Transferring

[Playa]

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Hey guys,

My cousin is currently going to college and just finished his second year. He doesn't really like it there due to the atmosphere, location, etc. He believes that if he goes to a brand-name undergrad school, its going to give him a good shot at the top med schools, which makes sense. He wants to try and transfer to McGill, and possibly spend an extra year there to finish his undergrad (due to the fact that McGill will require him to do 60 credits, or two years worth of work there).

Is it worth it?

 

[bigbad]

This is just another thread about importance of your undergrad name. If you search, you'll see the other hundreds of threads and you still won't have a definite answer. Some say no, it doesn't matter as long as you do well. Others say that yes, it definitely helps.

I definitely wouldn't transfer and spend a whole year just for the name.

 

[Astarael]

The bottom line is that if you were going to get, say, a 3.75 at your original university and you will get a 3.75 at your name-brand university, the name brand might be slightly better. However, there isn't really any sort of gpa differential for going to a better school (A med school's adcom won't say "He went to Harvard undergrad so he gets +0.1 to his gpa), so if the harder classwork means that you end up getting a lower grade, you haven't helped yourself out at all, and more likely have actually hurt your chances.

 

[235009]

name of undergrad school definitely matters (an adcom member told me this in so many words) ...the pre-meds on here who tell you otherwise are almost always students at lesser-known colleges who don't want to accept the fact that they are at a disadvantage because they couldn't get into a name-brand college.

that being said...going to McGill is not worth an extra year of college. That extra year can be spent a lot more productively after college building up your application or getting some research experience that will come in handy down the road (whether its getting a publication or making connections). Taking a year or two off is also a good way to experience life outside the ivory tower and keep from burning out in med school.

 

[Playa]

he wants to graduate from there, and then spend an extra year doing something else.

In terms of LOR's would it be more advantageous to stay at his current uni since he knows the profs?

If he did transfer to McGill, he would essentially be starting all over in terms of his social life since he wouldn't know anyone there, would this be worth it?

He still wants to go to McGill, do well, get involved with clubs, shadow doctors, basically do everything he is doing right now at his current uni. If he managed to do that would that be more advantageous than staying at his current uni?

 

[Seven of Nine]

perhaps. maybe if he believes he has a better chance, he will work harder and do more than what he would if he stayed (miserable) at his current institution. a placebo effect of sorts.

 

[mitl]

It depends on a lot of things if I transfer from a 120th ranked school to a 12th ranked school YES it makes a big difference but a small jump might make little to no difference

Also there is A REASON a brand-name school has a brand name !!

Most brand-name schools have a name because of their value as an academic institution better education more student focused classes and many more opportunities to do something

If all you plan to do is move to the new school just to sit in your dorm room and do nothing it is as good as not transferring at all...

 

[Barcu]

Hey guys,

My cousin is currently going to college and just finished his second year. He doesn't really like it there due to the atmosphere, location, etc. He believes that if he goes to a brand-name undergrad school, its going to give him a good shot at the top med schools, which makes sense. He wants to try and transfer to McGill, and possibly spend an extra year there to finish his undergrad (due to the fact that McGill will require him to do 60 credits, or two years worth of work there).

Is it worth it?

Is he transferring because he hates it or because he just wants to get into a top med school?

You make it sound like a combo of both, but it is important to decide what the major factor is.

If he actually does not like it, maybe switching would be a better idea. He still has some time to meet professors for LORs and get involved. If being miserable is hurting his grades or something, go ahead make the switch.

If he just wants to get into a top med school, it would probably be a bad idea. For one, you have to worry about grades. Even though undergrad reputation probably does matter, grades are much more important. Even if you don't go to a top school, if you have a stellar GPA matched with a great MCAT, you could really get into a top school. I attend a state university. It is a pretty well-known state u but not quite the top tier of universities in the United States. Still, with a good GPA and good MCAT school, our university sends several people to top medical schools. It depends on what University he is at now. If it is a respectable, but not top tier, he should be fine with a good GPA and good MCAT score.

 

[Playa]

Is he transferring because he hates it or because he just wants to get into a top med school?

You make it sound like a combo of both, but it is important to decide what the major factor is.

