Transferring out of Ivy UG?

[ZyuanJ]

I go to an Ivy League institution and I feel like this was not the place I imagined it to be. The social atmosphere isn't what I expected (too fratty and homogeneous), I realized how much I dislike the city for an education - basically I don't feel like it's a natural fit for me, and I feel quite unhappy. Right now I'm considering transferring to another institution because through my times here I've learned lots about myself already and I have a better understanding of what I'm looking for.

There were a few schools I had in mind, all of which were within the US News top 30 (I know they're just rankings, but I'm just trying to give an idea). I'm just wondering, am I going to be looked down upon by med school admissions for transferring out of an Ivy? (all of the schools I'm looking at are slightly lower in ranking and aren't Ivies, FWIW)

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[Sophocles]

I go to an Ivy League institution and I feel like this was not the place I imagined it to be. The social atmosphere isn't what I expected (too fratty and homogeneous), I realized how much I dislike the city for an education - basically I don't feel like it's a natural fit for me, and I feel quite unhappy. Right now I'm considering transferring to another institution because through my times here I've learned lots about myself already and I have a better understanding of what I'm looking for.

There were a few schools I had in mind, all of which were within the US News top 30 (I know they're just rankings, but I'm just trying to give an idea). I'm just wondering, am I going to be looked down upon by med school admissions for transferring out of an Ivy? (all of the schools I'm looking at are slightly lower in ranking and aren't Ivies, FWIW)

I'm not on any admissions committee so I have no clue how to begin to answer that, but I wouldn't do it if I were you. I know Ivy's are hard, espcially Princeton who deflates their grades. Nevertheless, at the end of the day you will be extremely proud that you followed through with this decision. Showing continuity, dedication, and hard work is a valuable asset, versus turning from things when it gets rough. Your undergrad will follow you the rest of your life and although you're having a tough time now, I'm sure that things will get better. Trust me it's worth it, especially once you start interviewing. I have had multiple compliments from admission members for being at an Ivy (three interviews and a few personal connections I have made). I hope you reconsider and tough it out because in the end there is no place better.

 

[LizzyM]

On the other hand, my ex-boyfriend left an Ivy for a highly ranked non-Ivy closer to home. He ended up at a top-20 med school and now practices medicine in Southern California.

 

[MedPR]

On the other hand, my ex-boyfriend left an Ivy for a highly ranked non-Ivy closer to home. He ended up at a top-20 med school and now practices medicine in Southern California.

Is it strange that I sometimes forget that ADCOMs are normal people with personal lives?

Edit: I mean, I'm not the only one, right?

 

[kpcrew]

On the other hand, my ex-boyfriend left an Ivy for a highly ranked non-Ivy closer to home. He ended up at a top-20 med school and now practices medicine in Southern California.

wtf...
this is like seeing my elementary school teacher at the supermarket as a kid.

 

[dichloromethane]

I transferred schools, but I wouldn't transfer from an Ivy

 

[Ruhroh]

From personal experience, get out if you hate it and you have good reasons for hating it. If someone really cares THAT much that you go to an Ivy then that person is probably huge snob anyway, and who cares what a snob thinks?

I transferred from an Ivy to a smaller liberal arts school closer to home and I was much happier. Higher grades, happier life, better looking girls on campus .

 

[kdavidlee25]

I go to an Ivy League institution and I feel like this was not the place I imagined it to be. The social atmosphere isn't what I expected (too fratty and homogeneous), I realized how much I dislike the city for an education - basically I don't feel like it's a natural fit for me, and I feel quite unhappy. Right now I'm considering transferring to another institution because through my times here I've learned lots about myself already and I have a better understanding of what I'm looking for.

There were a few schools I had in mind, all of which were within the US News top 30 (I know they're just rankings, but I'm just trying to give an idea). I'm just wondering, am I going to be looked down upon by med school admissions for transferring out of an Ivy? (all of the schools I'm looking at are slightly lower in ranking and aren't Ivies, FWIW)

Yes, you will be looked down upon. but so what.

 

[Nymphicus]

Anecdote: One of my current classmates transferred from HYP to a top 5 liberal arts college. So he seems to have done ok.

 

[sommerwing]

OP, ask yourself this.

Why do you believe this other institution will alleviate your problems? I believe that your troubles stem from social incompatibility (not academic) so why do you believe these other top-30 schools will be a match for you?

In all honesty, i think that you'll probably transfer and find yourself in a similar environment (the top 30 schools are fairly similar, and its just a matter of finding a niche that suits you, which every university has an array of). Except, you wont be getting an ivy degree.


I would say stay. College wasn't exactly what i expected either.

 

[yellowfish]

Dude, go where you'll be happy. Medical schools aren't going to hold it against you. You can be successful no matter where you go, it's all in your hands. I'd venture to say you'd do better at an institution where you're actually content. An ivy education isn't important to medical schools, it's more your performance at whatever institution you attend. Good luck, and be happy!

 

[ShenanigansMD]

OP, ask yourself this.

Why do you believe this other institution will alleviate your problems? I believe that your troubles stem from social incompatibility (not academic) so why do you believe these other top-30 schools will be a match for you?

In all honesty, i think that you'll probably transfer and find yourself in a similar environment (the top 30 schools are fairly similar, and its just a matter of finding a niche that suits you, which every university has an array of). Except, you wont be getting an ivy degree.


I would say stay. College wasn't exactly what i expected either.

