Can you still get into an Ivy League school or a similarily selective school if you do most of your extracurriculars junior and senior year, and if you’re transferring from a community college?
Megan,
I am sorry that no one has responded. In short, yes, it is possible to get into an Ivy or Ivy-calibre school after completing work at a community college, but it’s obviously rare. I believe there is a permanent thread here about someone’s success in doing so. Also, if you do a search and check out past years’ reports from students about where they got accepted (and I believe there is a specific thread where people post their transfer results), you’ll see some pretty amazing (though rare) stories. The most moving was a woman who dropped out of high school to take care of her mother. After earning her GED, working hard and going back to school, she earned acceptances to top-notch schools; she ended up going to Amherst, I think. And she was 29!
Basically, you’d need the combination of stellar work, a compelling story, and an all-around stunning profile, but, yes, it is possible.
Finally, I think that it is easier to gain acceptances to colleges if you kick tail at a CC for two years. I did not attend an Ivy (I’m not bright enough!), but I was an apathetic student in high school, worked for a few years in low-paying hourly jobs, and then went back to the CC and maintained a 3.8 GPA (this was twenty years ago, mind you). I got accepted into the state flagship that I was rejected by senior year in HS, but I ended up transferring to a CTCL school, which for me was sort of like gaining admission to an elite school. Honestly, for me to do such a huge turnaround and get accepted at a rigorous, well-regarded (in some circles) private LAC is something that I’m proud of.
Best of luck.
Cornell has a lot of articulation agreements with community colleges. They may be a good place to start looking. Be sure to look at Cornell CALS and the many other colleges within the university. Often you’ll need to apply for specific majors.
If you identify as female also consider the many women’s colleges – Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, Hollins, Agnes Scott, Simmons.