What would you do in this situation?

[WhitecatBlackcat]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I currently go to a really good school but I'm thinking about transferring somewhere else. I want to eventually go to medical school but the social and academic environments at my current school have made it hard to keep a positive attitude on just about everything. Honestly my school isn't even that bad but I'm completely miserable here. The city is the exact opposite of what I grew up in ( I'm from a large city in the northeast) and the social scene is really bad. My school has great professors, connections and is giving me a huge financial aid package. It also happens to be prestigious which I'm hoping will help my career in the future. My dilemma is should I unhappy for the next 3 years and try to do well on my prereqs so I can hopefully get into med school or transfer to another school where I might be happy but won't have as many opportunities and connections and may have to pay a little more. I should also mention that I have already done really bad on one of my prereqs . I'm sorry if it seems like I'm rambling or overreacting

 

[jtd2081]

I always think happiness is very important. If you think that you will benefit academically and emotionally from transferring than I say do it. A 3.8 at a no name university is always better than a 3.3 from a more prestigious one. That is my understanding at least.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Id say transfer (I face a similar dilemma), but before you do look at what's making you dislike the school.

If it's just that the social scene sucks and you think the parties are lame, don't transfer.

If you are really unhappy with the quality of life, student body, and academic "style" of the school then transfer away!

Good luck

 

[Traveler2016]

I transferred after my first year and I don't believe it had any effect on my application. What's important to note, though, is that college transfer admissions are usually based mostly on your undergraduate GPA rather than your high school GPA. If you struggled with your grades this past year it may limit where you can transfer to.

You may also want to look into which of your current credits will be accepted by your transfer school. One of the schools I was accepted to transfer to would not accept the Gen Chem 1 and 2 courses I had taken at my previous school so if I would have had to retake those classes at the new school.

 

[confidentandgood]

Decisions like this are tricky, especially when one school is financially favorable. No one wants more debt than they can afford. However, as a pre-med student, you pretty much have one chance to take advantage of undergrad opportunities and experiences.

Obviously most people do better in an environment they enjoy, but that shouldn't be the only reason your transfer. You should research academics, areas of involvement, transfer credits, etc. at your desired school to make sure your application won't suffer in any way.

 

[JustAPhD]

The relative prestige of your current school will not help your future if you don't perform well because you're miserable. This is why I always tell people to choose the school that is the best "fit" for them, rather than the most prestigious. Prestige chasing is fine, but when it impacts a student's happiness I can't recommend it.

 

[MaxPlancker]

The relative prestige of your current school will not help your future if you don't perform well because you're miserable. This is why I always tell people to choose the school that is the best "fit" for them, rather than the most prestigious. Prestige chasing is fine, but when it impacts a student's happiness I can't recommend it.

To elaborate a bit more, your undergrad prestige will matter zero to your overall career. What is important in medicine is your medical school and more so residency. While medical school prestige has a significant impact on where you match, undergrad prestige is not as influential.

I say go where you're happy. Happiness can't be priced and being happy will allow you to develop more IMO.

 

[Goro]

Get out while you can. There is no reason to be miserable, when you can get a good education just about anywhere.

So I currently go to a really good school but I'm thinking about transferring somewhere else. I want to eventually go to medical school but the social and academic environments at my current school have made it hard to keep a positive attitude on just about everything. Honestly my school isn't even that bad but I'm completely miserable here. The city is the exact opposite of what I grew up in ( I'm from a large city in the northeast) and the social scene is really bad. My school has great professors, connections and is giving me a huge financial aid package. It also happens to be prestigious which I'm hoping will help my career in the future. My dilemma is should I unhappy for the next 3 years and try to do well on my prereqs so I can hopefully get into med school or transfer to another school where I might be happy but won't have as many opportunities and connections and may have to pay a little more. I should also mention that I have already done really bad on one of my prereqs . I'm sorry if it seems like I'm rambling or overreacting

 

[tskbdmnd]

Its college.... look to your left and make new friends.

 

[raiderette]

Know that you may not end up with much financial aid as a transfer. If you are like me, that prevented me from leaving since I could not have transferred to a different school without the same package or better. Are you planning to transfer next semester, or sit out the fall until you get in somewhere else? The biggest issue that I see is that you will have less time to develop relationships with professors for your letters and may not get research opportunities.

 

[Crayola227]

I would definitely look at more than how "hip" the college scence is before transferring

learning coping skills to be happy even in Boring City, Cornrows USA is important in your career because if you want some things in a medical career bad enough it can necessitate med school, residency, fellowship, or attending positions in some pretty snooze worthy locations

otoh, undergrad is conceivably where you can have the most control over geography and have fun, so I'm not saying it doesn't matter at all

I didn't catch how far in you are
there's definitely a freshman blues that can set in
there's online strats you can find for trying to have a better time even in a ho hum town in college

 

[dougy]

I would absolutely stay put! Great professors and great aid package, no brainer! You didn't find the right people this year, but I assure you there are people there you can be good friends with. Go back next year with a positive attitude and join a couple organizations that really interest you. Find a volunteer organization that serves others, habitat, big brother big sister, animal shelter, etc. that lines up with your interests, kill two birds with one stone, get volunteer hours and find some good altruistic people. Kill it academically and if after sophomore you are still miserable, xfer to your largest public instate university!

 

[dougy]

Also, the funny thing about med school is most of us go where we get in....if you truly want medicine above all else you could end up in a crummy city in the middle of nowhere and be absolutely thrilled to spend 4 years there albeit sucking up a different culture than you are accustomed to.

 

[WhitecatBlackcat]

Thank you so much everyone!

 

[WhitecatBlackcat]

Know that you may not end up with much financial aid as a transfer. If you are like me, that prevented me from leaving since I could not have transferred to a different school without the same package or better. Are you planning to transfer next semester, or sit out the fall until you get in somewhere else? The biggest issue that I see is that you will have less time to develop relationships with professors for your letters and may not get research opportunities.

I was thinking of transferring next semester but if the financial aid isn't good enough I would try for more schools in the spring. Or possibly have a better time fall semester and decide to stay🙂

 

[Mansamusa]

What makes you dislike the school? I would echo the people who said to really evaluate your reasoning and see if maybe sticking it out would be better.

I am of the belief that there is no school where you can't find a solid group of friends with like interests and where you cannot create your own social scene. My cousin went to a middle of nowhere school in a breadbasket state and she befriended the school rodeo team and that would have huge parties in a barn. You can make your own social scene for 4 yrs.

If your reasons are academic in the sense that the pressure is too much, I understand that. I went to a top grade-deflating school. I definitely think I'm better prepared for med school because stuck with my school, but I could understand how it could eat at people. But you should also be prepared to develop the skills to manage academic pressure since that is a lot of what med school is.

Good luck!

 

[ac62994]

I'm a big proponent of "Happiness is key" but also "Fake it 'til you make it".

Be a boss. Take advantage of those opportunities. Find a ride-or-die. Dominate the world. Werk!