How would recruiters view inter-Ivy transfer?

And I don't mean something that would be easily explainable in the context of looking for better business opportunities, like Brown to Wharton. I'm talking something like Dartmouth to Yale.

Would the alums of Dartmouth view you as a traitor? Would the alums of Yale view you as someone not smart enough to get in freshman year who needed to backdoor? Would alums from both (and everyone else) view you as a never-satisfied complainer type and a prestige whore?

I am considering making such a transfer. Sincere advice greatly appreciated.

8 Comments
 
ChicagoBears1How would that be considered a backdoor? As far as I know, Yale's transfer rate is lower than their freshmen admission rate. Also, I don't think Dartmouth alums would consider you a traitor. There's no arguing that Yale>Dartmouth.

You are correct, it isn't a backdoor; Yale transfer admission (and most of the other Ivies) is generally even more difficult than freshman admission. However, most random alums/recruiters probably won't be aware of this, and their perception is all that really matters.

 

I think most people think that it's easier transfer than to get in as a freshman. However, it's actually tougher (statistically speaking). Like the above poster said, perception is everything, so even though you know that it's tougher to transfer, the people reading your resume might not.

 

who cares

even if you transfer from Cornell to Harvard it doesn't tell me anything

transfer from Cornell as a liberal arts major to MIT EE and then we can talk

 

I don't think it's that big a deal. I know someone who went from Cornell to Harvard... he didn't like the people at Cornell (but basically he didn't get into harvard originally... I went to HS with him and know that)... he ended up getting a sick job at a HF right out of school

 

if the question comes up with an interviewer, I'd just blame it on the fact that it was something to do with the geography. It makes a lot of sense to transfer out of columbia because "you wanted a more college-like experience", for example.... or to transfer out of Dartmouth because "hanover is just TOO remote", etc.

 
Best Response

Who cares what an interviewer might ask? I'm assuming you've thought this through and are transferring to be happier at one place over another, not because you are trying to get some sort of further advantage in recruiting - because all Ivies are already positioning you plenty well. If you have thought this through, there are no repercussions to explaining what factors made you happier at one place - not that it's really any of their business as so many personal factors go into college decisions.

Plus, when you transfer, you become a part of your new community. It almost improves your relationship with alumni from the new school because you are that much more able to relate to how awesome the new school is and why you felt compelled to transfer. The alumni of the old school become absolutely irrelevant to your other point. I know people who transferred to my school in their 2nd year (Ivy school) and they had no problems reaping the benefits of the alumni network and are fully plugged into their new alma mater's recruiting teams at their firms.

 

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