[aut0sh0cker]

Hey guys, I am thinking about transferring schools and I just wanted the opinion of the OT section!

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU VOTE

Background:

OK, I go to Brown University in the tiny ass city of Providence, RI. I chose this school because, well it was the best school I got into and wanted the prestige and job potential of attending an Ivy League school.

Putting the bullshit aside, I am not really happy here. I have friends here, good friend actually, but the fact of the matter is the school is just not right for me. It's too "different," and there is no other way to put it. On the other hand, my three best friends from high school (one who I have known for 15 years) will be at USC next year.

Two of them are already there and I have hung out with them on campus (parties, football games, etc) and to be honest, I really liked the whole atmosphere a lot more at USC. Plus the weather is perfect year round. Plus the chicks are way hotter and they, well, just party 'better' than us Ivy folks.

Pros:
-hang out with my best friends
-better college atmosphere
-better engineering program (I am a Mech. major)
-hotter chicks
-better (bigger) parties
-better football team
-better weather
-Los Angeles > Providence
-I get to go to e90post meets in Los Angeles

Cons:
-lower job potential
-less sense of self accomplishment
-more rigorous curriculum

>So do you think that I should do it and be happy, or am I just screwing myself for the future and nothing more?

[MoreCowbell]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

Hey guys, I am thinking about transferring schools and I just wanted the opinion of the OT section!

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU VOTE

Background:

OK, I go to Brown University in the tiny ass city of Providence, RI. I chose this school because, well it was the best school I got into and wanted the prestige and job potential of attending an Ivy League school.

Putting the bullshit aside, I am not really happy here. I have friends here, good friend actually, but the fact of the matter is the school is just not right for me. It's too "different," and there is no other way to put it. On the other hand, my three best friends from high school (one who I have known for 15 years) will be at USC next year.

Two of them are already there and I have hung out with them on campus (parties, football games, etc) and to be honest, I really liked the whole atmosphere a lot more at USC. Plus the weather is perfect year round. Plus the chicks are way hotter and they, well, just party 'better' than us Ivy folks.

Pros:
-hang out with my best friends
-better college atmosphere
-better engineering program (I am a Mech. major)
-hotter chicks
-better (bigger) parties
-better football team
-better weather
-Los Angeles > Providence
-I get to go to e90post meets in Los Angeles

Cons:
-lower job potential
-less sense of self accomplishment
-more rigorous curriculum

>So do you think that I should do it and be happy, or am I just screwing myself for the future and nothing more?

Why not Transfer to UCLA? Better school...and still near friends...

[vachss]

If you can cut it at an Ivy and have some ambition then I'd say you should stick it out at an Ivy. If you're so "not into it" and/or find it overly challenging then you might as well transfer since a 3.5 from USC will likely do you more good than a 2.x from Brown.

Other way to phrase the question: Are you going to college mostly for your brain or for your dick?

[mpimping]

isn't ucla better than USC? it would be much cheaper too... I met a hottie that went to USC while she was visiting friends in NJ. I left my cell in the car so I used her phone to call it but when I went to my car and looked at my phone I realized I should have waited a few more seconds before hanging up since there was no number there...

[mpimping]

I was under the impression that USC was full of rich kids that may have been smart but didn't reach their full potential.

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by vachss

If you can cut it at an Ivy and have some ambition then I'd say you should stick it out at an Ivy. If you're so "not into it" and/or find it overly challenging then you might as well transfer since a 3.5 from USC will likely do you more good than a 2.x from Brown.

Other way to phrase the question: Are you going to college mostly for your brain or for your dick?

Well to answer that question, I'm going to college to try to get a job in the financial sector. Now, with companies like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group, etc. they typically feed off the Ivy league for intern positions (without which, it is difficult to get a job). On the other hand, they require a 3.4 GPA to give you AN INTERVIEW! I am pretty confident that I can get above a 3.0 at Brown, but I can't say about a 3.4....

So there is the trade-off: I am confident I can get a 3.4 at USC, but if by some stroke of genius I can pull it off here at Brown, how much of a difference is that going to make in the grand scheme of things?

