Is it worth transfering from recent college to top 50 public universities in us?

[JPH]

Hi

I'm university student, and currently I went to university in Korea.(I'm sophomore now)

I want to pursue phd degree in the states, but I know that the prestigiousness of undergraduate college can affect the admission of phd. I didn't went to top university in Korea and not many of my school's students go to study abroad.

So these days, I'm considering to transfer to one of the public universities in states such as UW-madison, U of minnesota, penn state, and ohio state. I'm not considering private ones because it's too expensive. So here's my questions.

 

1. Basically, the thing I'm really worring about is about the cost. I know the tuition is way expensive.(even though it is less than private ones) So I wonder if it's possible for transfer students to get financial aid or scholarships. (I have an american citzenship. I was born in there, but I came to Korea when I was a little kid )

 

2. It's really hard to be accpeted in top phd programs. And people told me it's nearly impossible for me to get in there at my circumstance. Do you think I can make it to less of a long shot by transfering to above universities? Of course, I have to really study hard and be prepared for applying to top universities. Well, I'm not sure if I can get good recommendataion from professors at transfer university. Is there anybody who transfered and accpeted into top phd programs? Please tell me about what you think.

 

Thank you in advance.

[tm_member]

1. I'm not an expert, but as a citizen, yes, generally you will have access to aid.

 

2. Doing well at the kinds of schools you mentioned will make you competitive for top programs. This includes getting A's in intermediate econ and math classes, impressing people enough to get strong letters of recommendation, and getting a great GRE score.