Thanks so much for your comment/help! I will certainly do some research on the institutions you listed. Trinity College - Conn. is on my list! I forgot to mention it.
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St. Lawrence is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing that with me. I will be adding that to my list.
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Your profile is great but most of the colleges are so competitive that itās impossible to predict - You have a shot, definitely, and they will admit one (or 2 ) transfers from Texas, but will you be that one student?
Another issue is that a lot of transfers to top-tier LACs are lateral - student from Brown transfers to Vassar, this type of things. Fortunately they also want to increase students from CCs (some even have partnerships with CCs now) but it means that the spots are even fewer than what youād think.
Finally, St Olaf, Sewanee, St Lawrence (I agree itās a great recommendation!) meet need indeed butā¦ are also need aware. It means that a student may be admitted by admissions and then turned down by financial aid because that student needs more FA than they can afford. The fact youāre applying for English/Philosophy will help but since no one knows how much FA they have itās impossible to know whether they will ultimately admit you.
In short, your list is very good and I think a couple colleges, at least one, will come through.
But I would be very uneasy your academic safeties would ultimately not admit you due to FA and thereās no safety there from a financial point of view. I think thatās where UT and Hendrix would come in.
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Look at the common data set section d2 of each.
Kids will tell you what you want to hear to be nice.
At Williams, 573 applied to transfer a year ago. 17 were offered admission.
Sure thereās a chance but walking in thinking very good chance will be very risky.
Iām not knowledgeable about transfer but I can interpret that sort of data to know itās not going to be likely. Donāt forget, people transfer not just from CCs but like colleges to Williams as well.
Amherst 503/30
St Olaf 133 / 33
Rice 1319 / 66
I hope you get in. But #s donāt lie.
All people are saying is add a sure bet.
Two things - not all schools show a CDS. Those that donāt call and get their admission #s and stats.
The second thing - ensure each meets need for transfers (not just first year) and determine if possible that they will be affordable. Some on your list are need aware even if they do do if you need too much, they could hold against you.
The safety is THE most important school.
Thatās admissibility and financial. Not just admissions.
You did a chance me.
Donāt shoot those delivering to you their best answer to your question. Otherwise why would you have asked? And if comfy with those who have given you info prior, why ask ?
Good luck.
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Is this someone that youāre paying? I would be very wary of what theyāre telling you, if so. Did the Williams AO outreach come through them as well?
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benreed](/u/benreed)
Okay, so Iām currently working with a Stanford grad who is mentoring me. He stated that many of these schools listed are āquite reasonable matches.ā This guy has mentored numerous other transfer students who have gone on to Ivy Leagues, Stanford, and other T20 institution, so I
trust his judgement
@benreed Is this Stanford grad someone in your hometown, or at least in Texas? Is he familiar with the community college youāre attending? Are the other ānumerous transfer students who have gone on to Ivy League schoolsā also students from your area and CC, with your same stats?
I do live in Texas. The rigor & reputation from a community college just isnāt there, compared to most large 4 year universities. Austin CC and Blinn College are probably known by most around the state, as they offer pathways & co-enrollment (to some) students hoping to transfer into UT and A&M-the 2 state Flagship universities. Thousands attempt to transfer into UT and A&M every year, and without a 4.0, signed plan/agreement and the exact courses needed (and very specific min/max on hours)ā¦itās TOUGH to transfer in. Itāll be MUCH harder to transfer in to UT (since that is where youāre hoping) from a rural CC, without a 4.0 and heavily impressive resume (and no SAT/ACT).
Have you shown demonstrated interest with the schools youāve applied to? Taken campus tours, met with regional UT rep, been in personal contact with the admissions office?
Itāll be like a needle in a haystack to get acceptance into the other schools on your list, not to mention needing financial aid.
Texas has some excellent state universities. You are shooting yourself in the foot, I think, by refusing to even consider any other state school beside UT.
You asked for Chance Me, and you are getting honest answers and suggestions.
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Did this question ever get answered?
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@benreed I think youāre a strong candidate in light of the explicit commitment that many of these schools have made to accepting community college students as transfers.
