Transfering from a small private school for a big state school.

Transfer Students
1

<p>I have been going to a small private school lately due to the fact that I received a lot of scholarship and grant money. The education is great and the school is known for their high acceptance rates into professional schools. The only problem is that the dorms,food, people, and the town overall are crap. </p>

<p>A few weeks ago I visited my friends at Indiana University and it seems like they were having such a better time than I was. The people there knew how to have a good time and there was always something to do on campus. I feel as if I’m not having the true college experience.</p>

<p>The problem is that if I go to IU, my chances of getting into medical school are very slim and it will cost me a 1k-2k more to attend IU because I did not receive any scholarships. So right now its between having the best four years of my life (IU) or easily getting into med school and paying less for undergrad(my current private school). What should I do? Is it hard to go to med school from IU?</p>

2

<p>Why do you think that your ability to enter med school is slim if you attend IU?</p>

3

<p>You need to remember that when you visited, your friends were excited to have you there and did their best to show you a good time. This doesn’t mean that they get to have that much fun all the time. You also need to remember that if they do have as much fun all the time as they seemed to be having when you were there, they might not be studying enough to get the kinds of grades a student who is pre-med should be earning.</p>

<p>It’s not that you should be denied all fun while in college, but rather that if you want to go to med school there will be many times when you have to skip the fun so you can do your schoolwork.</p>

4

<p>

Eh?

Only you know your financial situation, but that doesn’t sound like too much money if you are sure that it will be an improvement - $3-6k total?</p>

5

<p>If I go to IU I will just be another student doing premed. I didnt get into the honors college when I applied to IU so therefore I wont stick out. I won’t get the attention I need to get into med school and I am basically competing against everyone in my undergrad class who wants to go to med school. I also took a class in high school through IU and I ended up getting a B so my gpa wont be that great starting out my sophmore year if I do end up transfering.</p>

<p>At a small private school I can easily get the attention I need to get into med school and the % of applicants that get into med school is very high. State schools really could care less about whether you make it into med school or not.</p>

<p>By the way my friends are very studious. They are also doing premed and they are in the honors program at IU. I would be at a big disadvantage just by not being in the Honors program.</p>

6

<p>Have you discussed this with your parents yet? I think you should probably stay focused on your long-term goals. Having lower grades, potentially more difficulty getting the classes and LOR’s you’ll need, higher debt, and fewer opportunities just to have a “better time” with friends could be a decision you’ll regret for a long time. If you tried, I’ll bet you could liven up the social scene where you are, or at least make plans to visit your friends a few times a semester. How about planning a semester abroad for a little excitement?</p>

7

<p>I’m only going to comment on your view of premed at your current school vs. IU, not your overall decision.</p>

<p>First, when you apply to med school, you will be sending in transcripts from ANY college courses you have taken, during HS or post-HS. The fact that you got your UG degree at a different school doesn’t matter.</p>

<p>Second, while it is true that you are likely to be “looked after” more in a smaller college than a large state school, if you are willing to take the initiative, there’s nothing about IU that should hold you back from med school. And med schools aren’t going to care if you were in the Honors college or not. They care about your gpa, MCATs, and what you’ve done in your medical and non-medical ECs. And if you really think the Honors college is important, what about this:</p>

<p>[Admissions</a> : Honors College : IUPUI](<a href=“http://honorscollege.iupui.edu/admissions/transfer/]Admissions”>http://honorscollege.iupui.edu/admissions/transfer/)</p>

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<p>Third, the % of med school applicants accepted is an extremely skewed statistic (see the PreMed Topics subforum) as each school screens students and calculates the numbers differently, and so it is an poor tool to use to determine if a school is good for premed. Again, see the sticky thread on the PreMed topics subforum, or read the many threads that ask which UG school is best to attend.</p>

<p>Fourth, since gpa is extremely important for med school (more so than whether you’re in the honors college, what classes you take, what you major in, etc.), you might want to consider where in the pool of students you are in each college. Are you in the middle of the pack at your current school and would you be in the upper 10% at IU? I don’t know the answer to this, but it’s something to think about.</p>

<p>Finally, IMO any student who is interested ultimately in Med school should be extremely self-directed and have the initiative to get top grades and pursue whatever research, shadowing, etc. they are interested in, in any academic situation.</p>

8

<p>I was going thru posts looking for situations like this one since ours is similar. My son got a great scholarship to a private top 20 school but is also thinking of transferring to a larger public school. Says his school is boring and if you are not in a frat or sorority, then there is no social life. He is a sophomore now and torn. Likes the academics & is a good student. Because he got this great scholarship along with grants, it’s costing almost nothing for him to attend. My feeling is that he should stick it out since it’s a “better” school for lower cost, his feeling is that he wishes he was having more fun. When he visits friends it’s a more traditional college town experience & he feels like he’s missing out…Trying to convince him to stay another semester at least and transfer as a junior. Looking for insight…</p>