tranferring as a rising soph

Transfer Students
1

Hey guys, its a rising sophmore from CMU here looking to transfer out. I came to this school expecting certain things and I was really disappointed about not experiencing things i thought I would. I have been feeling like this for a whole year and I really want to try out new things. I am interested in majoring in Statistics and Environmental Studies/Science (currently in Statistics, summer internship in environmental studies) and I would like to transfer up into a better ranked college. (like cornell, upenn, etc, sorry im a ranking whore in some ways) My GPA is around 3.4 and will probably stay around that area. I understand that better colleges would probably prefer ppl with at least 3.5 but I dont know if I am environmental studies it will make it easier for me. My highschool GPA were not phenomenal but it is generally in the topish and I came from a competitive school. I have a decent resume (art/swimming awards, presentable art portfolio, good amount of work experience and past leadership positions) Some other descriptions other people have of my personality is that I am charming, funny, and happy. Anyways, the point is I am not sure if I am qualified and I should bother transferring out. Maybe the grass just seems greener on the other side and I am chasing empty dreams.

I know that alot of people recommend people to apply to better schools as graduate schools but I dont have enough money to go to graduate school. Maybe I can work for 3-5 years and apply then. But for now, I would love to hear anyone’s response or suggestion about my situation.

(also please let me know if u have any questions, theres prob alot of info I am missing forgive me)
Thank you so much!

2

Transferring up with a 3.4 is going to be challenging. What about CMU don’t you like that you think you’ll find at these better ranked schools?

3

I really like the professors and the peer I met at CMU and the curriculum is great. The one thing I noticed the first few weeks was the lack of social energy. I moved out of state because I wanted a city life feel. Besides meeting extremely talented people and learning from good professors, I feel like my college experience is pretty lack luster. When I visited my friends and schools during the breaks, the entire city just gave me completely different feels. I really liked Philly and New York (the city, the people at those schools) and I never felt like I really fit in here at Pittsburgh. Also, all these schools have the same costs as CMU but they offer much more financial aid. (There is need based financial aid but my family situation is different) I believe that there will be great professors, peers, and curriculum there too. I dont know just feel so unhappy here.