<p>There are many highly regarded, rather selective LACs and leading state universities that will gladly take a 4.0 transfer student. Those are the universities you should be researching if you are looking to make a “step up” the college ladder. Harvard, Stanford and the likes are just lotto tickets because the transfer rates are so extremely low and one needs a mind-blowing hook to even be considered (and a 4.0 is not it). However, if you look the next layer or two down from them, many options start to open up, especially if you are able to pay full ticket price.</p>