<p>My Background</p>
<p>High School</p>
<p>Public High School for 2 years before entering an independent study program and getting my diploma after 1 additional year (in other words the last two years of coursework were finished in one year). No ECs in High School; Graduated June 2009. </p>
<p>
*Total GPA: 3.25*
[ul]
[]Year 1: 2.7
[]Year 2: 3.25
[]Year 3: 3.8
[]Year 4: 3.6
[/ul]
**Junior College**
Have attended two California Community Colleges, taking a varying course load and trying to decide on an academic direction. Lack of any attendance during Fall 2012 due to jaw surgery (is this relevant for application?). Have only recently become truly interested in academia and have only just begun to pursue ECs.
*Total GPA: 3.869*
Fall 2009
[ul]
[]Art Hist Survey Renaissance-Contemp: A
[]Weather and Climate: A
[]Music Appreciation: A
[/ul]
Winter/Spring 2010
[ul]
[li]Cultural Anthropology: B[/li][]Art Hist Survey Ancient-Medieval: A
[]Arts & Ideas Renaissance-Modern: A
[/ul]
Fall 2010
[ul]
[li]Art Hist Non-Western: A[/li][]Art Hist Mexican: A
[]Art Hist Modern/Contemporary: A
[/ul]
Spring 2011
[ul]
[li]Introductory Astronomy: B[/li][/ul]
Fall 2011
[ul]
[li]English 1A: A[/li][/ul]
Spring 2012
[ul]
[li]English 1B: A[/li][]Anthropology: Native Peoples of North America: A
[/ul]
Spring 2013
[ul]
[]Major British Writers II: A
[]Medieval Art Hist: A
[/ul]
**My Goals and Questions**
I've come to the conclusion that I want to pursue a science path, either in the cognitive/neural direction or in the biological/zoological direction. My current task is to support this aspiration with full-time coursework. My inchoate application list includes Wesleyan University, Brown University, Swarthmore College, UPenn CAS, UC Berkeley and Cornell CAS.
[ul]
*I need input on how someone with a humanities background can present him or herself to study science at liberal arts institutions. Are admissions personnel more concerned with potential rather than what particular coursework you've already taken?*
[/ul]
[ul]
At each institution except Berkeley, which has specific requisites to transfer, how important is it that I take courses exactly in line with the major? For example, if I wanted to apply to the cognitive science concentration at Brown, but to the Neuroscience program at Wesleyan (they don't offer a Cog Sci), how do I know what courses to take before transfer?
[/ul]
[ul]
*How can a transfer student predict what standing he or she will end up with after admittance? Is it possible in cases where students are changing direction to enter as sophomores regardless of credit accumulation to ensure completion of a degree in a new subject?*
[/ul]
[ul]
*Would it be advisable to apply for a humanities major and then switch once admitted? I would feel rather serpentine doing this, but if its the best option...*
[/ul]</p>