Is it Crazy to Transfer? Cornell to UF.

If you want to live in Florida long term, transfer to UF otherwise Cornell is much more likely to get you where you want to go.  Both have had shitty football teams...

Agree with @CRE. If it was the reverse order of party for 2 years at University of Florida and then transfer to Cornell then this would probably make more sense. But you’re already most of the way there to having an Ivy League degree. After your first or second job no one is going to care about your summer internship experience but the Cornell brand/network/pedigree stay with you for life.

The only exception I would make is if you truly want to spend most of your life living in FL. Cornell is opening more doors than University of Florida in most parts of the country. 

It is absolutely crazy from a career standpoint. It is not necessarily crazy from an overall life experience standpoint.

Take out a loan for $20k - $40k. Use the money money to travel to UF on the weekends, go on spring break with your buddies, travel wherever, etc. Thank yourself in 5 years when you're making an extra 6 figures a year from your Cornell degree and avoiding spending 6 figures on an MBA to improve your resume because you graduated from UF.

Additionally, take a semester (or a whole year if they allow you, most schools do) to study abroad in a party city like Barcelona, Hong Kong, Bangkok, etc. while remaining under the Cornell umbrella. 

Exception to this would be if your end goal is to just work for a local developer in Florida the rest of your life

I recommend finishing the degree at Cornell. Florida is a huge state for hospitality obviously, and you already have that strong internship on resume. I went to a party school in Florida (you can likely guess where) and have had a very fortunate career path. That said, some of my hardest partying has been after college. Don’t let your momentary social desires guide a decision that has an effect on the rest of your life. Not to say UF would be a detriment to your career, but you may as well finish out pursuing an Ivy degree. Miami isn’t for everyone but you could easily get a great role there and have no shortage of social life. Undergrad is 4 years and you’re almost done. Your career is ~40.

I just graduated from Cornell so I know what you're getting at socially, and I know what you're getting at in terms of already extracting the value you wanted from Cornell. I would keep in mind though that you've already completed half of Cornell and are two years from getting that diploma – two years you can enjoy without recruitment pressure.

On the one hand yes life and especially college is short so you should make the most of it, but I could see you waking up in two years having partied your ass off but realizing it was a pretty shallow and hedonistic decision. The Cornell degree isn't just for getting an internship when you're 20 years old, it's for life really. When I got some free time on my hands and finished recruitment I tried to meet different people and take interesting classes. Not to be disparaging to UF but there are some very smart people and professors at Cornell who you can learn a lot from. 

Do you want to look back on the next two years and know you had as much fun as possible or invested as much in yourself as possible basically.

Honestly, if you've already landed a reputable SA '27 hotel PE internship, you've captured a huge portion of the career value that motivated you to attend Cornell in the first place.

That said, I'd still be hesitant to transfer.

You only have two years left, and one of those years will be heavily consumed by your junior summer internship and full-time recruiting. The question is whether the disruption of transferring, rebuilding your social circle, adjusting academically, and potentially giving up the Cornell network is worth it for what is realistically 12-18 months of college life.

Also, be careful not to confuse "I have fun when I visit UF" with "I'd be happier living there full-time." Visiting friends for a weekend and being a student there are very different experiences.

My view: if you're genuinely miserable at Cornell, transfer. Life is too short to spend years somewhere you dislike. But if you're simply bored and experiencing some FOMO when you see friends having a blast at UF, I'd probably stay put, finish strong, leverage the Cornell brand for the rest of your career, and enjoy Gainesville whenever you visit.

You've already won the game professionally. Don't make the decision based solely on prestige, but don't underestimate how valuable it is to have Cornell on your resume and alumni network for the next 40 years versus the next 2.

Grass is always greener. You will most likely regret transferring and realize there are elements to cornell you enjoyed

Is two years of partying worth being viewed as a loser the rest of your life? Not saying I agree but that is the sentiment on Wall Street.

The only reason I would consider transferring is if you see yourself in Florida long-term and are looking to find your partner at school. From a career perspective - it makes no sense.

Personally, I feel like that would be a huge mistake and you would eventually regret it. The last 4/5 hires at my company were Cornell graduates and two years is not a long time to stick it out. Getting shitfaced for two years is not a valid reason to transfer

Graduate from Cornel UG. Work in NYC where you will actually have more fun than college. IMO. Then go to UF for MBA. Where do you want to live after school? That’s a big factor.

Just graduated from UF's business school. Had a great experience and landed a gig at a public REIT. The "reputation" of UF is pretty damn strong, top 5 public university and one of the nation's best RE programs. UF was a no brainer for me, even as a Virginian- ended up being cheaper than what UVa would've been. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the finance/RE classes- would be more than happy to give you insight if you want.

Just graduated from UF and landed a job at a REIT. PM me if you have any questions about academics or social life- loved my time at UF. 

Already stated multiple times, but absolutely stay at Cornell to get the diploma and study abroad at least once.

Also, don’t count your chickens before they hatch in regard to your 2027 internship. Transferring could risk losing the internship - you mean nothing to the firm before it starts and are absolutely replaceable.

One of my friends hated the scene at our college, so after enjoying a semester abroad junior year and with his return offer from a BB in hand, he opted to spend spring semester senior year at a european business school. He showed up the week of graduation with epic stories from - and an expanded network of European colleagues he has leveraged to this day. Probably not a bad call.

Other thing to consider - perhaps you can do a “semester abroad” in Gainesville. You should see if you can take some courses during football season that could transfer.

Looking at your resume with Cornell to UF, I’d think you did something to get kicked out of Cornell. Employers may hesitate. 

Study abroad and do lots of UF/ nyc trips 

The only people on planet earth who would try to equate a UF degree with a Cornell degree are UF grads.  Flush the idea, severely chastise yourself for such a momemtary lapse in judgement and get the Cornell degree.  Even raising the question kind of makes me skeptical of your judgment which means you might need the extra prestige even more than most.   

I’m not sure what the big deal is. They’re both state schools. 

Take it from someone who went to an SEC school far superior to UF (go dawgs) - is it fun? Hell yes. Would I trade it for a Cornell degree? Hell yes.