Leaving the Ivy League

Do what makes you happy. Your health and happiness far exceeds some number of spots on a college ranking.

I know someone very well who transferred from a USNWR T30 school last year for much the same reason. They found the preponderance of students (not all) wealthy and inauthentic and sheep-like. They did not feel like they would grow at all as a person in that environment. They transferred to a top public university and find the experience much more real and authentic and enriching. Their first semester (spring) was a little slow in terms of getting integrated, though they still liked it much better. Now they are involved in about 4 major work/social groups, have lots of friends, and are totally loving it. They are incredibly happy they made the decision.

You are never crazy for moving past something that is making you miserable (school, relationships, jobs, location, etc.). I could see Penn being great for some students but not many others. It is preprofessional. It is very urban. The academics are great and the students very capable. One could also say that about Dickinson, Pitt, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Wellesley, William & Mary, and dozens of other schools in the same general region, where you’d likely be a strong transfer applicant.

Look at it this way. Students often choose a college when they are very young. They are still growing, developing, and, very importantly, learning who they are. It sounds like you are growing and becoming much more self-aware about who YOU are what makes YOU happy and who the kind of people are who make YOU your best self. (As teens, people are naturally more focused on what others think they “should” be.) So if a different school is a better choice for YOU, well then that’s fine. And know you are definitely not the only one. At that other T30 school I mentioned, a substantial minority felt the same way.

So think about what works for you, what makes you your best, happiest, most authentic self, trust yourself, and embrace your decision with a positive, forward-looking attitude. That seems like a great recipe for happiness and success (however defined). Good luck!