Chance a prospective ecology student (Fall 2025) [TX resident, transfer applicant, <$18k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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1

Asian American Male, lower class
US Citizen
Texas
Community College student
Aiming to transfer fall 2025

Prospective transfer student in ecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology or biology (general)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.35
Weighted HS GPA: 5.5/7
College GPA: 4.0
Class Rank: 85/612
ACT/SAT Scores: 1450 SAT

Coursework
13 AP courses, including Biology & Environmental Science.
College coursework to include physics 1&2, chem 1&2, ochem 1&2, calc 1&2, bio 1&2, molecular biology and geology

Awards
Distinguished delegate - model UN
AP Scholar with Distinction

Extracurriculars
Full time worker (40hrs/week)
Summer internship with an elephant sanctuary in Thailand studying elephant behavior.
Summer internship with a local zoo on elephant conservation.
Participant in the conservation committee for a professional organization specializing in elephant management.
Founder of my CC’s ecology club.
Published articles on elephant conservation and historical population trends (not research papers).

Essays/LORs/Other
Recommendation letters from two biology professors and my geology professor, potentially also my chemistry and math professors.

I believe myself to be an incredibly competent writer who can demonstrate interest in ecology & conservation, as well as elephant behavioral ecology.

Budget is under 18,000/annum, as it’s all I can afford with my current income.

Schools
Cornell - Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Reach
Texas A&M - Safety/Likely
UT Austin - Match/Reach

2

Maybe try WashU? They have both Environmental Biology and Ecology & Evolution tracks within their bio major, and their Living Earth Collaborative program connects the university to animal conservation programs at the St. Louis Zoo. Saint Louis Zoo | Center for Asian Elephant Conservation WashU meets need for transfers but is need-aware.

A&M’s program looks excellent and sets a very high bar.

There are a lot of smaller LAC’s that meet need and would give you a great foundational education in bio and environmental science, but they’re unlikely to offer as many courses in your specific areas of interest as a larger school like A&M can. So, it depends what your priorities are. Some of the specialty stuff could wait for grad school, if the elite liberal arts experience would be valuable in other ways.

It looks like you’re in your first semester of community college, with another full year until you start doing transfer applications for Fall 2025, correct? So your college 4.0, on which all transfer “chancing” hinges, is still mostly projected, although you must be having a strong first semester in order to make that projection, and you have a head start with a lot of AP credits. But you’re working full time and attending classes full time, which may get very tough as your time in lab-based classes increases. Do make sure you pace yourself and protect your health as well as your GPA! .

3

Hey, I appreciate your reply! I’ll give your reply a more thorough read and check out the linked resources, just wanted to let you know I appreciate you!

And yes, I am projecting my GPA, I do anticipate it will get more difficult, so I might cut my hours when possible. My main concern at the moment really is my extracurriculars, they aren’t spectacular in the slightest. What should I do, and how concerned should I really be? Thank you!

4

I’m not super-experienced re: what it takes to get into the most competitive schools as a transfer. But in general, these schools consider a job to be an EC also. They know that one person can’t work full time, go to school full time, and sustain multiple impressive EC’s, all at the same time. You’re definitely taking initiative in the areas that interest you; I’d continue to go for depth in those areas and not worry about “padding” your EC resume with anything else… but that’s just my opinion.

The other thing I’m unsure about - maybe others can weigh in - is whether your ambitious work schedule could backfire in terms of reducing the amount of need-based aid you will qualify for, because of your relatively high income while at community college. Are you working this much because you need the money now, or are you trying to save up to pay for your transfer school? (It’s okay if you don’t want to disclose more about your financial situation; I’m just concerned about how this will position you for aid.)

5

The time line suggests that you may be in the first semester of college, but did you take many of the listed college courses while in high school and earn a 4.0 college GPA in them? Or have you been attending community college part time for a few years while working full time?

If you will transfer as a junior (applying while a sophomore in college), then your college record will be the most important factor in your application.

6

Hey, sorry for the delayed response, been busy. The main reason I work is to afford transfer school. If I get into a school like Cornell or WashU, that won’t be a problem, but I can’t put all my eggs in one basket, you know?

7

Most of the coursework listed is prospective, I haven’t taken them yet.

8

I’ve looked into WashU’s biology program now that you mention it - very impressive, shame I never heard of it sooner. Though now I’m curious as to why you suggest them over a school like Cornell. Are they significantly less competitive to get into? The common data suggests a transfer acceptance rate of 17%, which isn’t bad, but still definitely a challenge.

Also, do you know how important standardized test scores will be when applying as a transfer? I know mine are under the 25 percentile mark.

9

My main concern is that the ECs listed are both sparse and many are prospective. I have a summer research internship lined up in Thailand at Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, that’s about the most relevant EC I can get, unless I can manage something with the Cornell ELP or an organization like Save the Elephants or the Elephant Valley Project in Cambodia.

