Hiya folks!
I’m going to be starting my first semester at uni in a few days. However, this uni was my backup. It"s a good uni, but I was aiming for an ivy league school, but as the other tens of thousands of students, I was stopped short of reaching that goal. However, I WILL try transferring , perhaps in my sophomore year. My real question is, how do I build up my portfolio? In HS, I wasn’t involved in any sports, and very few ecs (e.g student government). What clubs/activities should I join in uni? Academics is my strong suit, although my SAT I score was a bit lower than I was aiming for. Should I resit that? I didn’t do AP, but rather A levels, which were being offered in my school. Should I do APs? I enjoy writing, and so I was thinking of starting a blog or something similar. I’m interested in fencing (Zorro’s been an immense influence :P), and I’ll be joining the fencing club, but obv. I’ll have to fence for many years to get to the pro level where it’ll make a dent on my portfolio. I’ll try my best to maintain a high GPA in uni, so what else can I do to strengthen my case?
I don’t think you understand what APs are- they are exams made for secondary students to test their understanding of a subject at the level of a basic 1st year of university level. As you will be IN university, all your classes are by definition at that level or higher. Similarly, SAT scores are meant to give an idea as to the students aptitude for uni- by the middle of university your grades will tell what you are actually able for.
Transferring between universities is different than applying to university, and different metrics will matter. Bar a university that is so desperate to win the fencing championships that they are desperate for a nationally ranked fencer (I have never heard of one but I guess in theory there could be such a thing), your fencing skills will not get you anywhere.
By the end of 2 years of US university an Ivy League college will suppose that you have developed a deep, strong understanding of your major area of study, and that you are looking for something specific that they have that your current uni does not have- not just a desire for a fancier name on your diploma.
Harvard is very succinct, saying that they look for:
A clearly defined academic need to transfer
A proven record of achievement at your current college level
Strong faculty recommendations.
(also, fyi, Princeton doesn’t accept transfers).
Here is what you should know-- the seats at Ivy schools that are available for transfers is largely tied to attrition. Since attrition is almost non-existent in the top Ivy schools, so are the seats available. By way of example, recently, Harvard had over 1500 applicants and admitted about 15, and Yale had over a 1000 applicants in which about 2 dozen were offered seats. So, while being qualified is certainly a criteria, the other portion must convey why these schools; typical reasons are that these schools offer programs and/or degrees not offered at your existing institution.
Second, that you could have obtained admission as a freshmen applicant. Third, that you have perfect scores at your current institution. Long story short…it is much more difficult to obtain admission as a transfer than as applying for a freshmen seat…
I see. Well, thank you for your insight and the info!