going into college knowing you want to transfer

<p>If you are going into college knowing you want to transfer, objectively speaking, what should you do to maximize your success? (Besides the obvious, which is building up good credentials to transfer, as well as not going into college with that way of thinking in the first place.)</p>

<p>I feel like I’m such a failure for not applying to colleges I actually wanted to go to. I didn’t do enough college research and am going to a safety…</p>

<p>Side question that I’ve asked before: If you don’t like the cheap city college that you are planning to go to, should you go to a community college to save a little more money? Do CC students somehow have an advantage in the transfer process?</p>

<p>Crazybandit, I still have yet to understand what are the extracurriculars that we’re suppose to search for in order to show top colleges that we’re passionate about rather than just getting involved for the sake of establishing the resume.</p>

<p>I know that by the time we’re in college, we’ll have the honor societies on our list, internship/traveling experience, and clubs joined + leadership experience. I just don’t know how to expand the other side of extracurricular activities. :frowning:
Do you think we’ll need a work experience related to Business or things particularly from outside?</p>

<p>I don’t know lol, but…</p>

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<p>…this is laughable since “getting involved for the sake of establishing the resume” is exactly what we would be doing</p>

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<p>I don’t think so, but it may help. It’s not like we are applying to graduate school. My impression is that colleges treat us in a way similar to the way they treat freshman applicants. They certainly wouldn’t expect a senior in high school to have work experience, let alone a freshman in college.</p>

<p>…although it isn’t feasible for me to answer these questions since we’re both pretty much in the same boat, and I don’t know any more than you do.</p>

<p>definitely get to know your professors, especially the ones who will eventually write your letter of recommendation :)</p>

<p>^how is this possible in a large city college where courses (i.e., freshman courses) have lots of students? I know the answer is to sit in the front, participate in class, etc. but I just can’t find myself doing that in a generic class in a school that is probably too easy for me (whether this is true is irrelevant; just assume it is). I read about someone getting a letter of recommendation from an employer/internship coordinator. Would this be ideal in such a case, then? This would be so much easier if I was going to a prestigious school full of diverse courses and brilliant professors who teach 15-student classes and write brilliant letters of recommendation…perhaps I’m being too pessimistic…probably the reason I am going into college with the intent to transfer</p>

<p>Of course it is possible, even in a large city college. If you can’t find yourself doing whatever it takes to get into a good college, then you get what you give.</p>

<p>I hope you don’t plan on transferring into a top tier college with that attitude.</p>

<p>By the way, most of the times, schools will ask for a letter of recommendation from a professor, specifically one who knows you academically in the areas of English, Math, or Science.</p>

<p>I knew I was going to transfer the day I got my acceptance letter. I was able to plan things a lot better, the school I want to go to has transfer requirements so I took all of those. </p>

<p>Also I got involved in research and a few clubs-- the key is to get involved with ones related to your field of study too boost your application. Colleges want to see application of your major, not just grades. </p>

<p>Furthermore I am at the largest private school in the nation. My chem and bio class have 700 people each. It was basically impossible to get them to write me a rec so I asked my clinic instructor (a component of chem class devoted to smaller class size) and my public speaking teacher. Plus the professors in big classes will be busy and won’t write you a good one most likely (my opinion).</p>

<p>Try to get everything planned and focused is the best advice I can give. You have the advantage of knowing you want to leave.</p>

<p>^what do people mean by research? I always hear about “research” as an extracurricular activity. What does it actually mean and how can one go about doing it? How much does it help on your application or otherwise?</p>

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<p>May I ask why? Were you rejected from the college you wanted to go to or did you simply not apply to any? Do you think a lot of HS seniors/college freshmen think like me or are in the same situation (not to say that it is a fortunate position)? (Meaning they go to college–not necessarily community college–just to transfer.)</p>

<p>Research is joining a professor and helping conduct a major experiment. Its like professors proposing questions and trying to answer them. Like my bio professor does research on C. elegans to learn about proteins and etc. I got lucky as a freshman at such a big school, because I emailed a BUNCH of professor and got one at the anthropology lab. I conduct research on pots and stuff from the indus valley :D</p>

<p>Yeah sure you can ask! I am here to help! Well yes I got rejected from the school I wanted to go to most: Cornell. I applied early decision and love the school. I got into New York University and wasn’t really happy going there because I had a dream and I was not going to let it go. So here I am applying for transfer :D</p>

<p>1) Do they offer you to do research or do you have to ask them?
2) What do you mean you emailed a bunch of professors? Do you mean the ones from your classes, or do all professors put up a bulletin or something requesting students that want to do research for them?
3) Do most students do research or is it a one-per-professor thing? I ask because you said you were “lucky.” Is it pretty useless on your application if it doesn’t involve something/someone really prestigious, or is any research alone a competitive extracurricular?</p>

<p>1.) have to ask its tough to get, email all the professors you can, some schools have databases so you can search for them</p>

