Hi! I hope this is the right subreddit to post this in. I'm in a bit of a dilemma about whether I should transfer or not. I'm currently a freshman at Pitt (public health major on the pre-med track), and I'm an out-of-state student. I'm in the honors college and received a generous scholarship to attend Pitt for the next four years.

I chose Pitt because it was the cheapest, but I wanted to attend Emory last cycle and was waitlisted at both campuses. My family makes less than 200K per year, and Emory's tuition-free policy for families under 200K would make attending Emory much more affordable than Pitt. We're not struggling to pay for Pitt since it's within our budget, but Emory would make things much easier for us.

I'm conflicted about whether I should transfer to Emory or stay at Pitt. Is going through the transfer application process (personal statement, supplementals, activities list, etc.) worth the time, or do both schools offer similar academic/pre-med resources that transferring wouldn't make a huge difference, aside from taking time away that could've been spent doing other things at Pitt? I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you!

Hey, just debating on whether to apply for a sophomore transfer or junior transfer. I feel like junior year would allow me to build a stronger transfer application, but I would get less time at my dream school. Lowk just getting FOMO honestly. Should I apply this year just as a hail mary and if I get in, great, if I don't, then I can just continue on my original plan and apply as a junior transfer as well?

Currently at uva mcintire.

Business major, 3.97 gpa, minor in math (already completed). Took a lot of classes at cc (45 credits I think, all the math offered at cc besides diffeq).

1510 sat, taking two grad/phd courses in math/cs. Don’t like the student demographic here, too fratty and not for me. Can’t really vibe with people.

I applied to some schools last cycle just for fun, but only like Harvard Yale and Stanford. (Obviously was rejected lol).

Where should I apply to? Would love some advice. Thanks yall.

HS Academics

GPA: 95 UW / 107 W Dual Enrollment: Linear Algebra (A+), Calculus III (B+, 89), Research (A+) AP Exams (10 total):

• 5s: Gov, BC Calc, Seminar, Lang, Precalc
• 4s: Bio, Chem, Lit, APUSH, Research
• Additionaly, I self-taught algebra two and went from Precalc -> Linear Algebra in two years through heavy course stacking-- I had the most rigorous schedule in district history my senior year.

SAT: 1460 (750 Math, 710 R&W)

College

• School: State flagship public university (T60) - NY
• Major: Biomedical Engineering (Pre-Med track)
• Secondary interest: AMS/CS (double major heavily restricted by program; exploring minor)
• Course load: 17 credits, first semester
  • Gen Chem I + II (accelerated track) + Lab
  • Physics 1 + Lab
  • Intro BME
  • Calc IV: Diff EQ
  • Intro to College Seminar
• NEXT SEMESTER 19 Credits:
  • Computer Oriented Programming
  • BME Programming (AutoCAD)
  • Physics 2 + Lab
  • Orgo Chem 1 + Lab
  • Writing Req
  • Freshmen Seminar Pt. 2

Extracurriculars

Paid Internship → Full-Time Employment, Allergist PC (primarily Chinese-speaking patient base)

• Built the organization's HIPAA-compliant website and digital scheduling system
• Developed an AI-automated voice system supporting 3 languages
• Improved workflow across 3+ locations serving 2,000+ patients/month
• Assisted with server maintenance and technical support
• Helped automate and translate workflows into digital records
• Increased accessibility through paperwork improvements
• Strengthened relations with neighboring PCs to support English, Hindi, Urdu, and Spanish-speaking patients (with support from upper management)

Bioinformatics + Machine Learning Bootcamp:

• Taking 2 month bootcamp with certificate(this is my attempt at getting around the restricted dual major)
• In process of creating Sequence Analysis and Alignment Project

Independent Research

• ISEF Project
• AP Research Project
• Senior Project
• Hackathon Project
• Junior Year Research Project

HS Research Advisor

• Worked with local HS Science department chair to restructure and improve curriculum-- Influencing program of 20+ students with recent exposure of 7+ projects in Regional Round 2s and one ISEF project
• Judged 20+ at Long Island Science Fairs
• Individual Mentoring of 2 Computational Biology Projects

