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Hi,
I'm currently a 2nd-year management student at MIT. I'm applying to transfer to UVa for the spring term.

Many reasons for doing so - most importantly, I just don't feel like I fit in here at MIT, I like business and the liberal arts and hate engineering/math/science. The social scene at MIT isn't good (despite the frats); probably from all the strange people that they accept. And I'm gonna be honest - MIT doesn't have a wide selection of hot girls (yeah, I do wanna have a good college life). Second, UVa is so much closer to home (Va Beach) and allows me to have a home life (I have come to find that I'm a very home body). Third, I feel like studying at a school that is not hardcore difficult (UVa is hard but nowhere even close to MIT) will give me a well balanced life (so I'm not trying to fend off assignments all day and all night. I'm the kind of person that wants to spend some time studying, but I also want to have time to continue my hobbies (pistol and work and get some cash) and start new things (wanna start DJing and breakdancing) along the way, and definitely do my share of partying. I also want some time to start up my own business. Classes at MIT seem to soak up all of my time and leave none for me to blend what I've learned with my creativity and apply it to real life.

I know what a lot of you might ask...you're at such a great school, why would you take a step down and transfer from MIT down to UVa. I've given it some thought, but I've found UVa's business program to be really good (rated among the top undergrad business programs). UVa graduates are placed many times better than MIT business graduates. And moreover, it's more about what you are yourself.

With rankings all aside, UVa also offers closer professor-student relationships. Here at MIT, it's like pulling teeth to get someone to help you - you're either really smart and get it OR you struggle like crazy.

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think I should do? What should I evaluate to come to a decision?

By Apacolypse (Apacolypse) on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 04:36 am: Edit

I was really scattered when I wrote my reply on the UVA thread. Hopefully, this is better.

It seems like you've given this a lot of thought, and if you want a college experience that includes an awesome social life, The University of Virginia is the place. I like to call it "a party school for smart people." I definitely studied hard while at school, but I also partied hard too. When I was still a student, I volunteered at the Admissions Office and helped out with orientation. So, I got to be friends w/ a lot of transfer students. Of the ones I got to know, they came from Cornell, Michigan, William & Mary, NYU, McGill & SUNY Binghampton, and the thing that they liked about UVA was the balanced collegiate experience, among other reasons.

Strangely enough to your particular situation, I also got to know Eric Jao, who was a DJ while he was at UVA's McIntire School of Commerce. He won the DMC Championship last year, therefore earning the title of "#1 DJ in America." He goes by DJ Enferno. Click here for more info:

http://www.thedjlist.com/djs/ENFERNO/

I also became friends w/ a guy named Saji, who started the breakdancing club at UVA in 2000.

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=3150&pid=538

If you want, I can email you Eric's & Saji's email addresses if you'd like first-hand advice.

Plus, I'm sure it helps that you'll also be saving money w/ in-state tuition.

As for the business school, I know it's a very good program, and many/most McIntire students have a job lined up upon graduation.

By Celebrian23 (Celebrian23) on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 09:01 am: Edit

Can i ask one question: why did you go to a tech school if liberal arts is what you like?

By Thinkingoutloud (Thinkingoutloud) on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 05:05 pm: Edit

Littlehelp, you have expressed logical reasons to transfer. MIT is known as an engineering school. It's prestige does not attach as much to students graduating with business or liberal arts degrees even though MIT has a number of excellent non-engineering programs. Thus, you will not be losing much name recognition by transferring to UVA.