<p>2.) There was a tab on cas.nyu.edu that said research and yes it had some listings. But you can also email your current professors for the happenings around campus</p>

<p>3.) Not all are one per professor (mine is though), but usually no more than 10-20
I got lucky because I was a freshman, usually you have to take required courses for the professors to think your credible (usually soph or junior courses)</p>

<p>In my opinion research alone is a hugeee plus. Its very competitive. As a biology major going to med school research helps me out since it shows im doing major related things. </p>

<p>No it doesn’t have to be presitigious, just go get one. BUt dont get english research as a bio major, try to make it related. I have anthro research and am a bio major, which is the best I could do lol.</p>

<p>first of all, what college do you plan on transferring into?that matters a lot obviously. EX. I just transferred into UofM, a top 3 public university.(I would say top 2 because IMO the only public comparable to Umich is UC-Berk but I know lots of people on CC hold a torch for UVA)</p>

<p>anyways, the most important thing was…GPA.Its the most important part of EVERY college application, be it traditional or transfer. At ivy league schools, yes they may want some ec’s. They may way you to have a hook. Almost all of their applicant pool is filled with top grades. But if you want to go to a very good school, getting a 4.0 gpa is the way to do it. If you do NOTHING no job no ec no anything, but get a 4.0 in college over about 60 hours, then you will be able to get into almost any university you want.</p>

<p>Also, if you know you want to transfer, the best bet is to go to CC. Why spend money at a college that won’t be granting you a degree? It is the smartest bet IMO.</p>

<p>The big one? Make sure that the coursework you’re taking will transfer and that it will be useful. I transferred and lost a bunch of coursework, especially in my majors. Especially if you do upper-division work, you’ll be pretty ticked if it does you no good at your next school. It would make sense to check out the general ed requirements of the other school to make sure that if you transfer, you’re not playing catch-up.</p>

<p>I agree that a high GPA helps, but there’s no measurable difference between, say, a 3.8 and a 3.6. It’s just nonsensical to do a direct comparison, since even different majors within the same school will have different difficulties.</p>

<p>Also: I got my letter from a TA who taught my English class. Just find someone who knows you enough to say things about you, and ask nicely.</p>

<p>Do you guys know if a 3.8-4.0 GPA from college for two years will def. push the HS record (2.8-3.0 GPA) back to the past without an importance of recognition by adcoms over the college work? I heard they still look at the HS transcripts.</p>

<p>I’m looking to transfer to SUNY Binghamton, BC, or UVA (I am from out of state).</p>

<p>i’m a senior in hs already thinking about transferring as well! ha this is so sad…i know i should be happy about the schools i got accepted to, but i’m just not. I also really want to go OOS (specifically to CA) so i’ll probably be attending one of my state univ. for a year and then try to transfer.</p>

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<p>That can’t be true. Ask yourself: would that be enough to get into Michigan? Come on. There are loads of 4.0s from one community college alone with some ECs.</p>

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<p>What about course rigor? Surely any local city college is more “prestigious” (if not prestigious in and of itself) than a local community college? In other words, a student transferring with a 4.0 from Michigan has a better GPA than a student transferring with a 4.0 from CC, right? Also, is it too late to apply to community colleges, then? Because if it is there’s no point in asking.</p>

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<p>I know it’s so sad :frowning: …how badly does it hurt to see that other students in your class got into top schools? What about those that are happy to attend a state university? It seems like no one is unhappy besides us. I’m glad there’s someone else (especially on this forum) though, in addition to HopefulEagle86.</p>

<p>Man crazybandit, I hope we can fully be able to get an idea of the credential ECs that we need to match ourselves as being real candidates by the time we’re in college. We’re simply not suppose to do it just to show it.</p>

<p>ask myself if that would be enough to get into UofM…ok</p>

<p>I got a 3.8 with 55 credits and got accepted withing 2 weeks of them receiving all my stuff. if you’re unfamiliar with UofM admission, that is blazing fast</p>

<p>part of it is the CC you go to. I went to Washtenaw CC, a very respected CC. There are less 4.0’s than you would think, and most are from fluff classes. A 4.0 in good gen eds WILL get you into almost anywhere. I had like no ec’s, below a 2.8 hs gpa and I got into UofM. Many colleges like to see CC students. Transferring from a prestigious university better? Not really. Colleges know out of CC that you NEED to get into a 4 YR university. If you are already in a university, what makes them want you? Better be able to come up with a better reason then “the name has more prestige.”</p>

<p>Also, it is not too late to “apply” to CC. You could apply 2 weeks before classes, get in 1 week, register pay and go…</p>

<p>You’re wrong. Some people couldn’t get into more prestigious schools in the first place so there are couple of back up schools such as city colleges, local university, or a no name state school, which they attend. Why would anyone who couldn’t get into a top college and try to transfer would say I went to a no prestigious college other than CC because it’s more prestigious? We already know that a no name prestigious university is not presitigous at all, just like the CCs.</p>