U G Admn - Transfer In Sophomore Year

Discussion in 'Education & Personal Growth' started by jskls, Mar 30, 2019.

  1. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    UG Admission -Inputs Please

    Transfer to another university in Sophomore year

    Someone I know got a guaranteed transfer to a reputed university (college B) in the Sophomore year of Undergrad program. If the student attends the first year in another decent college (College A), meets the GPA requirements and then gets transferred to the University (College B) what are the points to consider with respect to grad program(Pre-med) ? Can the student consider Transferring to College B ? Will Gap year be an option so that student can start as Freshman in College B?

    Student is interested in pursuing Pre-Med track. So should the student make sure that College B accepts the pre-med course credit if any, that was covered in freshman year in College A ? Can the student approach the College B admissions and find out what recommendations/ sponsorship/ support will they provide when applying for Pre-Med Program (As the student will have only 3 years in the College B they get transferred to and one year in College A they start initially ). What are all the details student need to consider when transferring into? eg., if there are some science courses that the College B will want the student to take in their college? What should the student ask the admissions office before making the final decision?

    Appreciate all your help in this regard. Thanks in advance!
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2019
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  2. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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  3. nuss

    nuss Platinum IL'ite

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    Yes, the student can approach the undergraduate program coordinator or the advisor in his/her department/major. Are the two universities in the same town? If yes, the student can arrange to meet with the advisor. He/She should be able to transfer most courses from school A to school B. Since she is only doing freshman year in the school A, there wouldn't be many (if any) upper-level courses anyway.
     
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  4. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    I'm away at a conference, so haven't looked in for a while. Keep in mind that I don't deal with undergrads en masse - just occasionally one-on-one. My 2¢:

    In general it won't matter. There are many programs that allow such transfers.

    I know students who did 2 years at a community college, transferred to a flagship state uni for the next two, and then headed to med-school/grad school. For example, one trajectory was De Anza -> UCSD -> UPenn. I know bright students who did this just to save money. So, it should not be a problem. However, credit transfers should be discussed ahead of time. University administrators have a certain view of their place in the pecking order, which somwtimes means that they will accept fewer credits for transfer from a relatively "lower ranked" institution. I happen to think that it's possible to get a good education in a mid-tier university and a completely pathetic one in the Ivy League, but then, that may not be a view widely shared. For me, this is simply a time/money issue - so evaluate your risk tolerance and discuss it before the transfer.

    From the point of view of the med school, it will not matter. If you have a good MCAT score, you'll do fine. Harold Varmus, Nobel Laureate and the current president of Sloan-Kettering, has a first degree in English literature, after which he decided to go to med-school, filling in the requirements along the way; although admittedly, that was quite a while ago, the american system is still quite flexible.

    Med-school prerequisites are laid out quite clearly, the basic ones being two semesters of calculus, physics, chemistry, general chem, O-chem, plus labs. So, buy one of those "getting into med-school" books, make a list of all the courses/credits hours your'e going to need, assess where you stand and decide what you should do.

    Pre-med tracks and pre-med programs are different things. In general, it's not a good idea to get any degree that says pre-med. (I don't know if they still exist! Used to be fashionable, then fell somewhat out of favor). If you don't get into to med-school or later decide against applying, then it's something you always have to explain - "ummm... it says here that you were a pre-med, now why do you want to work for Widgets-R-Us? Didn't you get in to med-school?" Most universities will offer science degrees on a pre-med track which simply means that the sequencing of courses is made convenient for you and your degree says chem or physics or something like that. Plus there will be a pre-med advisor to (ostensibly!) guide you and a pre-med committee that will evaluate you and write a so-called "committee recommendation letter" when you apply.

    OK, now, having written all that, I must say that I don't quite understand the original question. What is the student afraid of? What is the attraction to school-B? Is gap-year a goal or a problem? :thinking::lol:
    :beer-toast1:
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2019
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  5. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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  6. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    No both are in different states

    Good to know that she can transfer most of the credits for the course taken during first year.

    As suggested student will make arrangements to meet with the advisor and discuss regarding the course credit transfer.

    Thanks @nuss for taking time to reply
     
  7. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    Great pointers and pretty useful information @sokanasanah. Thank you

    This is something to be aware of. Student will ask about this to admissions.

    Good to know

    sure will do

    Very useful information. Thanks again

    Student is thinking of getting a Science degree so that if something changes student can continue with Grad program

    again very useful and good to know.

    Few doubts student had was whether the college they transfer to will consider them on par with someone who did a 4 yr program with school B while giving recommendation . School B is in the hometown and better ranked (both are mid-tier universities) which also offers a choice to continue with Grad program. Gap year is not an option as the transfer is conditional in meeting first year requirements.

    Thank you very much for taking time to explain. Very useful information and pointers. Had to consult the student and reply. so delayed response.
     
  8. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    OK, that is somewhat clearer.

    Examples of books:
    Guide to Med School Admissions 2018
    Pre-Med Guidebook
    There are many others, easily found on Amazon. It's best to review them early; makes planning easier.
    Performance trumps everything. In the competitive pre-med track, it is not a good idea to wait for people to notice you. The student has to strive to stand out. He/she may find this book motivating and inspirational.
    This aspect needs some reflection.

    (a) The 'hometown' advantage is useful for undergrad. May save money; having family nearby may elevate morale.

    (b) The higher ranking of uni-B may help somewhat.

    (c) The "continue with grad program" needs pondering. Unless the program is an integrated BS/MD, this option is not necessarily an advantage. Most grad programs in scientific fields come with tuition waivers and stipends. Therefore, one can go anywhere. For an MS or a Ph.D., you want to go to the best program and the best lab that will have you. There is no advantage to making this a factor in the current decision unless there are considerations not presented here.

    (d) For most students, their interests will change and evolve as they mature. The "continue with grad program" thing, that weighs as a factor at the beginning of the sophomore year, may not seem so important come graduation time.

    (e) Going somewhere else may help (will!! - if one is the least bit receptive) widen the intellectual horizon.

    (f) Making a decision now to stay at uni-B for a grad program makes sense only if there is an absolutely world-class group at uni-B that will take her on for a grad degree.

    This student will benefit from working in a lab group at the med school. He/she ought to look into undergrad research options, work-study programs, and summer research internships. She needs guidance from people who are where she wants to go. It's never too early to start.
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2019
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  9. jskls

    jskls IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks for the above pointers as well as other very useful guidance and first hand information. Will share it with the student.

    This is really good to know.

    For now since there is no cost or commitment to accept the Transfer to Univ B, student has decided just to click the Yes button for now and within the next year using all the above advice and first hand exposure at Univ A will reevaluate the decision again maybe in the same time frame next year.

    Thanks Dr.S(@sokanasanah ) for your valuable time and advice.
     
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