If he actually does not like it, maybe switching would be a better idea. He still has some time to meet professors for LORs and get involved. If being miserable is hurting his grades or something, go ahead make the switch.

If he just wants to get into a top med school, it would probably be a bad idea. For one, you have to worry about grades. Even though undergrad reputation probably does matter, grades are much more important. Even if you don't go to a top school, if you have a stellar GPA matched with a great MCAT, you could really get into a top school. I attend a state university. It is a pretty well-known state u but not quite the top tier of universities in the United States. Still, with a good GPA and good MCAT school, our university sends several people to top medical schools. It depends on what University he is at now. If it is a respectable, but not top tier, he should be fine with a good GPA and good MCAT score.

He just wants to transfer because he hates it, and he's debating whether to apply or not.

 

[Barcu]

He just wants to transfer because he hates it, and he's debating whether to apply or not.

Ok. That makes the case to transfer stronger. But he really needs to identify the exact reasons he wants to transfer, and why going to another school will make up for those reasons.

I know people who have been hurt by transferring due to credits and such. It really can impact your education in a big way, so it is not something to be taken lightly. If he is in a good condition in his current school (it's a respectable school, good grades, etc) it may just be worth it to tough it out.

I do not want to come across as negative or anything. I really do not know the exact situation. I just have a friend who always threatened transfer because he is always unhappy where he is and transferring would do no good. I am not saying your cousin is like that. However, reasons to transfer should be pretty strong and not just something to do. If he really has thought about it and sees the real advantages of doing it. By all means, encourage him to do it.

 

[Barcu]

But tell him to decide soon because once the third year starts, you are pretty much stuck. Transferring after that would just be a pain.

 

[Barcu]

Oh and one more thing to add.

He could certainly get LORs at his new school. Even just a year is fine for some. But if he does have a professor he likes, get him to ask for a LOR now, so he can have it on file for when he does actually apply to medical school or any other school or job.

The professor would be able to write a much better one now.

 

[Playa]

Hmmm….well the question that he's struggling to answer is that will it be advantageous or not for him when he applies for med school?

His current uni is ranked like 120 or something, so its not that respectable. His gpa currently is a 2.8 (he slacked off like crazy the first two years), and he's trying to raise it to be competitive for McGill and UofT.

He is going to be a third year student and will have three years worth of experiences, and friendships that he will be leaving behind.

If he manages to get in somehow, he plans on doing the same thing he's doing at his current uni, research, shadowing, maybe EMT, clubs, etc. so I kinda asked this before, but now looking at the whole picture would it be wise to do this? (he would have to spend an extra year there in order to finish his undergrad).

 

[235009]

Hmmm….well the question that he's struggling to answer is that will it be advantageous or not for him when he applies for med school?

His current uni is ranked like 120 or something, so its not that respectable. His gpa currently is a 2.8 (he slacked off like crazy the first two years), and he's trying to raise it to be competitive for McGill and UofT.

He is going to be a third year student and will have three years worth of experiences, and friendships that he will be leaving behind.

If he manages to get in somehow, he plans on doing the same thing he's doing at his current uni, research, shadowing, maybe EMT, clubs, etc. so I kinda asked this before, but now looking at the whole picture would it be wise to do this? (he would have to spend an extra year there in order to finish his undergrad).

Very unlikely that a school will accept a transfer with a 2.8! You made it sound like he was a shoe-in but the only issue was that he'd have to do an extra year of undergrad. His #1 priority right now should be raising his GPA. If he can't pull a halfway respectable GPA at this school what makes him think he can do better at a more competitive schools?!

Looking at the whole picture now I would say:
1. completely forget about transferring - not only does he have little to no chance of being successful but it is really silly to transfer as a rising senior and it'll be just another distraction that hurts his grades.
2. drastically cut down on ECs until the GPA starts to rise and take college more seriously
3. consider DO and make a backup plan. DO schools replace grades when you retake a class so retake prerequisites that were a C or lower. Also explore other careers in case medicine doesnt pan out.

 

[Playa]

^ well he still two years of uni left, 3 if he transfers cause he would have to spend an extra year there.

Maybe he would do better there since he is just generally unhappy at his current uni, hence has no motivation to work, but he is excited about the prospect of leaving his current uni……so idk if thats a case to leave?