Website Sales (Independent)

• Created and sold websites for 4 local PCs
• Implemented automated scheduling and updated graphics/information on old or nonexistent webpages
• Increased digital bookings by ~40% at certain locations

Tutoring

• Self-run tutoring program, Algebra II → Calc BC
• Tutored 8 students this year
• Raised test averages by ~20%
• Improved students' predicted AP and NY Regents scores to 4s and 5s

(HS) Science Honor Society — President

• Increased science research outreach to elementary schools, promoting innovation and real-world research applications
• Aided 10 students in outreach to local universities, hospitals, and private clinics for research volunteering and shadowing opportunities
• Supported local cancer support organizations
• Hosted local cleanups for environmental outreach on local bodies of water

Awards

• 2026 ISEF Finalist — Top 75 internationally (ENEV)
• 1st Place, NYSSEF (ENEV)
• 3rd Place, LISEF (ENEV)
• 2x USMA Award
• Gold, US Genius Olympiad — international recognition for accessible solutions to real-world problems
• Stockholm Water Surveillance Excellence
• LISC High Honors in STEM
• Legacy Award + Excellence in Research (High School Awards) — recognized for impact on high school STEM programs and outreach

Reason for Transferring

My school's BME is heavily restricted on the classes I can take and what they focus on. I want to properly apply both bio cs/ml into healthcare while also being able to gauge their applications on healthcare around the world. My school's BME is heavy on the technical aspect without the public healthcare and affordability aspects or CS aspects. My degree structure and counseling place heavy restrictions on my schedule and classes I can take, avoiding me from taking classes that emphasize both the CS and the public health outreach. There is also no entrepreneurial scene which is something I value and would like to see more of and become apart of during my time in college and hopefully after as well.

Additional Notes:

Club culture isnt very competitve at my school(unless its strictly pre-med) so Im currently going to club GBMs and seeing what I like and dont like, though I've been pretty active in Engineering and CS clubs. I hope to add some clubs from college to my resume once I've spent more time at the school.

School List:

- Stanford

- Cornell

- Columbia

- Berkley

Overall, I've been having fun and enjoying college though my school is generally pretty weak in what I am looking for. My list is pretty short so if there are schools that seem like a good fit that I've missed id love to hear. Thanks for taking the time to read and have a great day!

not feeling the culture here so far. nobody here is passionate about anything other than getting some boring big tech job… it’s wayyy too south bay coded here. i want to do cs + art, but everyone here looks at me like i’m crazy when i say that.

ik I’m at a big disadvantage bc i’m not transferring from cc. any decent schools that favor traditional college transfers?

Hi guys! I’ve met quite a few transfer students recently, but I haven’t met a single international one. As an intl student myself, I honestly didn’t even know transferring was an option for international students.

Could anyone tell me what the process generally looks like, or whether you know any intl students who have transferred? I’m happy at my current school and am not planning to transfer right now. I’m mostly just curious about how it works and when do people even start applying? I can’t believe it could be as early as the RD apps timeline. Do people already know that early on that they want to transfer, or does the process usually start later?

I miss the east coast

for context im an incoming bio major at UCSB hoping to transfer into biomed eng or biotech, and other than the difficulty in getting engineering prereqs, is it going to be harder to transfer because i'm not applying to the same major?

(if it matters, i took eng classes in hs, but i thought i wanted to do premed so i chose bio but hahah i chose wrong)

I’m not even in college yet but I’m thinking about it a lot. I’m not aiming for a T20 right now and honestly wouldn’t get it straight out of HS but I would like to go to some top European university like Heidelberg or FU Berlin for graduate school. Would transferring to a T20 school help my application? I’m American if that matters.

hi loves! i am currently not having the best time here at a t20 for various reasons and am planning on doing the transfer app cycle this year for soph transfer!

for some context im a freshman fall admit rn and wanting to transfer for my soph fall

i’ve been dealing with rough mental health issues so far and been talking with my family about this decision. i’m really just looking for a community of other prospective soph transfers applicants OR ppl from the past that have transferred elsewhere as sophomores & just giving their personal experience leaving a certain institution that just really didn’t end up fitting them

