undergrad transfer

[gizzdogg]

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for those of you who attended more than one undergrad institution-- did you feel transferring hurt you in the admissions process? Did any of you transfer more than once? How did this affect your application? I've transferred twice for good reasons and have done well at all three schools. Good recs. Good MCAT. I'm wondering if adcoms will frown upon my double transfer student status. What do you all think? Thanks.

 

[FLY]

any thoughts on this?

 

[gower]

When you apply, be sure you give the reasons for school hopping, but it should not occupy the major portion of the personal statement on your AMCAS application.
When you apply, you will need to submit original official transcripts from every college or university where you took courses, even if only a single course, and whether or not the specific courses and grades appear on the transcript of the last college you attend; they usually don't, what commonly appear are only total credits transferred with no listing of specific courses or grades.
If interviewed, be prepared to discuss this if asked.

 

[gower]

Addendum:

What did Yvonne Bowen, in Ingraham Hall, tell you when you asked her?
608/262-1849 FAX: 608/262-5915


Did you run your question by Janice Waisman, Director of Admissions at UW Medical School?
608/263-4925 FAX: 608/262-2327

 

[gizzdogg]

gower, i guess you're asking me if i've talked to anyone at UW. I'm at UW for undergrad. I'll be applying elsewhere for med school (I'm out-of-state). From your remarks I guess i'll have to walk the fine line between making excuses and offering a solid explanation. I've been to three schools and have done excellent at all three. And my MCAT should help me too. This is only major red flag on my application for 2003. I just want to know how to handle it best. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[reba95]

Dear Gower/Gizzdog:

Thank you for opening this thread for discussion. I hadn't thought about transferring and how it may appear to adcoms. I'll be on my third university (working on second and third degrees--doing a double major post-bac at the moment) by the time I apply to med school. I was just curious as to why there is concern about transferring? If you do well at all three, or have a great GPA upward momentum (in your opinion, of course, I know your not the adcoms themselves!) then what would need explaining? I think that if I were asked, I could give plenty of reasons for me transferring.
Are you talking about transferring from different "tier" schools (up and/or down). Again, thank you both for your comments on this area.....I really hadn't thought about this aspect. Good luck to you both!

 

[none]

I have four schools for undergrad and was just accepted to med. They'll likely ask, but it should be easy enough to explain.

 

[shorrin]

Hi gizzdogg,

I went from art to school to get a degree in bio. I mentioned it in my ps only because it was relevant to what I was writing about, however, I would not include those reasons unless they are -really- relevant to what you want to say in your ps. The adcom's don't want to read a chronology of your academic life they want to know what motivates you to be a doc. If the reasons you transferred are pertinant to that then you might talk about it. I think none is right that they will likely ask at an interview and being prepared for that step is a definate.
Overall I don't think there should be too much concern about transferring as long as you have well thought out explanations.

for reba95,

what was your first degree? It really takes some guts to change your life like that! For post-bacc type apps I was advised (by undergrad premed advisors who also serve on adcom's) that you have to explain how the reasons for your transitions pertain to your motivation to pursue MD. The same was also echoed by the director of admissions I met with who said that adcom's have a harder time understanding non-trads motivations to be a doc. Good Luck!! 🙂

 

[reba95]

bump!!!