Chances?? - Help needed - applying to Colgate, Colby, and Hamilton...

Transfer Students
#1

I’m a freshman at Dominican University of CA applying to transfer to Colby, Colgate, and Hamilton. I’m applying to other schools with much higher acceptance rates but I really would love to go to one of those three.

My academic reason for transferring is to study Environmental Studies (which Dominican doesn’t have) as well as English and be involved in Environmental and outdoor programs (Dominican doesn’t have any).

college:
4.0 college GPA
cross-country team (NCAA Division II)
various volunteer work

high school:
4.3 GPA
SAT: reading: 800, math: 660, critical writing:750
various sports
Editor-in-chief of a school newspaper
Outdoor Leadership courses (NOLS, etc)

What are my chances?? I’m hoping having a high college GPA helps, but I’m scared I’m just not good enough. I went to Dominican for family reasons primarily but I want to go to study Environment Studies and go to a more academic school.

#2

For several reasons, you would be a really strong candidate for all of these colleges – notably, 1) your application may go out without a true weakness and 2) your academic interests seem particularly genuine.

In terms of Hamilton, their Adirondack semester may appeal to you:

https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/offcampusstudy/adk

As could their outing club activities:

http://college.usatoday.com/2015/10/10/hamilton-college-students-climb-all-46-mountain-peaks-in-the-adirondacks/

Potentially you could pursue the exotic opportunity of trekking to Annapurna base camp as well (ES367S):

https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/departments/Courses-and-Requirements?dept=Environmental%20Studies

Good luck!

#3