A Few Questions (+Chances)

Transfer Students
1

<p>So my mom has decided that she is going to pay for 4 applications for me, so obviously I want to apply to only 4 schools which cost me money, but I want to get into some quality schools, but I don’t want to apply to 4 schools too hard that I won’t get into any.</p>

<p>Stats:
ACT: 34
HS GPA: 4.0 unweighed (2nd in class)
Enough extracurricular stuff to get me into USC, Tufts, and Berkeley from out of state; and get me waitlisted->rejected at northwestern, and flat out rejected at Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth.</p>

<p>Going to college at SUNY-Geneseo (very well respected public liberal arts college)
Class: Freshman
GPA: 3.59 (it was a 3.7ish but my mom had health problems right around finals time, should I mention that on an application?)
Extra: Research (have my own project), will be volunteering at a hospital this semester.</p>

<p>I’m applying to USC (which is free for me because they can just reopen my app), Brandeis (free online app), and pick 4: Cornell (CLAS (in a NY res)), Duke, UNC, UChicago (really like it there, prob somewhere i want to go), Stanford, and idk, I’m open to suggestions.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

2

<p>USC: Match
Cornell: High Reach
Duke: Low Reach
Stanford: No Chance
UChicago: High Reach with brilliant essays
Brandeis: Match
UNC: Match</p>

<p>Your HS record is impressive, but keep in mind that your college transcript is most important. If you’re keen on transferring, wait a year and boost your GPA, as it’s about the bare minimum for competitive schools.</p>

3

<p>I don’t particularly want to wait a year, as if I stay where I am now, I will graduate in 3 years, and I feel it would be useless to transfer with a year left.</p>

4

<p>are you into LACs? Kenyon is a free application, as is Smith College (all female school). Or, Oberlin College ($35 app fee) or Amherst ($65)? I also recommend looking into Swarthmore, Vassar, Wesleyan (probably all of those have app fees)</p>

<p>If you’re looking for a more reputable national university, how about WashU (i think $60)? WashU seems to be transfer-friendly. What about reapplying to Tufts (i think $60)? Good luck!</p>

5

<p>I don’t know if I’m in to LAC’s, I’m already at one, and I think it’s a bit small, but Amherst’s “open curriculum” has always enticed me. I don’t know. I thought I was all done with this stuff last year ugh.</p>

6

<p>Your college GPA is fine, fine, fine. Don’t know whether it’s a good idea to “apologize” for it in an essay; but if you feel you want to draft something up and have someone look at it and give an opinion, I’d be happy to.</p>

<p>Sounds like you should include UChicago, since it seems to be one you like very much - gotta give it a try. Really try to get those essays to convey who you are and why Chicago. I personally wouldn’t discourage you from anywhere; but narrowing it down to four should likely be your own top choices. Now, Stanford has a really really really low transfer acceptance rate, so the odds are not with you. Yet, if you want to give it a try, do so just recognizing the poor odds for anyone.</p>

<p>Here are some important questions in my mind. Why did you NOT go to any of those other schools which accepted you last year? What is about SUNY-Geneseo that you don’t like (you’ve already mentioned maybe to LAC-y/small?)? What is the money factor? Will you qualify for need-based aid (if so, you need to check the policies of the schools in meeting need <em>for transfers</em>)? Are you seeking merit aid (hope not, only because it is so limited for transfers)? Would you be content to stay at Geneseo if your transfer apps don’t work out? If not, make sure you have some safeties. I wouldn’t generally consider any of those schools safe, although some may be since you were accepted previously - but maybe not.</p>

<p>For recommending other schools, I’d like to hear what that research project is about and what major(s) you have in mind.</p>

<p>PS Would you qualify for application fee waivers?</p>

<p>Great good luck to you.</p>

7

<p>You could look into getting fee waivers for your app.</p>

8

<p>Andale:</p>

<p>Here are some important questions in my mind. Why did you NOT go to any of those other schools which accepted you last year? </p>

<p>USC and Berkeley: They were too far away and I wasn’t quite ready to make the jump all the way across the country, but I think I am okay with that now.</p>

<p>Tufts: The language requirement, I just couldn’t deal with that, I can deal with a class or two, but not 6 classes in a language, that was a deal-breaker for me.</p>

<p>What is about SUNY-Geneseo that you don’t like (you’ve already mentioned maybe to LAC-y/small?)? </p>

<p>Yeah, it is very LAC, and I guess the biggest problem is that even though it’s a school of 5000 kids, I still feel like just a number; I’ve never actually met my advisor, which is just weird. I also want more of a research atmosphere.</p>

<p>What is the money factor?</p>

<p>Not an issue.</p>

<p>Will you qualify for need-based aid (if so, you need to check the policies of the schools in meeting need <em>for transfers</em>)? </p>

<p>Well, my EFC last year was 75k, so no, I don’t think so</p>

<p>Are you seeking merit aid (hope not, only because it is so limited for transfers)?</p>

<p>It would be a plus, but I’m not expecting any</p>

<p>Would you be content to stay at Geneseo if your transfer apps don’t work out? </p>

<p>Yeah, it’s not like I NEED to get out of Geneseo, if I stay I will graduate in 3 years, which is a nice plus, and I have some quality friends there; but I would like to go some place a little “better”</p>

<p>If not, make sure you have some safeties. I wouldn’t generally consider any of those schools safe, although some may be since you were accepted previously - but maybe not.</p>

9

<p>bump 10char</p>

10

<p>I’m also looking to transfer, and I’m looking at many of the same schools (Brandeis is looking good from what I’m reading). Your stats are better than mine. IIRC, Chicago has a 20-ish percent acceptance rate for transfers. You’d have a chance with good essays, though it’s almost a crapshoot. Brandeis, UNC, and USC are all solid matches (I’d guess you’d get into 1-2/3. Have you looked at UVA?</p>

11

<p>BigEast - sorry if I missed it. Do you have a planned major? What was your research project about?</p>

12

<p>Umm… Well right now I’m a math major/chem minor, but I would probably change that to a double major if i transferred, unless I went to Cornell CALS where i would probably try to get into AEM but more likely end up in Food Science, which I would be okay with.</p>

<p>My research was botanically related, growing grass under a variety of circumstances, I could go into more detail if you want, but I feel like it would look especially good to a school like Cornell CALS, and just decent to other schools.</p>

13

<p>bump again</p>