<p>Hi, there. I was recently accepted into a public university, and was given a full scholarship. It was not my first choice; I was, however, accepted into my first choice. Regardless of my EFC of 0, I was not allowed to attend because of costs. I’m not entirely satisfied with the university I will be attending, so I wish to transfer, ideally after my first year.</p>
<p>I did “okay” in high school, managing a 3.0 GPA and 27 ACT. Part of the reason I did not perform as spectacular as I am capable – an Ivy League professor once commented that I was more of an intellectual than “everyone I know, pressed together” – was due to depression and, consequently, a lack of motivation. I lost several members of my family, and was estranged from a majority of my family afterward. I plan on re-inventing my academic situation when in college; I am becoming highly motivated again, and want to do the right thing. I’m sure some of you can relate.</p>
<p>I wish to transfer to one of the following: St. John’s College MD, Hampshire College, or Reed College. Of course, this does not come without its share of questions. First, what is the likelihood that one of these colleges will be able to closely compete with my current financial aid offer? Second, what are my chances of being admitted to these schools? And lastly, do you have any colleges in mind that are similar to the ones I mentioned?</p>
<p>You sound like an impressive person, I wish you luck.
I’d like to add Whitman, Lewis & Clark, and Pitzer to your list.
I may be able to think of something else constructive at another time when I’m not half-asleep.</p>
<p>If admitted, Reed would meet your full need (by their definition, and it is a PROFILE school). Reed’s 25/75 ACT range is 28/32, so the combination of your low GPA and low ACT could present an admission challenge; you would probably need top grades and top recommendations. An SAT CR/M score of 1470 (75th %ile) would likely help.</p>
<p>More schools in some ways similar to Reed are Carleton, Grinnell, Oberlin, Swarthmore, probably with similar admission requirements.</p>
<p>In general, aid is harder to get as a transfer than freshman admit. Although I have no specific knowledge of the schools you are targeting.</p>
<p>Why were you “not allowed” to attend first choice despite 0 EFC? Was that school not a 100% need school? Or was the package too heavy on loans? I think we would need some more information to help you guess how it might work in a transfer situation.</p>
<p>The school, as I was unaware, was not a 100% need school, the loan packages were not provided by the school, I had to get them elsewhere, and at high interest rates. My family could not afford to pay, which was unfortunate. Doing a lot of research and digging over the period of a week, it was found that the college only offers around 30% of the aid. I had no way of knowing this; usually, I’m extremely good at finding these sort of things out. As of late, however, I’ve been extremely skeptical of college information web sites that purport to allot accurate statistics regarding the individual colleges.</p>
<p>I guess I will attempt to remove Reed from the list of schools I wish to transfer to, as one of the posters mentioned that I would have a hard time being admitted. Why waste the money applying to the college ($50-60, methinks) if I know I am simply going to be rejected?</p>
<p>Because of the dubious nature of college statistics web sites (College Board, CollegeData, and, presumably, others) does anyone here have any experience with St. John’s College (Maryland), or Hampshire College? I’m partial to St. John’s, so if anyone has some accurate information regarding the college – or is a student at the college – it would be of great appreciation if you could respond to this post.</p>
<p>Again, thank you all for your time and patience.</p>
<p>A lot of schools (mainly privates as far as I know) will allow you an application fee waiver if you show need. Considering you said your EFC is 0 I would say you would be more than qualified, so that is something you should probably look into. If the schools website does not show it anywhere give them a call or email and ask about it. I would think that is something Reed would certainly do though. So, if you don’t mind writing the essays it wold be worth a shot if you really want to go there.</p>
<p>hermanns, I appreciate your response. I’ve been thinking it over a bit, about my goals, who I am, and what I want out of an undergraduate education. I do intend to enroll in graduate school; none of my anticipated career paths allow me to stay within the BA level, so I need to go MA, then PhD. I’m not sure if Reed is right for me, anymore. The previous poster was probably right – I’d have a near-impossible time getting in, with my scores. Even so, I want to attend St. John’s College more than any of the colleges I originally listed.</p>
<p>februaryman, I can’t tell if you’ve decided against Reed for personal or practical reasons, but if it’s because you’re worried about your scores, there are plenty of things you can do to compensate for them, including but not limited to retaking the ACT. Admissions are very variable, so I’m of the opinion that it’s a good thing to put yourself out there if you’re interested. If you’re leaning away from Reed on different grounds, however, that’s a different story. I was very interested in Reed while applying for transfer, but never got around to finishing the application in the end-of-semester firestorm, and I regret it a bit. Anyhow, you seem sober enough to assess your own preferences.</p>
<p>I applied to UChicago as a transfer, my EFC was 0, and I was admitted with a very good financial aid package (I’m left accountable for only a couple thousand dollars, which I will easily earn this summer working a low-wage job). A lot of people complain about Chicago financial aid (for good reason, I’ve heard), but if you’re truly from a low income bracket, they may take care of you. UChicago seems like a good school that shares some things in common with Reed, so I’m mentioning it as per your request for suggestions. :)</p>
<p>st. john’s would take you, but any transfers must start the program as a freshman, not exactly cost effective thing. I think you ought to apply to reed.</p>
<p>I am a student at St. John’s in Annapolis, and my financial situation is similar to yours. I encourage you to apply to St. John’s–there is no application fee–and to see what the financial aid office offers you; the aid package they gave me exceeded my estimated need. I know many other students who were given similar aid. If you do want to come to St. John’s, you will likely be admitted (if you’ve looked at the application at all, you’ve seen that the admission decision is based primarily on how well you express your desire to engage in the program), and there is a good chance you’ll be given the aid you need. Good luck.</p>
<p>I have friends who were teaching at Reed and studying at Oberlin. Both seem to be great places for intelligent, sensitive people. I went through many years of depression myself – hang in there, it can definitely get better. Very best of luck to you.</p>