Besides those, the best I can do domestically is the Dallas Zoo, or, if I am COSMICALLY lucky, an internship at Colossal.

Working full time (should clarify I mean legal full time, 32+ hours, rarely 40) is definitely a time constraint, hence why I’m trying to maximize the utility of my summer availability. I mainly work to afford school in case I don’t get into a more financially well-endowed university. A&M will be expensive, my parents won’t really be able to help me to afford university, so I need to plan for the event that I don’t get in.

10

It’s not that I recommend WashU over Cornell. It’s just that Cornell is the only private university on your original list that even has a double-digit transfer acceptance rate; Princeton and Stanford are extraordinarily tough admits because they take so few transfers and get so many applications. (Not saying you shouldn’t try, but the odds are long.) So having another school that’s more in Cornell’s range of competitiveness would increase your odds of getting at least one acceptance besides your in-state publics.

Fundamentally, it won’t matter one bit whether Cornell or WashU would be better unless you manage to get into both. My intent wasn’t to weigh which is better, but just to add another generous-aid possibility to your list. Both will require top grades, excellent essays, and meaningful EC’s, all of which come together to paint a coherent picture of why they should want you on their campus.

Standardized test scores from high school generally aren’t considered for junior transfers.

Overall, I’m sure you understand that you’re trying to make a leap in competitiveness from where you were based on your high school record. You may well have the ability and drive to make this happen, but it’s an ambitious goal to build the kind of record, in three college semesters, that will put you in the running to transfer to a top-20 national university. I’m not trying to discourage you, just saying it’s good that you also have a viable in-state transfer path and that you’re planning accordingly in terms of finances.

Have you considered Texas Tech at all? They seem to have a pretty robust Natural Resources Management program, with concentrations in Conservation Science, Wildlife Biology, and Range Conservation. And they have some transfer merit scholarships that might be easier to get than the comparable ones at TAMU. And housing is more affordable in Lubbock than in Austin or College Station.

You didn’t mention the Phi Theta Kappa honor society among your college EC’s. Try to join this, as there are scholarships that you’ll only be considered for if you’re a member.

If you’re in the Dallas area, would commuting to UTD or SMU be an option?

Also, have you looked at the internship opportunities here? It’s a full semester, and housing is provided: Careers and Internships - The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee

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11

Hey, thank you for replying so soon :slight_smile:

When I asked why you mentioned WashU, I suppose I meant to ask out of the idea that maybe there was something I didn’t know regarding the transfer acceptance rate. Perhaps hoping it might be easier than Cornell (as I found out recently that Cornell’s transfer acceptance rate is rather inflated due to Transfer Option admits). I didn’t mean to ask out of doubt over the school’s academic reputation or integrity.

I guess, with my stats, grades, and ECs, do you really think I have a shot at any of these besides the in-state programs?

As for the in-state paths, that’s the main reason I’m working so much. A&M and UT aren’t generous with financial aid, and I need to be able to provide for it myself. I considered Tech some time ago, overall I’m just not sure Lubbock is for me however.

I’m currently on track to join Phi Theta Kappa next semester, even then though it won’t be enough to pay for university by itself, even if I got the maximum 5k a year.

UTD and SMU are options, however I’m not confident the program they offer is up to what I would like to do. That, and commuting would still be too costly to justify.

I have considered the elephant sanctuary in tennessee, I might see if I can do it next fall and take my classes online. Ochem might be challenging to do online however.

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12

First, you are looking at a career in ecology. That means that you should look at colleges which have a good reputation in the field, not at colleges which are “prestigious”.

Stanford is not such a great choice, and Princeton is great, but they have a strong theory direction.

What do you want to do with your degree? Do you want to get a government job, and have a career in state of federal government, like Fish and Wildlife, State Parks, etc, do you want to work in consulting, in the nonprofit world, or do you want to be in academia?

There are a couple of colleges that you should consider:

SUNY ESF - while you are OOS, there are a number of scholarships for OOS students, and they consider these for transfers as well.

In Texas - you should add Texas Tech as well.

Other recommendations would depend on what your plans are for th efuture.

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13

Exactly – a lot of public schools (most aren’t even flagships) are particularly good for ecology/wildlife. Those don’t ring prestige bells for most people, but are favorites amongst ecologists. SUNY-ESF is a great example.

NAU, Utah State, U Idaho, Washington State, U Alaska Fairbanks, etc. I think there’s even an elephant conservation person at Colorado State.

OP’s career goals will matter for coming up with a good list.

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14

I honestly don’t feel qualified to guess at whether you could crack the top tier where the aid is most generous. I know that these schools do try to accept some community college transfers. And I think you could stand out as someone with an interesting profile. So to some extent I feel that if you can knock community college out of the park academically and show a few interesting EC’s combined with the work ethic that your employment record shows, then why not you? But there are more qualified applicants than they can accept, so it isn’t to be counted upon. Did your parents go to college? If you’re a first generation college student, that could help.

