I’m posting this in the designated forums for transfer applicants as well as here.
As a freshman applicant last year, I didn’t do so hot. After paring down my application list to a few very selective institutions (which I realize was poor judgement), I was accepted to only one very good school (luckily with a generous scholarship). One year in, and I’m doing well enough at the school, but a number of factors including distance, size, location, and campus style, but especially a desire to do more, have made me consider transferring.
At my current school, I am a rising junior, due to a year’s worth of AP credits. Because of the opportunity and scholarship I currently have, I would only really be applying to schools with extremely high reputations. My aim is to take the application a little more seriously and admissions decisions a little less seriously this time. I would be perfectly safe staying at my current school, but a part of me will always question if I really put my best foot forward on the CommonApp, so I want to give it another shot with stronger essays.
A number of things have changed since I applied nearly two years ago, including my high school’s reputation, my own ability as a writer, my goals in life (now more focused than ever), and obviously, a year’s worth of college credit.
In addition, I would be sending an extra semester’s worth of high school grades. Unfortunately, for medical reasons, I missed a lot of work during my final semester of high school. Would you advise an addendum? I still graduated as valedictorian.
With all that said, here’s my résumé in plain numbers and words:
Race/Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
State of Residence: NJ
High School Type: Public
High School State Rank: 307/364
Class Rank: 1/361
Parents’ Education/Job Status/Income:
Father: BFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology, 1985
Unemployed/Freelance as of Feb. 2013, previously made $100K+
Mother: BFA in Graphic Design from Moore College of Art and Design, 1988
$110K+ as a Manager of Web Design
NMSQT/PSAT: 221
SAT I Composite (two sittings): 2320
SAT I Writing: 780
SAT I Mathematics: 780
SAT I Reading: 760
SAT I Essay: 9
ACT Composite (one sitting): 35
ACT English: 35
ACT Mathematics: 33
ACT Reading: 36
ACT Science: 35
ACT Writing: 8
AP European History: 3
AP Calculus AB: 3
AP Computer Science: 3
AP Biology: 4
AP Spanish Lang.: 4
AP English Lang.: 4
AP English Lit.: 4
AP Statistics: 4
AP US History: 5
AP US Government: 5
SAT II Math II: 710
SAT II Biology M: 760
SAT II US History: 750
UGPA: 3.71 (S1 3.93, S2 3.5)
Major: Economics
Other: Presidential Scholar, Dean’s List
As far as my undergraduate GPA goes, I’d like it to be higher, but my school does have a very, very strict grading policy that consistently is ranked as the most difficult curve in the country. It is mandated that all courses have a median grade of B- unless the professor gets an exception and A+ is not an offered grade, so my GPA is actually on the higher side. In addition, I took a second semester course that is intended for juniors without the prerequisites. None of this changes the pure number of 3.71, but it should give some perspective to universities that use a holistic approach.
High School Extracurriculars:
- Valedictorian
- Student Body President
- Class Treasurer (managed fundraising for class events, including junior and senior prom; input on planning activities)
- Science Club Treasurer (fundraising and collection of dues)
- Key Club Junior & Senior Class Exec. (organized and introduced Habitat for Humanity volunteer trip)
- National Honor Society (General, Science, and Spanish)
- Peer Leadership (freshman advisor during senior year)
- AP Scholar with Distinction
- Varsity tennis captain (honorific; not based on ability, of which I have very little)
- volunteer tutoring for peers in need of assistance
College Extracurriculars:
- currently organizing grassroots petition to reform town charter to ward system
- currently submitting for publication in Boston Political Review
As a freshman applicant, here are my results:
Rejected: Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, UPenn, UMichigan, Southern California
Waitlisted: UChicago
Accepted: Boston University
Current targets are Columbia and Georgetown. I think that Yale is out of reach. Other schools I’m considering targeting are Vanderbilt, Berkeley, Brown, Duke, and Miami. Is reapplying to any of the colleges from which I was rejected worth the time?
I was hoping that you could give me the hard truth I need instead of feeding me candy-coated nonsense that I want to hear. I can supply any additional information you ask for within reason, and may add some as I remember it. Feel free to also suggest any things I can do during the summer and the next year to boost my application, as I know my college ECs are lacking. I’ve had a hard time finding organizations on campus; it’s a factor involved in my decision to transfer.
In addition, I’d like any suggestions you have for colleges.