Transfer or gut it out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone care about your college GPA?

Grad school usually looks at the last 2 years GPA only.

I was a general Bio major undergrad and had so-so grades only in the first 2 years due to all the huge lecture classes, non-specialized and the Organic Chem/Physics, etc.

Once I hit junior year and the courses were all in my interest of microbiology and immunology--I had almost straight As.

I got a teaching stipend and grad school paid for.

Yes. College grades, of course matter, for grad school, med school and law school programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After serious academic struggle due to health issues, is it better to gut it out and graduate from a “top school” (with a lower GPA - B-) or transfer to a lower ranked school and get a fresh start and chance at a higher gpa at a lower ranked school?

Long term goal is admission to business or law school.

Our only interest is child’s health and well-being. Student is confused and not sure what to do. Taking extended time off to focus on health.

If the university is not a good fit and is contributing to your student's health issues, the rest is irrelevant. Transfer. The student will perform better when in an environment they prefer. More important, this gives the student leeway to focus on their health, which, as you point out, unambiguously comes first. Lawyers are snobs, but for law school ADMISSIONS, a higher GPA and high LSAT score matter more. It's not the status of the undergrad institution that matters so much as the law school. And I know and have worked with TONS of lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Is the college trying to be supportive? One of the advantages of a lot of top-ranked schools is that they have the resources to help students through hard times.

One of the disadvantages is that a lot of top ranked schools is that they can be pressure cookers.

I had a classmate who spent a semester or two at a less-intense school after she got some hard medical news. She was glad for the slower pace while she adjusted but eventually returned (and went to law school after she graduated)

[Anonymous]

Wow, IDK but the little I know about law school admissions boils down to GPA + LSAT = rank of law school you can attend. A highly ranked undergrad may impress lawyers, but the bearer of the low GPA from that school may not be able to get into a highly ranked law school. If the kid is really interested in business or law school, I might be suggesting the transfer in order to raise the GPA. Or accept what is dealt.

[Anonymous]

Lawyers are snobs, but for law school ADMISSIONS, a higher GPA and high LSAT score matter more. It's not the status of the undergrad institution that matters so much as the law school.

This. As someone who gutted it out at a college that did no favors for my mental health, I don't think you should base the decision on the school ranking. Every time I have made a decision based on prestige, I have regretted it. Do what feels right. If there is a school where she would be happier and healthier, that is absolutely worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

first jobs definitely care about your GPA. my daughter sees tons of resumes each year and some of them don't make it past a glance at the GPA.

if you are going through recruiting at your school, employers will specify what GPA is required.

so, yes, college GPA does matter when you are just getting out.

[Anonymous]

Also, because grades matter for law school, possibly consider an easier major at the same school. It does not matter what you major in for law school, I am not knowledgeable about business school. I have know students that intentionally took the easiest undergrad major available to get perfect grades to get into top law schools.

[Anonymous]

I'm in higher ed. Top schools tend to have more grade inflations and professors are definitely encouraged to give a gentleperson's B- minus to a student who is struggling but makes some attempt to pass classes. It's possible the student would have a higher gpa at a different school, but I wouldn't count on that.

It's a tough situation and something the student should be working through with their mental health providers. They might also want to consider taking a leave to focus on mental health and then either deciding to return or transfer or do something else entirely. I'm wary of the idea that an easier school will fix everything, but definitely the student should be putting their mental health first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, because grades matter for law school, possibly consider an easier major at the same school. It does not matter what you major in for law school, I am not knowledgeable about business school. I have know students that intentionally took the easiest undergrad major available to get perfect grades to get into top law schools.

+1 This is a good strategy for the academic part.

[Anonymous]

Were the health issues isolated and now resolved? I guess I'm concerned about what happens long-term for this young person. This school may be harmful to their overall health, but they are planning a trajectory of a tough advanced degree. Clearly, we don't know the entire situation, but I get concerned about students who think if they change one external factor everything else will fall into place.

[Anonymous]

Lower ranked college doesn’t mean it is easier to get higher GPA.
Let him get a year off and recharge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Keep in mind the whole fallacy that "top ranked" schools are harder than or better than lower ranked ones. Just dropping to another school might not necessarily be easier. (especially if there is mental health issue that follows the student)

+1 I agree with this. My friend's son is dealing with that now--transferred to a really low ranking school and the classes are harder.

I also went to a junior college before transferring to UCLA, and while UCLA was plenty hard, the junior college was actually harder.

[Anonymous]

OP, have your DC work with the college’s disabilities office to see what accommodations can be put in place (extended time, flexibility for attendance) and assign a caseworker if DC has a documented medical condition that impacts ability to attend or participate in the class and keep up with the work. Having that support can help reduce penalties for absences, late submissions etc.

[Anonymous]

"It's not the status of the undergrad institution that matters so much as the law school. And I know and have worked with TONS of lawyers."

You may have worked with tons of lawyers but evidently, you haven't read the Hopwood case. Applicants at top law schools are dinged for having attended weak colleges or for a noncompetitive major in favor of applicants with similar GPAs at prestigious schools. Hopwood's file was moved from the "presumptive admission" group to the
"discretionary zone" despite her strong GPA at a Cal State and a community college she'd transferred from.

"Once Johanson (The faculty chair of the UT Austin Law admissions committee) determined which files were in the presumptive admission
category, he conducted a preliminary review of the files. (footnote 23) By the end of
the admissions process, Johanson reviewed 300 to 350 resident files and 200 to
250 nonresident files in this category. Johanson, vol. 3 at 32-35. In his
review of these files, Johanson checked to see if the applicant's TI ("Texas Index" score, which is a composite of GPA and LSAT) was
inflated by high grades in a noncompetitive major or at a weak school or if
there was some other questionable feature of the applicant's file. Johanson
generally held those files for further review in the discretionary zone.
Johanson dropped approximately ten percent of the presumptive admission
applicants into the discretionary category. Those applicants with a high TI
reflecting a high LSAT and high grades in a rigorous major at a leading
undergraduate institution were admitted by Johanson, who had unilateral
authority to admit any applicant in this category without further consultation
with the full admissions committee. D-362."

https://tarltonapps.law.utexas.edu/rare/documents/hopwood_district_courts_decision.pdf

[Anonymous]

Lawyers are indeed snobs, but there are many burned out ex-lawyers from T14 schools and many lawyers with rewarding careers who went to lower-tier law schools in their local area. What happens with DD’s health may well affect how she wants to approach her career. It just doesn’t make sense to make this decision now.