here at SDN, but honestly if I had never found sdn I would be very lost (something I've come to resent about my current school). I'm done with my first year with a 3.9 (not including classes I took in HS, otherwise it's about a 3.5-3.6), with research + a pub on the way. Taking summer classes now, and I've all but secured an A in the class I'm taking now. I'm confident that I will continue to do well. Is it wrong for me to want to switch to somewhere like Yale or JHU? Or even UCLA? I know you should stay where you can do well and are happy.... but one can dream, right? In any case, should I send out a couple of apps to other schools come time for transfer apps?

P.S. money was tight when I applied to schools, but now my family's financial situation has turned up.

1) Many posters here will testify to the worthlessness of premedical advising and formal premedical programs. At best, they're a source of middling to bad advice and maybe a mock interview. At worst they're another unncessary hurdle, since they can make you compete for their committee letter and, by withholding that letter, they can tarnish the application of otherwise competitive premeds.

2) If your family suddenly has a good financial situation, and they're willing to spend it on you, sit down with them and have an adult conversation about saving to help you through medical school. Transfering to a high price school now probably won't open up a lot of options for you, but graduating from medical school without crushing debt can give you the option to pursue specalties that otherwise might not have been finaincially feasable. It's tough to decide on Peds, ID, Family Medicine, or Pathology if you have 300K of debt to service.

Yes, I'm very happy at the school I currently attend. I guess I'm just having a fleeting moment of wistfulness, of what it would be like to attend a school with a lot of history/tradition. 20 years from now, it would be nice to say that I went to somewhere like Yale or Northwestern for undergrad, but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's irrelevant

You're happy, your education is cheap, and you're doing really well. You really want to give that up just to say you went to a school that produced such luminaries as G.W. Bush?

 

[SisterDisco08]

There's a really good article (I believe it's US News) about how paying for an undergrad "name" really isn't it worth it anymore. Wait for a big name for later in your education, if it really matters to you.

But really, the big name shouldn't matter. You shouldn't plan your life by what will be most impressive to say at cocktail parties 15 years from now.

Yes, I'm very happy at the school I currently attend. I guess I'm just having a fleeting moment of wistfulness, of what it would be like to attend a school with a lot of history/tradition. 20 years from now, it would be nice to say that I went to somewhere like Yale or Northwestern for undergrad, but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's irrelevant.

 

[theseeker4]

Yes, I'm very happy at the school I currently attend. I guess I'm just having a fleeting moment of wistfulness, of what it would be like to attend a school with a lot of history/tradition. 20 years from now, it would be nice to say that I went to somewhere like Yale or Northwestern for undergrad, but in the grand scheme of things I suppose it's irrelevant.

Yes, it is completely irrelevant. No one will care about your undergrad, and few will care about your medical school when you are a practicing attending. You are currently successful where you are, so why change that and risk a hit in your record?

 

[willen101383]

Pre med advisors are generally worthless....so why transfer to try to find a premed program? I had no premed dept at my undergrad and it never caused any problems.

SDN is what you need dude. The info you can get here (if you search through all the troll threads and crap) is way more up to date than what you are going to get from an advisor.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Huskies basketball>>>>>>>>>>>Ivy basketball. Nuff said.

 

[Soulstice]

There's a really good article (I believe it's US News) about how paying for an undergrad "name" really isn't it worth it anymore. Wait for a big name for later in your education, if it really matters to you.

But really, the big name shouldn't matter. You shouldn't plan your life by what will be most impressive to say at cocktail parties 15 years from now.

Yeah, but you have to distinguish. There is a difference between:

"paying for an undergrad 'name' isn't worth it anymore"

and

"a top undergrad isn't worth it anymore"

Going to a good undergrad school just for the name on a degree is stupid--but on the other hand, these schools often have many advantages to offer that others might not necessarily have..

 

[Perrotfish]

Yeah, but you have to distinguish. There is a difference between:

"paying for an undergrad 'name' isn't worth it anymore"

and

"a top undergrad isn't worth it anymore"

Going to a good undergrad school just for the name on a degree is stupid--but on the other hand, these schools often have many advantages to offer that others might not necessarily have..

Compared to a top state school? Like what? I can't think of any lifestyle or research opportunities that are only available in the Ivy league.

 

[SisterDisco08]

Compared to a top state school? Like what? I can't think of any lifestyle or research opportunities that are only available in the Ivy league.

My thoughts exactly. But of course I went to Michigan and I'm better than everyone anyway. </michigan difference>

 

[SeminoleVesicle]

What a coincidence,

I used to attend the University of Connecticut, and was similarly displeased with the pre-med program. I found the pre-med advisor to be especially unhelpful and many of the professors to be pedantic, except Dr. Abbott, who was awesome. I ended up transferring to the University of Florida (for financial/family reasons), and I've found it to be a fantastic decision because of the warmer weather, sexy girls, and more structured program for pre-meds. I had a 3.8 when transferring and lots of volunteering, and I was able to transfer to a school that accepts <5% of non-CC students, so I think UConn is respected academically. Therefore, I think you would be able to transfer to Yale or JHU if you really wanted to, but competition will almost certainly be stiffer, and your GPA could suffer. Honestly, I would stick it out for the next two years; I wouldn't go out of my way to pay 50k at a fancy school with a nice name.

 

[SisterDisco08]

What a coincidence,

I used to attend the University of Connecticut, and was similarly displeased with the pre-med program. I found the pre-med advisor to be especially unhelpful and many of the professors to be pedantic, except Dr. Abbott, who was awesome. I ended up transferring to the University of Florida (for financial/family reasons), and I've found it to be a fantastic decision because of the warmer weather, sexy girls, and more structured program for pre-meds. I had a 3.8 when transferring and lots of volunteering, and I was able to transfer to a school that accepts <5% of non-CC students, so I think UConn is respected academically. Therefore, I think you would be able to transfer to Yale or JHU if you really wanted to, but competition will almost certainly be stiffer, and your GPA could suffer. Honestly, I would stick it out for the next two years; I wouldn't go out of my way to pay 50k at a fancy school with a nice name.

I find it kind of nauseating that the piece of paper I recently got in a cardboard envelope (yay diploma!) is worth nearly $80,000.

 

[deleted307836]

Honestly, from what you've written, I'd stay where you are. If you're able to do very well in your classes and you're not miserable there, I don't think it would be worth the trouble to transfer to another school -- and there's no guarantee you'd like your new school any better, even if it has a good "name." And you may do worse there.

And it's great that money isn't as tight as when you first applied, but I think it's still worth it to save money while you can. Maybe some of that extra money can help with living expenses after you graduate, or even med school tuition?

 

[SeminoleVesicle]

I find it kind of nauseating that the piece of paper I recently got in a cardboard envelope (yay diploma!) is worth nearly $80,000.

Hey, everyone's different.

My philosophy when I was applying for school was, if you're not going to Harvard, Princeton, or MIT, save yourself the money and go to your state school. I applied to one school for undergrad, was accepted, and transferred to another state school where I also got IS tuition, and they've been the best decisions I've ever made. Hopefully, I'll make it to a Florida MD school, so I can bank on IS tuition for medical school as well. When you're financing your own education, and don't intend on being US Surgeon General one day, this makes a lot sense.

No one is going to convince me that a degree from Case Western or Lehigh is significantly better than a degree from UConn.

 

[Person0715]

Stay where you are. It seems that you have already established yourself in your school. Why would you want to give up a future potential publication?