Transfer or stick it out??

I go to Williams but I absolutely hate it. It's in the middle of nowhere and socially it is a nightmare. I was able to get an internship at a local boutique IB this summer and I know Williams is good in the finance circles but I just can't stand it. My end goal is west coast tech IB. I am seriously considering transferring to USC or Berkeley. Is this a dumb move? Obviously my dream is Stanford but as a transfer it is nearly impossible.

So my question is:

  1. Am I dumb for transferring? Will it screw up recruiting? Do I just suck it up?
  2. Where should I look to transfer? I have a 3.8 from Williams so I know a decent amount of places could potentially accept me as a transfer. Doesn't have to be west coast schools but it is logical because I want tech M&A.
15 Comments
 

It's hard to respond to a theoretical.

A better bet would be to see where you are accepted and then ask for advice.

Don't be afraid to take leaps of faith though if you feel like it's the right thing to do.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

I go to USC. If you apply to transfer, you will 99% get in. Our transfer acceptance rate is like 30%, and a bunch of that is community college kids with 3.7s. It's actually insane. I can answer other questions about USC as well if you have anything specific to ask. I would say that from what I've heard, USC is much better than Berkeley both socially and in terms of not killing yourself to get a 3.7, but obviously I only know this from one side.

 

Thanks for replying. I actually do have a couple of questions

  1. Would I apply to USC and then have to transfer internally into Marshall or can I apply directly to Marshall?
  2. How is it socially for transfers?
 
Most Helpful
  1. Idk for certain, but like 90% sure you can transfer directly to marshall. This should be pretty easy to find online
  2. Did you just finish your freshman year at Williams? If so, what year would you transfer to USC? I'm pretty sure the apps are closed for this year so are you planning a year off? Cuz transferring after sophomore year is pretty worthless for recruiting. If you plan to transfer in as a sophomore, I'd have a few suggestions.

- if you have any friends from high school or elsewhere at USC, hang w them and meet people through them. You mention you want to do west coast tech banking. Are you from the west coast, and have lots of friends at usc? - rush (this is a big one, especially if you're a guy and want to go to parties, not sure if you care about that, but also to make a ton of friends quickly)

 

I feel like you'd have a slightly more difficult time recruiting at massive universities like USC / Berkeley where competition is likely higher versus a small, elite LACs like Williams. Your happiness is obviously paramount though.

 

At the point where you're applying to transfer, can't hurt to apply to the East Coast targets too. I know that HYPW/Chicago/MIT/Stern place well into west coast groups, plus you have added prestige and smaller class size than USC/UCB, which leads to a more direct ability to recruit across the board without needing to be in a super competitive club (which you likely would have needed to get into freshman/sophomore year).

 

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