Hi All! I am a Chemistry concentrator.
I really wish to transfer to Brown.
For starters the social scene here is so dead, everyone is always busy with their work, etc. Even when people party, its just small dorm parties or frat parties that are really just people huddled in a small room. Additionally people here are different, they are just not genuine to talk to.
Academics wise, I feel that Brown isn’t that strong for their Chemistry program. I just finished taking the organic chemistry sequence and we didn’t even cover benzene reactions or radical reactions? How am I supposed to learn this now other than self study? Like what is this?
I would ideally want to transfer to a different Ivy (although I’m not sure if this would fix some of my problems?) perhaps but my GPA is kind of low.
I am looking into other schools, but I am not sure which ones to consider. Homesickness is an issue of course, so I applied to UCLA, but Its such a low chance that I should look for other options.
Essentially, I want to go somewhere where Chemistry is strong, and has a nice social environment. Any suggestions?
I won’t be rude, but, you are thinking in parties and you want a more strong Chemistry program?
Your GPA will going down.
Are you a first or second year? What is your GPA? (Top Chem programs are gonna require top college grades. And UCLA is a top ~20.)
btw: you do know that Brown has the highest mean GPA of any college in the land, so being “low” at Brown…
Low GPA and top colleges (especially Ivy League institutions) is not a good combination. How low are we talking about?
Colleges that have a strong chemistry programs don’t have a special method to impart knowledge.
Strong chemistry program = Harder, rigorous, and accelerated courses.
You say that Brown has a “weak” Chemistry program, yet you’re performing less than ideally in your courses. Therefore, I don’t think that simply transferring to a stronger chemistry program will help your case.
You’re at Brown. It offers an open curriculum. Find out which class covers benzene and radical reactions and take it.
You are at one of America’s top colleges. You have the chops to do well, or you wouldn’t be there.
If the parties you’ve encountered are not your style, join a club and party with them – at least you’ll be partying with people with whom you can talk. Or, suck it up until you are in a position to host your own parties, at which point the sky’s the limit.
Work harder during the week to get those grades up, and you might be surprised how much more palatable the party scene will look on the weekend – the harder you work, the more rewarding (and fun…) those parties might seem.
If youre above a 3.6 you can generally stay in the ivies from what I’ve seen.
@“International Dad” OP mentioned the lacking social scene specifically, and added a typical Brown party as anecdotal evidence. It’s entirely reasonable to enjoy a lively social environment while working hard.
I graduated as a Chemistry major from Cornell. Very strong chemistry program. At least one nobel prize winner in Chemistry.
Looking at the top 20 universities for chemistry.
Penn State, UCSD, UCSB, and Wisconsin would probably be doable options.