I’ve just finished my freshman year and am considering applying to following universities for Fall 2015:
Upenn, Duke, Northwestern, Vandy, Umich, UNC, and probably JHU, Notre Dame, Rice and UVA.
stats:
Current School: University of California - Santa Barbara
Major: Chemical Engineering
GPA (Freshman year): 4.0
Courses: 2 math (skip 3 quarters of math with A-Level so I only have one course left), 2 physics, 3 chem with lab, 1 mandatory writing class, some GEs (music, nutrition, geology & oceanography), all taken for letter grades.
Awards: Dean’s Honor each quarter
Extracurriculars: member of several clubs and chem learning assistant. I’ve just applied for the college honors program so I may take part in more academic related activities in the sophomore year.
At this stage I consider my SAT as the biggest hindrance, especially for the critical reading part (2010/2400, 590 critical reading, 800 math, 620 writing), and I didn’t take SAT II before.
I’m confident that I could score higher if I retake it (maybe 2200+). The problem is, it will take a lot of time for preparation and I know how hard it is to maintain a high GPA in college. I don’t want to waste my time if it won’t help, and I plan to learn another language with all mandatory specialized courses next year so there will be a lot of pressure. But I will definitely retake it if it can increase the odds since I have only one chance left.
You need to contact the Transfer Admissions Office at each place on your list, and find out if they accept SAT scores taken after a student has started college. Many don’t.
Thanks for your reply. They all require SAT scores but none of them explicitly state if retaken SAT scores will be accepted, so I’m gonna send emails.
Besides, do you have any personal advice about the necessity of retaking SAT?
And anyone knows if there will be problem/disadvantage for transferring from a university operating on the Quarter System to the other operating on the Semester System?
Besides, in UCSB, only one quarter’s computer science/engineering is required for ChemE students. I wonder if it would be enough for other colleges. Does anyone know about that?
Each place decides for itself what transfers as what. Some one-quarter classes cover the same material as a particular one-semester class, but just in less time. Other one-quarter classes cover 1/3 of a full year worth of material and won’t replace a semester class that covers 1/2 of a full year worth of material.
If you are admitted as a transfer, the new institution should give you an estimate of what your credits will transfer as, but you won’t know for certain until after you have enrolled and the Registrar’s Office finalizes the paperwork. So keep all of your textbooks, course syllabi, and graded homework, projects, and exams in case you need to use them when petitioning for credit that isn’t awarded automatically.
I’m hoping that is a typo in your post, and you mean 2016. By now, it is likely too late to apply for fall 2015 admission to those schools!
It is not necessary to retake the SAT. And, even if you find some of your schools will accept scores for tests retaken during college, in your specific case, I honestly wouldn’t bother. A 2010 is not a horrible score by any means. But a 4.0 college GPA is quite impressive. Generally speaking, transcripts will carry more weight than test scores in admissions decisions for Transfer applicants, and this is especially true for Junior transfer applicants, which you will be. I would use the time you would have spent preparing for the test and focus on your application essays, and keeping up your grades. Obviously, it is your call though. If you do decide to retake them, please keep in mind that your newer score might not even give you the bump up in terms of admission chances you think will be getting. The colleges will see the date on the score, and know that you’ve taken them after having completed some college, and they will see the test dates for applicants who are submitting their HS scores. They know they will be “comparing apples and oranges”. Will, for example, a 2200 taken as a Sophomore in college, be “better” than someone else’s 2100 taken as a HS Junior/senior? Is a 2300 taken during college the same someone else’s 2300 taken during HS?
Regarding SAT2’s, I’m not sure about every school on your list, but from what I’ve seen, schools that normally require them for freshman applicants, don’t for transfers. But you should research your target schools’ policies on that. Unless they are required, I wouldn’t bother with those either.
@happymomof1
Thank you and I will take that advice.
Besides, I’ve searched for the major requirements of some of my target schools, and engineering students are generally supposed to finish 2 semesters’ computer/engineering course for applying junior transfer, which is the confusing part. In UCSB, only computer science/computer engineering/electrical engineering students need to take CS for more than 3 quarters, and accounting/actuarial related majors take CS for 2 quarters. As for ChemE and ME, only one quarter’s CS is required. So I’m really confused about if I should take more CS next year since I have to change my agenda completely in that case and I don’t even know whether they are the corresponding courses in other universities. That means it would be a completely waste of time if I don’t get admitted and have to stay in UCSB
@ericeo
We don’t take any ChemE course until the first quarter of our sophomore year, so I don’t have any first-hand experience in terms of ChemE courses at this stage. But staffs working in that department are friendly and I do have heard more good things about my major. Besides, the lower-division chem profs/TAs I’ve had are the best comparing with any other course, and I’m hoping things will remain the same for ochem/ChemE.
