Georgetown Transfer Questions

Transfer Students
1061

<p>hookedongtown: I hope you realize NYU has the number one acting school in the world. Also NYU Stern is incredibly “prestigious” and usually ranks in the top 10 undergraduate business schools in the country. Furthermore, NYU has the number one math department in the country. So as in terms of it not being in the same category, you are quite wrong. And if your only factor is prestige when considering applying(and it sure seems like it) then I really do wish you luck in your application…</p>

<p>flowerhead: Well NYU does have the city and was the number 1 dream school in the world for a few years. But I do suppose it does not satisfy my needs in ways that georgetown can, which I guess is why I am in this forum. </p>

<p>I don’t want to start any arguments, so I’ll end this…</p>

1062

<p>Castiel,</p>

<p>I do not mean to start an argument; what I say is certainly my opinion. Let me clarify, again, that I do think NYU’s graduate programs are hard to beat (you mentioned the business school; the law school is ranked 5th; the philosophy program is ranked 2nd, you get the picture). But for an undergraduate experience, many will agree that Georgetown is superior. </p>

<p>NYU might have been the dream school for many people, but how far can you take that statement? Does that mean it’s better than Harvard? You get the point. A lot of these judgments are self-selected. Often times, students will pick schools as their dream school not just because of the school, but because that’s the best school at which they can perceive themselves getting accepted.</p>

<p>I realize there’s a bit of school pride involved here. But if you feel like NYU is the best place for you, by all means:)</p>

1063

<p>NYU and Georgetown will never be in the same league as University of Arizona…</p>

1064

<p>College GPA = 3.9
Major = Biology
High school GPA (the one I graduated with) = 3.6, had a 3.2 when I was applying to colleges.
SAT score = 2290
I attend a tier 4 school.
Currently in my second year so I am applying as a junior transfer.</p>

<p>Extra curricular activities include being the vice president of the politics club at my school, being a member of the biology club, spring break tutoring (member of the “alternative spring break program”), member of the student government, helped start a food drive with my friends and helped organize a local lake clean up.</p>

<p>If Volunteer hours count I have some with the red cross. I have a job too but basically I attend a tier 4 school which is free since I have a full ride but the job provides me with more out of pocket money.</p>

<p>Georgetown is a top school on the list of mines which I have applied to as a transfer. If Washington University in St Louis, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, NYU, and Cornell do not work out for me then I look forward to attending either Georgetown or the University of Rochester. Basically I don’t know if I will get in since my high school record was not top notch and my college record is good but I attend a college which is only accredited but not recognized nationwide.</p>

1065

<p>Since techerdz seems to be repeating himself, I think that entitles me to do the same:</p>

<p>Techerdz
I’m sorry, but your post is terrible. You say Georgetown is a top school on your list, but then that you’d only take it if you got in and five other schools rejected you. I only hope you approached your applications with this level of coherence.</p>

<p>And by the way, while there is an argument to be made for taking some of those schools on that list over Georgetown, I struggle to think of one for NYU.</p>

1066

<p>Flowerhead, sorry I did not read your post the first time around.</p>

<p>Okay, I am guilty for saying that but that is not how I really meant it. I meant to say that all of the schools on my list I have applied to are diamonds but some stronger than others. I spent weeks preparing my application for Georgetown and if I do get accepted I will look to attend but the thing is that if it is ever Georgetown vs Columbia then of course I will head for Columbia. Yes my post was terrible, at least the bottom part.</p>

<p>To be honest, I am not sure how much being from a tier 4 school will hold me back and I kind of don’t know my chances of admissions for Georgetown. So everyone, please ignore the last part of my post and chance me. I have applied to a lot of excellent schools and Georgetown is on that list, it was foolish of me to jump to a conclusion.</p>

<p>Georgetown is an excellent school which I will definitely look at if I get accepted and one which I will be more than happy to attend, just like a lot of the other schools I have applied to. </p>