Yeah I had a similar situation, and I stayed. It just took me a while to find something at the school that made me enjoy my UG experience more. The weather really annoyed me at first too.

In the end transferring just looked like it was more trouble than it was worth, so maybe I didn't mind the school as much as I initially thought.

 

[sommerwing]

Yeah, i mean theres nothing wrong with transferring (though an ivy degree is priceless... or about 150K some would argue).

But you can't just take a random shot in the dark with some flawed assumption that "everywhere is not like here." If its an institution that you're familiar with, or if you know someone there, then it's a different story.

 

[gettheleadout]

OP, Cornell?


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[911 Turbo]

On the other hand, my ex-boyfriend left an Ivy for a highly ranked non-Ivy closer to home. He ended up at a top-20 med school and now practices medicine in Southern California.

*jots down another note in LizzyM.xls*

 

[soggydog]

You know what? You get four years of probably the best years of your life. DO IT SOMEWHERE YOU ARE HAPPY. Your grades and especially ECs will reflect your feelings towards your institution. I will say that an Ivy league will help you with other Ivy league MD programs, but like people will tell you an MD is an MD. You need to go where you are happy, then you destroy the science courses, you get involved with your community, you get clinical experience, and you destroy the MCAT. That's all ADCOMS are looking for. If your career goal is to become a physician have a good time getting there. Anywhere you go, as long as your cGPA, your sGPA, and MCAT are respectable you will be fine. Also, I would talk with your pre-med advisor, but I say be happy, enjoy your college years!

 

[PreMedOrDead]

*jots down another note in LizzyM.xls*

 

[ZyuanJ]

OP, Cornell?


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Oh god no academically I pity them

I think I'll give this place a few more chances and see what happens, but if I still can't like this place I'll have to think of transferring again and I have my ideas where.

 

[Lucky Louie]

Only thing about transferring: make sure your new school accepts your pre-med credits. Some colleges, like BC, will not allow you to be a pre-med if you enter after your first year.

 

[sommerwing]

Only thing about transferring: make sure your new school accepts your pre-med credits. Some colleges, like BC, will not allow you to be a pre-med if you enter after your first year.

How does that even work? Your premed courses are accounted for by the AAMC, not your institution itself. And there's no way a school can actually "forbid you" from being a premed (unless on some arbitrary school status that has no meaning at all). It's not something you declare to your school like a major, it's just a collection of courses you have to take over time.

You can be a theater major, take all your premed credits at any other reputable institution, and still be a great candidate for medical school.



Do you mean that they won't accept the transfer of your science credits as pre-requisites for higher level courses at the institution? Which is an understandable complication~ I don't really know what to make of that.

 

[gettheleadout]

Oh god no academically I pity them

I think I'll give this place a few more chances and see what happens, but if I still can't like this place I'll have to think of transferring again and I have my ideas where.

Hah well you described the place as "too fratty and homogenous" and I immediately thought Cornell, so I thought I'd ask.

 

[Sophocles]

Hah well you described the place as "too fratty and homogenous" and I immediately thought Cornell, so I thought I'd ask.

I figured the op was going to school where her location was: NJ.

OP, no one ever said that if you leave you will not be successful. I don't think anyone is crazy enough to ever say something like that. But, I'm sure it couldn't hurt. Furthermore, many times when students first go outside of their house they have all of these doubts and have hard times, but once they start making friends and getting comfortable they start to change their attitude. I don't think you should give up on something that, at least to me, is worth soo much. What is going to happen in medical school or residency? Are you going to try to move or transfer or quit when that becomes tough?

 

[Benedictus123]

Yeah, i mean theres nothing wrong with transferring (though an ivy degree is priceless... or about 150K some would argue).

I have an Ivy degree, and trust me, it doesn't really mean THAT much (granted, it was a masters degree, though my undergrad was from a top 20 school too). Given the ultra competitive nature of high school and college admissions these days, younger people seem to think that having a degree from an Ivy somehow stamps them as permanently awesome and smart, and that while other people stand in line for jobs and admissions to professional schools, they'll just cost through. I knew people at Princeton who thought a 3.4 would get them into medical schools that normally had an average of 3.7, because somehow having Princeton stamped on their diploma added an extra .4. Didn't work out that way.

Wanna know what's fun about an Ivy degree? You get to name drop it at cocktail parties if you're a snob. Even just casually telling someone where you went to school will automatically make them think you're trying to show off, so you start to lie about it to avoid the awkwardness. Obviously it's not quite as bad as all that, I'm being a little sarcastic here . But I have definitely been judged before based on where I went to school, both good and bad.

Oh yeah, and Ivy degrees are great if you want to go into finance. That's really the one area where studies show it actually helps a ton . But this isn't the studentfinancenetwork.

In the end, it doesn't matter. You're either good or you're not. Employers and bosses can sniff out who is who pretty well.

So OP, if you're unhappy at your school because of the environment, go somewhere else. You'll not suffer much for it (though I know that some residencies will look at the 'prestige' of your undergrad school). I transferred schools after my sophomore year (granted, I upgraded) for both academic and social reasons, and it was the best decision I ever made. Do your research, figure out where you think you'll be happier, and go for it. 'Toughing it out' is not a good idea if it's making you depressed or worse. Don't listen to that bootstrap nonsense. Make the decision logically .

 

[SpaceHamsterBoo]

*jots down another note in LizzyM.xls*

*jots down another note in Birdman.docx*