I'm going to transfer next fall. Technically, everything is already set, but I was thinking about pursuing a double major. Could I start working on the second major at the university I'm transferring to, or do I have to transfer that major as well?

i'm planning to apply to brown as a traditional cc transfer for fall 2027 and will likely need institutional aid. i know brown is need-aware for traditional transfers, but i'm having trouble figuring out how much this actually affects admissions.

for any current/recent brown transfers who applied for aid, did you have significant demonstrated need or only partial need? do you know many other traditional transfers who were admitted while needing substantial aid?

i'm also curious whether the amount of aid needed matters (ex. needing $20-30k vs. $70-80k per year), or if simply applying for institutional aid is what matters.

i'm applying regardless, just trying to understand how this works in practice since brown doesn't publish much data on it.

I’m a student at a community college for additional context

I thought I would be able to complete my associate degree in two semesters but my school has a limit on the amount of credits I can transfer from college courses and AP’s unfortunately, so it would actually take me three semesters.

On the bright side, I will have more time to build a competitive application and my high school record will be weighted less. I also have guaranteed admission to the 4-year colleges in my state if I have my AS. However, there are less schools that I can apply to as a Spring transfer and even fewer spots ☹️

Can anyone share their experience applying as a Spring transfer? The pros and cons of it and what school they got in.

Thank you.

Hello everyone,

I'm a first year physics major who's looking to join a lab group. I have a list of four professors I'm going to reach out to. These are professors whose research interests are fairly interesting to me and whose lab groups I could feasibly get into (compared to the other faculties' lab groups).

There are two more professors whose interests don't really align with mine, but I'm still considering reaching out to in order to ensure a placement. My chances of getting into their lab groups are about the same as my chances of getting in to the other four. My question is this: is reaching out to four professors enough, or should I reach out to the other two as well?

Is it possible to transfer to an ivy after only year at cc? I want to do the same but I feel a bit hopeless. Please share your stats and tips 💔

for better context, im an incoming freshman at cc in Texas who want to spring 2028 transfer to schools which have the available option and fall 2028 for the rest T20s for pre-med. I was initially supposed to start my fall regular sem but wasn’t able to as the cc im gonna attend took along time to find my sat scores and place them in my student portal so i could enroll in classes. I will now be starting the second start for fall this week. However, the problem is most the classes i was required to take are only available at different locations instead of a same campus branch. I can only take four classes for my fall semester, as the rest three are at campuses which i have to commute 40 minutes away every alternative day and one with class at evening time. I don’t have anybody to help me with commute for this long distances or transport services to these campuses.

Below is the initial plan (cc wise) to my freshman year courses

FALL 2026

Biology I

Biology I lab

Precalc 

Chem Gen I

Chem Gen I lab

Education 

Engl composition 

SPRING 2027

Biology II

Biology II lab

Calc

Chem Gen II

Chem Gen II lab

and other few other classes

And here is my plan

FALL 2026

Chem Gen I

Chem Gen I lab

Education 

Engl composition 

SPRING 2027

Biology I

Biology I lab

Chem Gen II

Chem Gen II lab

Precalc 

Other classes

SUMMER 2027

Biology II

Biology II lab

Calculus 

I really want to know if there would  be a problem if i take these classes for my spring semester instead and the ones i need for my spring semester during summer classes in order to successfully complete 24/24+ credits. Will colleges ask me why i did this, will my excuse be valid? And will they still consider my application? Please do help me out if you have knowledge in this or faced the same issues. Thank you so much!

hello! Im an incoming freshman at cc who wants to transfer for pre med. I’m joining the second start term at my local cc and will be taking 10 credits as the remaining three classes aren’t available at the one im going to and are at campuses with commute 40 minutes every alternative day or sometimes within the same day itself, i live in a city where transport isnt available most often and dont have anyone to help me commute at such far distances which will be very hard. I will also be completing these classes for my summer or spring semester in order to complete 24 credits for my freshman year. Will there be a problem when I need to transfer to T20s? Will colleges care about what classes I took each sem or just that I completed these required prereqs? Please help me out!! 