<p>I want to know of my chances of getting in.</p>

1067

<p>I am currently considering applying to transfer to Georgetown. Unfortunately, my stats aren’t outstanding. At a top 15 university, I currently have a 3.56 GPA. Although, I’m fairly certain that I’m going to do better this semester. Will those new grades be seen by admissions? Do I have any chance at Georgetown?</p>

<p>Additional info:</p>

<p>3.56 high school gpa (not a typo, high school and current college GPAs are the same)
1460/2200 SAT
33 ACT
6 5’s on AP tests
Lots of varsity letters and captainships
Involvement with my church</p>

1068

<p>^^Haha, if your stats aren’t outstanding, then mine are horrible. Good luck!</p>

1069

<p>bostonbroin
Coming from a top university will definitely help your cause. However, the admissions committee will likely not consider this semester’s final grades. You could possibly, however, mitigate this problem by sending in midterm grades.</p>

<p>As it stands, your chances at the SFS and College are definitely decent. It’ll really come down to your reasons. If they are well articulated and thought out, I don’t see anything as a matter of principle that would preclude an acceptance.</p>

1070

<p>Hey flowerhead: i have a general question. btw, thank you so much for the help so far! I really appreciate it :)</p>

<p>Since I have all full-year courses at McGill my profs sent in predicted/mid-year grades (gpa:3.75) but my dean sent in a note saying my actual/final grades will not be released on my transcript until May 15th. Will the Admission Committees then ask for my final grades so soon before the decision deadline or just give more weightage to my High-school record?</p>

1071

<p>The admissions committee knows that 99% of sophomore transfers won’t have final second semester grades by the time their application is reviewed, so I wouldn’t say that the higher weight is given to the HS record in that situation. Rather, the HS record is given the weight normally accorded for sophomore transfers.</p>

<p>I suspect most applications are reviewed by 5/15, but my memory on the whole process gets foggier as the time goes by.</p>

<p>I should mention that this process isn’t an exact science. No one sits in a room, looking at a sophomore transfer application and then a junior one, and saying, “well I should accord 20% weight to the former and 10% weight to the latter.” If your HS record is atrocious, an admissions officer will be looking for proof that you can handle the work at Georgetown. This burden is more easily fulfilled by a junior transfer than a sophomore transfer.</p>

<p>Accordingly, the better the high school record, the lower the burden of proof is for you. If you were, say, #1 in your class, your chances of getting in as a sophomore transfer with a 3.8 GPA are just the same as getting in as a junior transfer with a 3.8. </p>

<p>And yes. It is possible to overcome a bad HS record as a sophomore transfer (and thus, with one semester’s worth of grades), but you really need to work hard at fulfilling your burden of proof. I worked extremely hard, not only pulling a near-perfect college record, but improving other academic aspects on my application as well, and making a compelling case for myself in the essays.</p>

1072

<p>lmao at flowerheads response to techerdz.</p>

<p>I’m rolling on the floor.</p>

1073

<p>Well Castiel, your sense of humor must be egregious.</p>

<p>Anyways, who is gonna chance me?</p>

1074

<p>@ Flowerhead</p>

<p>What about this case: Exceptional High School record and a decent/good College record? </p>

<p>(btw, do the adcoms take into consideration that Canadian Universities are a lot more academically oriented than American ones and thus harder to do a ‘4.0’ at?)</p>

1075

<p>well techerdz, your response appears to be PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS</p>

<p>It’s called having fun on a forum, this isn’t all seriousness…</p>

<p>And seriously dude I saw like 3 chance posts posed on CC and 2 posted in like every forum. Chillax and let admissions do their job.</p>

1076

<p>hookedongtown</p>

<p>I think you’re stressing about this a little too much. The admissions committee knows McGill is a good school. Do they know whether it’s particularly rigorous or whether it’s more “academically oriented” than comparable American institutions (which, in my opinion, is not true at all)? Not necessarily.</p>

<p>I’ve already given you my prognosis. You’re essentially asking me for your chances again. I suggest rereading what I told you earlier.</p>

