Q&A: Non-target to target transfer; BB IB & buyside offers

Hi everyone, this site provided immeasurable help in my journey to break into finance. I realize this post may only apply to a small group of monkeys, but I think I can be most helpful by discussing my transfer process and decision to switch schools at the undergrad level. Since the deadline for applications is past due and decisions come out within the next month, my post focuses more on the decision than the application aspect, but I am happy to answer all questions.

My story

I became interested in business and finance during my senior year in high school, but my freshmen through junior year grades were terrible. Despite crushing standardized tests, I got rejected by all the top undergrad business programs. During my freshmen year, I attended a top 100 school and had a great experience there, meeting many upperclassmen who were incredibly influential in my development. I threw in some applications to schools in the top 5-25 within the rankings but after getting accepted, I was nervous about the prospect of throwing away a year and starting from scratch. On the final day that I had to put down my deposit, I made a gut decision to accept. I immediately focused on hitting the ground running, both from a social and career development aspect. After arriving, I was in disbelief about the quality, quantity, and passion of student-run groups on campus. Getting deeply involved helped me make friends and assimilate quickly, but took a toll on my GPA. During finance recruitment, nearly every BB and consulting firm recruited at our campus, so the process of landing a front-office role was straightforward but challenging nonetheless (I'll be doing IB).

My advice

The network, recruiting, quality of student groups, interesting/intelligent students, and brand value of being at a top school are immeasurable. If you have the choice, take it and don't look back*.

The downside

Being at a non-target forces you to know more and hustler harder than everyone else. There is far great personal reward and pressure to improve by being an underdog. I did not understand the importance of this until I switched schools. *If you do switch, protect this mentality at all costs.