Transferring out of Colgate University

sabottt
Sat, 29 Aug 2015 18:00:58 +0000

Ok so this might be really long but I have a lot to ask/talk about so here we go. I just moved in as a freshman to Colgate University. It is a very prestigious school and I was so happy to get in. My grades in highschool were pretty solid, I went to a highly ranked public one. I got a 770 on the math section of the SAT and am currently looking to major in math. However, I only got a 2000 on the SAT and my weighted highschool GPA was a bit below Colgate’s average accepted GPA. Colgate was a stretch, HOWEVER both of my parents attended Colgate, which definitely was a nice advantage. I am not 100% sure I would have gotten in without my legacy, but odds are it would have been less likely.

I’ve been here 2 weeks and hate it. I knew when applying early decision that Colgate was a party school, but I brushed it off. I don’t drink or smoke, mainly just because it isn’t my idea of a good time- not being able to remember the night, throwing up in the bathroom, etc. (No hate on people who do, it just isn’t for me). I assumed that going to such a prestigious institution would mean that along with partiers are a fair amount of hispters, nerds, and very intelligent people. However, EVERYWHERE I look, people are rich, white, immature, homophobic (I’m closeted gay), athletic (which isn’t a bad thing, but I am not an athlete and I wish there was some diversity in terms of fitness, I feel so lame) , and all anyone talks about is getting drunk and hooking up. I have met a fair amount of people I like, but nobody I really have connected with intellectually. I realize that as the semester goes on, it’s possible I’ll finally find my niche and stay at Colgate, but half a month in I am ready to break down- I hate it here.

Since Colgate is in the middle of nowhere, the only activities are drinking and partying and fratting. Guys aren’t even allowed into frats unless you’re affiliated, so there’s not much to do here for me. And I wouldn’t even want to go, because here is another issue- I HATE GREEK LIFE. I should not have gone to this school knowing greek was so big here, it’s my mistake. Again, I assumed the fratty douchey attitude would only make up part of the population, but pretty much every one of the 50 or so guys I have met so far and talked to are insanely fratty.

Essentially, the only reasons I came here are because my parents were stoked, and it is academically the best school I could have gotten into based off of my highschool stats (I think)

But here’s the question- if I do really well academically at Colgate for a year, are my odds good of transferring to somewhere maybe even better (Carleton, Pomona, Georgetown, NYU, maybe even an Ivy league?) and also more suited for me? I actually like to socialize, party, play sports for fun (and preferably with people who aren’t ALL jacked), but I’m a bit of a nerd and I feel so out of place here it’s almost funny. Colgate was also ranked a terrible school for gays- yeah, I should have thought through my college selection process more. My plan is to absolutely work my ass off, and hopefully I can get into an even better school despite the fact that my highschool grades aren’t ivy level or anything.

I realize this post if kind of vague, but anyone who can give me some advice, make me feel better as I regret ever coming here, and give me some insight on my chances of transferring to a fantastic school if I do well in my first year at Colgate would be greatly appreciated. After a one year transfer, do colleges care about highschool grades anyway? Or just Colgate grades, assuming I transfer? Some schools I’m interested in:

Carleton, Macalester, NYU, Georgetown, Bates, Colby, UCLA, UC Berkeley, William&Mary, Hamilton, Haverford, Vassar, Pomona, and I doubt I could get into these, but Yale and Columbia.)

Hope y’all have a great day.