[mpimping]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

Well to answer that question, I'm going to college to try to get a job in the financial sector. Now, with companies like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group, etc. they typically feed off the Ivy league for intern positions (without which, it is difficult to get a job). On the other hand, they require a 3.4 GPA to give you AN INTERVIEW! I am pretty confident that I can get above a 3.0 at Brown, but I can't say about a 3.4....

So there is the trade-off: I am confident I can get a 3.4 at USC, but if by some stroke of genius I can pull it off here at Brown, how much of a difference is that going to make in the grand scheme of things?

try to get into an undergrad business school like penn or NYU Stern if you can.

[skierman64]

Are you a Freshman who has only been in school since August/September?

If so, you haven't been there long enough to get the full experience.

Stick it out for at least a year if not two and then make you decision when you have some more experience.

Plus, the hottness of the chicks should not even be a factor in your decision.

[Spaceman Spiff]

1- These are the few years that will have GREAT impact on your future. If you can make it @ Brown, stick it out, suffer and study hard. And remember your undergrad school and GPA (in business) are extremely important later when it comes to getting into grad school (if you go for MBA) or getting a job and the pay level (if you take some years off after graduation)

2- If you absolutely want to come to LA, UCLA is definitely the better option. It is ranked higher than USC in every ranking that I have seen at 1/5 the cost. USC is for those who have a lot of money but can't get into a better public school. The major you should be looking into at UCLA is Business/economics, with the econ part administered by UCLA dept. of econ and biz part admi'd by Anderson. It's a pre major @ UCLA meaning you have to transfer as a pre major and meet certain GPA and class grades to get into the major.

3- It is nonetheless a very bad market for a business degree and most ppl think it will remain so for more than a few years so gear up

[TofuTurkey]

I went to a less well-known university for my undergrad because my family can't afford it. That lesser reputation stayed with me quite a while in grad school, it took a lot of effort to overcome that.

The pro is that my drive is a lot more than those who had it easy. It takes longer, but ultimately people realized that what's important isn't where I was before, but who I am now.

This time-to-really-know-a-person is perhaps the most important thing in a career (IMHO). This is why references are important. It's also why interns who performed superbly during their internships won't have problems getting jobs after they graduate.

Bottom line:
1. Don't look down on people from universities of lower repute, I'll take one hardworking grad from those universities over any slob Ivy League kid any day.
2. A degree from a reputable college lasts at most a year, after that the advantage disappears. What matters is you yourself, your training, your will.
3. Look and plan long-term, where do you want to be ten-years later? Work towards that, it is possible to achieve that goal. This part of life occurs only once, don't screw it up just because of cute chicks.

[TiAg335i]

Take it from somebody who's been through this exact same situation and learned the hard way.

If you are doing well ACADEMICALLY at Brown....STAY THERE!!!

You're GPA and the degree you come out of college with is ultimately what matters, not friends or social life.

By just looking at your reasons to go to USC..the only valid one I see is "better engineering program (I am a Mech. major)"

Now, this is not neccesarily a good thing either, the engineering program could be a lot more rigorous and your grades will suffer. Think about it.

[mpimping]

just go to ucla or nyu. nyu has a lot of lonely rich girls...

[TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by mpimping

just go to ucla or nyu. nyu has a lot of lonely rich girls...

NYU > UCLA

NYC > LA

(sorry, just had to throw that in there, my brother went to NYU and I fell in love with the place).

[mpimping]

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

NYU > UCLA

NYC > LA

(sorry, just had to throw that in there).

lol la has earthquakes/fires ny might have another terrorist attack. The thing that I love about NYC is the hot European girls and NYU girls from out of town but most people from California that lived in NY would rather live in California. There are a lot of people that went to NYU and say that it's sucks... The undergraduate business program is where it's at but don't think the accept transfer students...

[TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by mpimping

lol la has earthquakes/fires ny might have another terrorist attack. The thing that I love about NYC is the hot european girls and NYU girls from out of town...

NYU girls are amazing...classy and sophisticated..