<p>I know I’m being a tad ornery, but some of you really need to exercise some common sense. My goal in this thread is demystify the admissions process, so that applicants correspondingly feel less stress about the admissions process and more at ease in expressing themselves. So far, things don’t seem to be working out that way; I think I’m making people significantly more stressed.</p>

<p>I’ll repeat myself: admissions isn’t an exact science. There are no scales in the admissions office where officers place GPAs and SAT scores and extra-curriculars. Really, it just comes down to how the officer feels about your application. I emphasize “feel” because that’s largely a subjective component that’s hard to manipulate and even harder to cope with. The only way to maximize your chances of success is to put your best foot forward and give them the low-down on who you are and why you want to be there. Any stressing about the application process above that is just unnecessary torture to yourself.</p>

1077

<p>I get what you’re trying to say. Thanks for the help. The admissions process is just so vague, I’d actually categorize it as torturous. One final (I promise) question: In my transfer essay I feel I criticize my current institution more than I praise G’town. When I avoid talking too much about why i feel I need to transfer out though, my essay starts feeling like a first-year applicant’s essay, i.e. one that’s more abstract than focused. How can I fix this?</p>

1078

<p>hookedongtown</p>

<p>I have no trouble answering questions. That’s why I’m here. But presumably you all are an intelligent lot. I ask only that you exercise that intelligence when asking the questions.</p>

<p>There is no problem with an essay sounding like a first-year applicant’s essay. I didn’t even know there was a distinction.</p>

<p>If I’m not mistaken, there are two types of essays for which Georgetown asks: A personal statement, and another statement concerning your reasons for transferring. The former, in my opinion, should be a creative piece that expresses you who are beyond the academics and extra-curriculars. This essay is where you show you’re the special little flower that you are.</p>

<p>Now the second essay is straightforward. But here are some things I’d avoid: Do NOT badmouth your current school. It’s okay to criticize, but do not be too negative, and make sure your criticisms are well-founded and logical. Good criticism: I want to focus on anthropology, but my school doesn’t have an anthropology department (or it’s not that big, etc.). Bad criticism: My peers are too stupid, people party too much, the professors are dumb, etc. The latter won’t fly in any context.</p>

<p>Also, be sure Georgetown can solve your problems. I remember reading stuff saying that, “people at my school party a lot; I want to attend a serious institution like Georgetown.” My response: Really? You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Georgetown not only has parties, but the parties begin on Thursday evening and end in Sunday morning. For freshmen, party period is even longer.</p>

<p>All in all, be reasonable. Don’t idolize or idealize Georgetown unrealistically. They are college kids after all. Even if they are smart, they also are people just coming from high school and looking to have fun. College is a rite of passage not just in an intellectual sense, but also in a social sense. In the beginning, the alcohol is great and it’s awesome to get drunk every night. When you graduate, you tend to fetishize drinking a lot less. You make a conscious choice to avoid drinking when it would impinge on your other responsibilities, etc. College helps people grow up that way.</p>

<p>That’s not to say people don’t drink after college. It’s just that attitudes change, and people are more mature about it. Drinking until 4am is no longer a novel or fun concept when you’ve been doing it for four years straight and you now actually have to get to work in the morning. But anyways, I digress.</p>

1079

<p>mhmmm</p>

<p>oh well, no one is gonna chance the tier 4 kid</p>

1080

<p>^ Techerdz</p>

<p>You got to understand that chancing isn’t always accurate. Many people who were chanced and received positive reviews ended up not getting in and vice versa. </p>

<p>Especially in transfer admissions in which there is a more hollistic approach and adcoms consider essays to be valuable. Since we can’t read your essays how can we judge you?</p>

<p>I didn’t mean to be so hard on you, so sorry for that. I understand your nervous, but so are all of us. </p>

<p>If you really want to be chanced, then ok. Your SAT are extremely strong and your GPA is very high. Many successful transfers came from community colleges as well as a multiditude of tiers. You did your best and it shows with your SATs and GPA.</p>

<p>Now let’s let Georgetown do the chancing- - after all it is the only that counts.</p>

<p>Good luck my friend. :D</p>