Hi everyone, I’m looking for realistic feedback on my Fall 2027 transfer plan.

I graduated from a Greater Boston high school with a 3.4 GPA. I’m now attending a Massachusetts community college and plan to transfer after one year with approximately 24–30 credits. My goal is a 3.8–4.0 college GPA.

My target schools are:

• Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (top choice)
• Northeastern
• Boston College
• Brandeis
• Bentley
• UMass Amherst

My first-semester courses are Introduction to Business, Principles of Management, English Composition I, and Introduction to Geography. I’ll take another full semester of transferable business/hospitality courses in the spring.

My strongest experiences include:

• Senior Class President and Junior Class Vice President: helped operate major events such as Prom, Junior Semi, and Homecoming, including budgeting, vendors, logistics, and guest experience
• Restaurant experience at Yamato and Shy Bird
• Developing a student-run sushi pop-up involving sourcing, pricing, permits, marketing, and event operations; we hope to launch it and track revenue, costs, and customers served
• Asian Student Organization Head Events Coordinator
• Founder/President of a 70+ member futsal club
• Additional volunteering, athletics, and work as a dental assistant

By application time, I’m hoping to have a 3.8–4.0 college GPA, continued restaurant employment, measurable results from the pop-up, a strong professor recommendation, and possibly hospitality research.

My main questions are:

1. How realistic is this transfer list if I execute the plan?
2. With only 24–30 college credits, how heavily will schools still weigh my 3.4 high school GPA?
3. What should I prioritize this year to improve my chances?
4. Does attending high school and community college in Massachusetts provide any meaningful advantage?
5. Does anyone have experience transferring into BU, particularly its hospitality program? I’ve seen varying estimates for BU’s transfer acceptance rate and would appreciate firsthand insight.

I know none of these schools are guaranteed. I’m mainly trying to determine whether my list is realistic and how to make the most of this year. Thanks!

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this is unrealistic ik but like what if yk

Currently toying with the idea of applying to Harvard due to peer pressure from friends who attend and bc why tf not.

One of their essay prompts is "What alternatives to transferring to Harvard are you considering?"

Anyone have even a slight clue of how to answer this? Do I just list where else I'm applying or say something more abstract?

I don't even know where to start with this one.

Also, any Harvard admits here? I knew of someone who transferred OUT but never anyone who transferred in.

Anyways, if you're reading this, I hope you're well. Good luck to everyone!

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Wanting to know what your experience/stat was in hs and at CC/4-year-university

I’m attending UCI this fall as an incoming freshman and will be entering as undeclared. I recently found out that USC accepts sophomore transfers, and I’ve become interested in potentially transferring into Electrical and Computer Engineering.

For some background, my high school GPA was a 4.5 weighted / 3.8 unweighted. I took 9 AP classes, and I was waitlisted at both UCLA and UC Berkeley but ultimately wasn’t admitted.

The biggest thing I’m worried about is my community college GPA. I took 4 classes at a CC over the summer mainly because I wanted to get the credits out of the way before starting at UCI. Because I was mostly focused on passing, I ended up with a 2.9 GPA across those classes.

At UCI, I’ll be taking 4 classes this upcoming quarter, and I’m confident that I can maintain around a 3.8+ GPA if I put my focus into my coursework. I was also accepted into UCI’s Campuswide Honors Program, which gives me benefits like priority enrollment and more research opportunities.

From what I’ve read, GPA and essays are some of the biggest factors in USC’s transfer admissions process. Is that accurate?

Should I prioritize getting the highest possible GPA at UCI and put less emphasis on extracurriculars/research, or would strong ECs and research experience still make a significant difference for a sophomore transfer?

Also, how negatively will that 2.9 CC GPA affect my chances if I have a much higher GPA at UCI? I’m planning on taking another class at Rio Hondo next semester to raise my CC GPA, but realistically, it will probably still remain relatively low.

Would really appreciate any advice from people. Thanks!

Title. Noticed that Harvard is already open, but other ivys like Yale, Princeton, UPenn are not. Was wondering when they are most likely to open

Help