<p>I’m a non-traditional student who went from $0 EFC to now having the ability to full pay for my tuition. I intend to delicately and tactfully touch on this in my essays. My numbers aren’t great. Rough childhood, I didn’t have any direction at college, wasn’t challenged, and was depressed I ended up at a crappy school. Knowing I want to transfer, I earned a 4.0 in the three classes I took this summer. I can easily 4.0 everything again but my GPA will still be weird (depending on how the university chooses to calculate it) because I have so many Ws and retakes. I’d like to get into Michigan, Georgetown or Northwestern and aim in economics. Thank you.</p>
<p>Just because you have money now doesn’t mean you have the academic qualifications for top schools.</p>
<p>Definitely give it a go. Don’t be too heavy on it on your essays as some of those schools, Georgetown and NW are needblind and can be touchy about these things. The fact that you are doing so well at your current school is what will catch their attention, especially an upward trend. The focus will be on your college GPA and if the fact you had to work and scrape up the money to go to school affected your grades at the onset is an issue, do bring it up, though delicately. Maybe you can write it out and ask a prof or someone writing a letter of rec for you to bring it up instead of you. </p>
<p>USC and NYU are also good possibilities for transfers, from what I have seen.</p>