I’ll be a freshman at Penn State this fall as a bio major. I know it’s not ideal to think about transferring, but I have some questions if I decide to transfer. I’m interested in elite schools I loved but didn’t get into or got waitlisted for, like NYU, Boston University, and Columbia. Should I transfer after my first year or wait until after my sophomore year to show two years of college success? In high school, I didn’t do super well, but also not badly, and I have solid extracurriculars. My counselor suggests waiting until after sophomore year, but I’m worried about even finishing my first year here. The school isn’t my top choice, and I feel other universities offer more opportunities.
I got waitlisted at NYU, rejected from BU, and didn’t apply Columbia.