@parentologist I may be wrong, but it seems like youāre not familiar with Amherst and Williamsā commitment to take community college grads and veterans as transfers. Hereās what I posted in another transfer thread: My Freshman wants to transfer from a top tier school - #246 by gotham_mom
Amherst has been prioritizing community college transfer students for over 15 years. From their site:
āAmherst is committed to providing transfer opportunities for high-achieving community college students with limited financial resources. Since partnering with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in 2006, Amherst has become a national leader among highly selective colleges in offering exceptional academic and scholarship options to community college students. Our need-blind admission and need-based, no-loan financial aid policies make Amherst a particularly attractive and affordable school.ā Transferring from a Community College | Transfer Applicants | Amherst College
If you look at the Williams Admissions Office IG posts during ātransfer week,ā youāll see that their small cohort of transfers is almost entirely veterans and cc grads. Frankly, I think the OP stands a better chance at being admitted as a transfer to one of these schools than a current sophomore with a higher GPA at a highly rejective āpeerā college.
Swarthmore has a similar statement on their site, and I know that Haverford also likes taking community college transfers (and has since I was a student in the '80s).
Of course, transferring to any of these schools is highly competitive, but I think itās important to understand the institutional priorities of the OPās prospective schools.
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Heās not someone from my hometown, but he knows everything about my current situation. He knows Iām a CC student in Texas, he knows all of my stats, etc. Yes, I have shown demonstrated interested with most of the schools Iāve applied to.
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Yes, I know a great deal of students who have transferred from Texas CCs. They have the same stats.
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No, Iā not paying them. No, the Williams AO outreach didnāt come through them.
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I have looked at the common data set for every college Iām applying to. By no means do I think I have a very good chance at these really competitive schools (Amherst, Williams, etc.) I know Rice is definitely out for me, but Iām just applying anyway. Iām talking about St. Olaf, Oberlin, Sewanee.
āKids will tell you what you want to hear to be nice.ā I didnāt tell them some sob story, I asked for honest advice. So, I guess I should take admissions advice from an unqualified parent who knows nothing about admissions, and completely disregard the opinions of the students who have actually been admitted to institutions Iām looking at.
I wanted more feedback from admitted students or alumni. I didnāt know that I would be getting feedback from parents. 
This is true - unless one is an AO at that school.
People give best guesses.
Thatās why I suggested reviewing the Common Data Set for each and go on websites and see if they show stats.
If 17 or 573 applicants got into Williams, then 3% did that year.
Itās possible you will be part of the 3% - but no one can realistically say so.
Sewanee doesnāt have a CDS so I donāt know about their transfer #s and desire to take them. But it seems like one youād get into. They now meet need - but not sure about transfers.
These are the kind of things to look up if you havenāt already.
Really, the only message youāve received is - great list - but make sure you put a safety.
We all hope you get to one on your current list but sometimes adding a true affordable safety just covers that just in case. Like car insuranceā¦you donāt plan to use it but itās nice to have in that small chance you get into a crash.
Thatās sort of the message I interpret through all the folks on here doing their best to help you.
PS - even if a school is committed to community college students - when you look at the #s - t Amherst is 5.6% - what if half the applicants are from a community college and they only choose from there. We donāt know, of course, but could be or more.
But if what I wrote is true, then Itās still very long odds no matter how you slice it.
And Iām not sure how you met kids that got in - but letās say you did - then Iād argue, thereās also kids with just as good as #s as those kids that didnāt get inā¦same as happens with first years. The best stats are not always the admission winners.
Take your shot and hope for the best.
But get yourself some insuranceā¦in case the worst happens.
Itās really that simple.
Add a safety!!! Thatās it!! And not a UT that you wonāt like due to its size.
I suggested Truman State aboveā¦easy in, potentially affordable (depending on budget) and very very very well respected. or we can find you a less competitive LAC perhaps and I know many were mentioned upthread.
Good luck.
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Thank you for the feedback. My parents can afford to pay some of the tuition, just not an excessive amount. I have been in contact with a student at Oberlin and they said that itās not uncommon to appeal for more aid if I get in, albeit Iām not counting on it. They are also offering a $10,000 scholarship to every student who applies for the fall '24 semester, so that will help. If I donāt get enough aid at these institutions, or am rejected from the really competitive ones, I will just try again next year, when my GPA is ~ 3.9 and I have even more ECs/achievements.
Thanks for the advice and information!
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@benreed not knowing where in Texas you are, I suggest applying to-
*Texas Tech
*University of Houston
*TAMU-Corpus Christi
*UT-RGV
*UTSA
*SFA (now part of the UT system)
*UNT
*UTD
*San Angelo State
All public universities, better shot at getting financial assitance/scholarships, solid reputations. You definitely need to add some Safety schoolsā¦not to mention In State tuition!
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Apparently the OP isnāt satisfied with the quality of the feedback, so closing for the moment.
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