What’s missing here are some middle-ground options in between the TX publics (which would be fantastic if affordable - the real downside is that they aren’t that inexpensive for you) and the super-reaches. As others have said, there are some great OOS publics for your interests - it just depends whether there are any that would beat the TX ones in terms of offerings vs. cost.

In terms of more attainable LAC’s, most don’t have sufficiently specialized programs for what you want, but it’s worth looking for options. Juniata College in PA could be worth considering - need-sensitive admissions would work against you, but the aid is fairly generous and the transfer acceptance rate generally is over 50%, so even if being high-need lowers those odds, it could still be more attainable than the Cornell/WashU tier. Wildlife Conservation | Juniata College

Would you qualify financially for Berea College? It’s a work college where all students are low-income - tuition is waived for all admitted students, and living expenses are covered by on-campus employment. They have a working farm on campus, and while the academic programs may not be an exact fit for your interests, they do have Agriculture & Natural Resources and Forest Resource Management majors in addition to the various emphases within Biology, and they offer an “Independent” self-designed major, so you could probably put together something that would work academically, given the financial advantages and the very strong alumni network which could open doors post-graduation. Transfer acceptance rate is around 40% Financial Eligibility - Berea College

15

Oh, also, I definitely wouldn’t try to take Orgo remotely. Maybe you could finish up the key lab-based classes and do that next spring while you’re doing transfer apps? (I’m not sure how many lab sciences you still need before transferring, since it sounds like you have a lot of AP credits.)

16

I need ochem 1 and 2 and physics 1 and 2, I believe. Orgo and Physics 2 would be spring 2025, unless I can take ochem and physics 1 over the summer?

17

The issue with out of state publics is just, the out of state cost plus low financial aid. For instance, I’d love to go to UW in Seattle, or CU Boulder, or, hell, UMNTC. All have excellent ecology programs. I remember also being interested in UC Davis - actually I got in out of high school at that university, I just can’t afford OOS tuition, otherwise I’d be there right now. I’ve also looked internationally - schools such as UBC, Queensland, etc. Again, same issue.

I’ll definitely apply to all my reaches as well as some others (Columbia, Yale, Harvard - just because why not?), and I’ll look into the LACs. I suppose I just don’t know if I’m comfortable compromising on the specific depth and specialization I’d like to reach that I know a larger research university can grant, even if the end result is having to pay more for it. But still, something to look into. I’ll look into Berea when I can.

18

Princeton interests me primarily due to the work of Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton. I found his work in Mozambique studying tusklessness in elephants as a consequence of the civil war there very interesting. I also know they have field semesters available in Kenya that I’m interested in.

As for what I’d like to do, I’d like to work in conservation via nonprofits or other organizations. I’d really like to work with elephants in Asia or Africa studying their behavioral ecology, response to human conflict & colonization, and the value of their conservation. So, working with NGOs like Save the Elephants would be cool, in my opinion, however a career in academia could also allow me to study elephant behavior more. There are also organizations like the IUCN AsESG that I think I’d like to work with (I have a contact who’s one of the leading members in that organization, the work they do seems incredible).

That being said, theory is also something I’d like to get involved with. My favorite authors are all very theory intensive (SJ Gould, RC Lewontin, EO Wilson), so I’d like, if possible, to develop some theories on top of more practical research.

I’ve heard of SUNY ESF, it seems interesting, again its just OOS tuition that scares me a bit, to be honest. I’ve considered Tech, is it a much better program than A&M (which I’ve gotten into twice now).

19

There is someone specializing in elephant conservation in Colorado. I also know a few people in the EMA that have studied at Regis and Adelphi for their masters and PhD respectively.

My main career goals are working in elephant conservation and behavioral research too, if I can. Working with NGOs/Non-profits or organizations like the IUCN or WWF seems like the best path for me, as personally I’m not so sure I could work as a researcher in a zoo, and while being in academia would be nice for the ability to research extensively, I’m not so sure I’d be confident I’m “making the change I want to see in the world”, yknow?

A back up, should neither of those work, is conservation medicine and vet sciences (hence why I am still interested in A&M, as they have a good vet school).

20

They do have scholarships for OOS students, including transfers, something like $8,000 a year, and OOS turion is $21,000 or so a year. If it would be affordable with the scholarship, I think that it would be worthwhile to apply.

Both are the same, it depends on which you feel is a better fit - look at the courses and the professors at each. Whatever career you choose, you really should engage in research or field work with faculty, so it is worthwhile choosing a program which has more faculty who do stuff that you find interesting.

You should also look at University of New Mexico - you’d be eligible for their Amigo scholarship, which is $22,000 a year, while the OOS tuition is around $25,000 a year. They have a good Ecology program as well.

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