Andale

Here is the answer from one school (happens to be Stanford): As you can see, you would apply as a transfer as you have been enrolled full-time at a college after leaving high school; despite the fact that you earned no credits. I think most schools will look at it this way, but you will have to check the websites (or make phone calls) to each one you are considering.

mikeysoundtrack

Andale:

I'm applying to UNC-CH for the fall 2008 semester. I got my AA degree from the local Comm Coll with a 3.7 gpa. I have 3 letters of rec from prof there. my HS gpa is crap. I went to CC out of HS and did crappy as well. I moved, went to the comm coll I graduated from recently and did crappy once again. I took 6 years off school and went back to obtain the AA that I have now.

I have retaken any grades below a B and haven't made lower than an A in the 3 semesters and a summer since my return.

Is my past going to screw my goal to gain acceptance?

Do I have any better chance being almost 30 years old and married?

jellybean1241

I was enrolled entirely in lecture classes my first semester of freshman year, and i just recently decided to transfer. there isn't enough time to obtain recs from professors, since the deadline for the college i am hoping to transfer is in just a few weeks. also, since i was in mostly lecture courses, and i didn't have TA's for any, i can't obtain any rec's. is this going to greatly hurt my chances?

entomom

jelly, a few weeks may be plenty of time for recs, depending on your prof's schedules. The CA and most transfer applications I've see require instructor recs. I'm not sure why you say that you can't obtain ANY recs. Even though they may not be as good as you'd like, they will likely be better received than turning in nothing or sending HS teacher recs.

sfjohson

would it be a smart idea to send a mid-year report to schools which do not require it so they know you are retaining the grades from the first semester? Is that overkill?

Andale

I think they will assume you are going to stay on the same track. But it probably can't hurt except those few schools which strongly discourage submitting supplementary materials.

redsexton

Can anyone offer an opinion on this? I'm from Ireland and recently applied as a first year to a number of colleges in the US. Although I have been to college over here twice... Basically, in 2004 I went to college for a year. I hated the course and left to go to another college. I couldn't transfer as I was moving to a small private college to study something completely unrelated. The course was accelerated and lasted less than a year. Bear in mind, I graduated 2 years ago.

I emailed numerous colleges and asked if I should apply as a Transfer or Firstie. The majority said all internationals had to apply as firsties. The rest said that as I was out of college two years and spent less than a year in each course (by the way, I didn't get a degree, it was an AA equivalent), they wouldn't be able to transfer my credits, so I had to apply as a first year.

I didn't mind, but if anything, it made my life more difficult as I had to get in touch with school teachers (I finished school 4 years ago) and even get recs from a principal who never met me. Everyone at my high school has been AMAZING, good luck letters, everything.

I forwarded on any info I could find from my colleges, to bulk up my application. College reports, AA Diploma, transcripts, etc.

Then one of the colleges throws a massive curve ball at me last night in an email. As I attended uni I have to submit info from them. As I said in my reply email, all I needed to send was a rec from my prof in my first college, cos I sent them everything else. I'm waiting for a reply back as I know she is going to make me have my professor fill out the common application forms. I can't believe this is happening. I worked so hard on my first year application. I also work full time but thankfully have alot of my common application for transfers done as I suspected something like this might happen. The thing that upsets me the most, is that this is the college I want the most. I know I would fit in there, but now I'm starting to think that maybe this is their way of giving me the brush off.

What do you guys think? Sorry for the long post, but I know very little about transferring and needed to vent.

entomom

Don't blame you for venting, the transfer process is difficult enough as it is, you don't need someone to change the rules in the middle. Do you have any emails or remember who you talked to when you made you initial inquiries? With anything administrative, you can sometimes get different answers depending on who you talk to. If you can present your case nicely and in detail, they might be lenient. Good luck!

rutgersmamma

Andale, I'm seeking information on transferring to UNC for niece, an OOS applicant hoping to transfer in as a sophomore, deferred EA, ultimately rejected as HS senior. She ended up at a very well-respected LAC which she likes very much but still wants to pursue her 'dream' school. Had a 4.0 gpa first semester while pursuing her best sport at the college level, so she has proven she can handle challenging college work. They will still have her file, right? Or, will she have to resubmit her SAT's, h.s. transcript, etc. Do they refer to the h.s. recs, ECs, etc.?

As is common at LACs, all courses receive 1 credit and students only take 4 classes per semester. UNC states on their website that students coming in must have 30 credits from their first year in order to be considered sophomores. Will her courses transfer as 3 or 4 credits courses, giving her the required amount? Can't imagine they would only give her 1 credit for each, giving her a total of 8?? Most of the classes had recitations or labs, so I'm thinking they are comparable to the traditional 3-4 credit classes. Any words of wisdom for success?

diormenot

I'm also applying as a transfer to UNC after having applied my senior year of HS, they told me to resubmit everything but maybe that's because I'm a college sophomore now. The admissions office is pretty helpful for such a huge school, I would call them =). Good luck to your niece!!

entomom

rutgers,
All schools are different, but from what I've seen most don't keep application materials from one year to the next. You should call UNC and see what their policy is. Since she is transferring as a sop, yes, they will refer to her HS record as well as grades, recs and ECs in college.

Also ask them about the transfer credits, but I think they will likely match the descriptions from her LAC courses with UNC courses and give her the equivilent number of credits.

lydia_paramita

Hi, I have urgent questions about dean's recommendation.. I know that dean's rec shouldn't be like professor's rec, but in this case, the colleges that I'm applying to are asking for my attitude, leadership, relation with peers, etc, etc which are more like recommendation letter.

The problem is, my dean refused to write me the "good standing" statement (because he doesn't know me well) and told me to ask my professor to fill those "recommendation" part before I give my Dean the form for him to sign. What should I do???

Andale

It is best to ask specific questions on separate threads. You are unlikely to get much notice for such qx on this thread and it is also best to leave this as a more General Reference thread.

I will repost your qx, alpha, on its own thread. lydia has already done so with hers.

alpharosean

I must confess to some curiosity as to the matter of the customary question: something like "Have you previously applied to **** for a bachelor's degree?"
Whatever do they need to know that for?!! Does it matter in determing one's admission? If yes and I was admitted once but didn't accept it, they would know that I must reject them again so wouldn't bother to consider my application again? Still, they should have the courtesy to extend admission...or consideration since I paid $$.
And what if yes, applied before, but didn't get in? Would they give me preference this time? I think not. It's so unfair.

alpharosean

update:
I've just read this: "..., previously unsuccessful transfer candidates should be aware that competition for transfer places is 'consistent' and that chances for acceptance upon re-application are small."
Does this mean they will tend to disregard the rejectees?
I've been worried that I end up applying to the same universities next year... well, then I would have to lie and apply as a first-time applicant