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

Well to answer that question, I'm going to college to try to get a job in the financial sector. Now, with companies like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone Group, etc. they typically feed off the Ivy league for intern positions (without which, it is difficult to get a job). On the other hand, they require a 3.4 GPA to give you AN INTERVIEW! I am pretty confident that I can get above a 3.0 at Brown, but I can't say about a 3.4....

So there is the trade-off: I am confident I can get a 3.4 at USC, but if by some stroke of genius I can pull it off here at Brown, how much of a difference is that going to make in the grand scheme of things?

I work on wall street. I made it to final round at Goldman...coming from Villanova..(did engineering and economics)...I basically was up against kids from Ivy's..harvard..yale..princeton...its real tough man...unfortunately did not get an offer....will try again next year though!

You have a great opportunity in that you go to Brown...if you can stick it out man....stick with the ivy...it will help you out alot getting your foot in the door, especially on "the street." After that...its all about your experience, the work you produce, and who you are as a person!! Best of luck man!

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by TofuTurkey

I went to a less well-known university for my undergrad because my family can't afford it. That lesser reputation stayed with me quite a while in grad school, it took a lot of effort to overcome that.

The pro is that my drive is a lot more than those who had it easy. It takes longer, but ultimately people realized that what's important isn't where I was before, but who I am now.

This time-to-really-know-a-person is perhaps the most important thing in a career (IMHO). This is why references are important. It's also why interns who performed superbly during their internships won't have problems getting jobs after they graduate.

Bottom line:
1. Don't look down on people from universities of lower repute, I'll take one hardworking grad from those universities over any slob Ivy League kid any day.
2. A degree from a reputable college lasts at most a year, after that the advantage disappears. What matters is you yourself, your training, your will.
3. Look and plan long-term, where do you want to be ten-years later? Work towards that, it is possible to achieve that goal. This part of life occurs only once, don't screw it up just because of cute chicks.

well said!

[mpimping]

if you have connections you might be able to get a job at blackstone or goldman and at brown that's where you get to meet a lot of people that could possibly help you in the future. I just think it's weird that you would want to transfer to USC from Brown because those companies have a handful of schools that hold weight...

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spiff

1- These are the few years that will have GREAT impact on your future. If you can make it @ Brown, stick it out, suffer and study hard. And remember your undergrad school and GPA (in business) are extremely important later when it comes to getting into grad school (if you go for MBA) or getting a job and the pay level (if you take some years off after graduation)

2- If you absolutely want to come to LA, UCLA is definitely the better option. It is ranked higher than USC in every ranking that I have seen at 1/5 the cost. USC is for those who have a lot of money but can't get into a better public school. The major you should be looking into at UCLA is Business/economics, with the econ part administered by UCLA dept. of econ and biz part admi'd by Anderson. It's a pre major @ UCLA meaning you have to transfer as a pre major and meet certain GPA and class grades to get into the major.

3- It is nonetheless a very bad market for a business degree and most ppl think it will remain so for more than a few years so gear up

Very true, although I have had a few extended discussions with my roommate's dad (who founded a company that now handles around 5% of all options traded on Wall St) and he and his associates think that a rebound in the entire sector in around 3-4 years is in order. This may just happen to coincide with my graduation... who knows? If not, I will actually USE my engineering degree for engineering lol

BTW, the thing about the girls/parties probably ranks lower on my list than even the e90post opinion as far as my ultimate decision is concerned...

Any ways, I appreciate all of your input!

[kgb1637]

I went to a lesser known school and you'd be surprised how easily it is to blend with those people once your done school. Now, granted if you know people who work in higher places then you're better off than most, but whatever school you go to you do have to work hard and no matter what happens you'll do fine. If money is the most important thing to you after college then you have to factor that into it. I enjoyed being away from my friends because that meant plenty of roadtrips to see them.

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by kgb1637

I went to a lesser known school and you'd be surprised how easily it is to blend with those people once your done school. Now, granted if you know people who work in higher places then you're better off than most, but whatever school you go to you do have to work hard and no matter what happens you'll do fine. If money is the most important thing to you after college then you have to factor that into it. I enjoyed being away from my friends because that meant plenty of roadtrips to see them.

3,000 mile road trips??? lol

[mpimping]

just finish the year and weigh your options...