im not particularly happy with how college decisions went and my hs experience overall. i had a 3.2 gpa uw, 3.6 w, 9 aps, 11 honors, 1420 superscore sat. my low grades were due to moving, family matters, and just an environment where i was unable to focus on my academics. i know some will say give the college a try and i really have no other choice if i want to succeed, but i just want to put myself in the best position possible to succeed, even if it means transferring.
im an incoming finance major at a state school, which is a nontarget. i want to transfer out to a better school by the end of the year. im expecting to take 30 credits across the two semesters my freshman year if not more. assuming i can pull off a 3.8+ and retake the sat for a 1500+, please recommend me some possible destinations (and of course get some good ecs like research done).
from my knowledge:
usc doesn’t look at hs grades if i can get 30 credits my time of application. is there anyway i can farm credits? (ive been informed of applying as a cuny non degree student over the summer and taking classes)
are there any other schools i should look at? (fgli so i need aid)
The SAT is intended for high school students. If you retake the SAT after starting university, transfer admissions at other universities will not care.
I interpret this as you want to start your second year of university somewhere else after transferring. The problem here is that to do this you will need to send in your applications after just one single semester of university. Given only one semester of university courses, your high school grades are going to matter quite a bit. With a 3.2 high school GPA you are not likely to be accepted to a highly ranked university such as the University of Southern California (which I am guessing is the “USC” that you refer to in your post).
Also getting good financial aid is often more difficult for transfer students. This will depend however on what university you are transferring into.
Generally speaking classes in university are more difficult than classes in high school. There are students who get better grades in university than they had in high school. A few students get much better grades in university. This will however take a lot of work and a lot of effort and a lot of determination.
In order to get more accurate advice it would help if we know more about you. I do understand the name of this web site contains the word “confidential” so the challenge is to give us enough information to allow us to give more accurate advice, without enough information for us to figure out who you are.
A 1420 SAT score is pretty good, and is probably somewhat better than a 3.2 GPA. However a 3.2 GPA is decent. It is not likely to get you in a “top 20” university, but it does suggest that you should be able to handle university level work at many schools (and there are some students who did a lot worse than this in high school and still did very well in university – I happen to know one person who did a lot worse than 3.2 in high school but who ended up as a tenured professor at a university that he would never have been accepted to straight out of high school).
There are a lot of very good universities in the US. You can get a good education at any one of at least a few hundred schools (and probably more like a thousand or more). You can also have a successful career after getting a bachelor’s degree at any one of a large number (at least several hundred or more) of colleges and universities.
What university will you be attending in September? Also, what is your budget? What can you afford to spend for university without taking on debt? Can you afford to attend the university that you will be attending in September?
If you have one foot out the door before you start, you’re less likely to do well.
Why not give your school a chance?
Just because you’re at a target school doesn’t mean you’ll be a target. And kids make that field from many many many schools. In fact, your school may have a club or enrichment to help.
This largely means that transfer applicants in their second year of college applying for transfer as a junior will be evaluated mainly or only based on their college record rather than their high school record.
Transfer applicants applying for transfer as a sophomore will generally have both their high school and college records used, since the amount of college record they have available tends to be too little to be used by itself.
So if you want to transfer to colleges where a HS GPA of 3.2 gives you no realistic chance, it is best for you to plan for staying at your current college the first two years to apply as a junior transfer with three semesters of college record to show. Of course, you will need to excel in your college courses, which you need to choose to cover typical general education requirements and prepare for your major, and target colleges which do take significant numbers of junior transfer students.
for sophomore transfers, like you mentioned, colleges would still take hs into account. this includes gpa, sat/act, and ecs. they would be less likely to do this as a junior, but then recruitment and resources would then not be worth the price imo.
i will be attending upitt. im paying roughly 13k after federal loans and will most likely would fill the gap via private loans. im not certain about the budget but im assuming whatever is the max on borrowing for student loans thats why im looking for schools that are more likely to give aid
In general I think it is a terrible idea to start one college with the intent of transferring out. This mindset could stand in the way of your making meaningful friendships, developing relationships with professors, and getting involved on campus. Then if your transfer doesn’t work out as planned you will be really stuck. I’d go to the college you enrolled in with the intent of staying all four years. It is fine to throw in a couple of transfer applications but don’t count on it working out.
Agree with @DadTwoGirls that it does not make sense to re-take the SAT once you are in college. The SAT is an exam meant specifically for HS students so even if you get a high score as a college student, nobody will be impressed. Your time and energy would be better spent elsewhere.
Be aware that merit aid can be harder to come by as a transfer student.
Most colleges look at your HS record if you apply as a sophomore. Not sure about USC’s policy in particular.
ETA: You will be at Pitt! That is a fantastic outcome. I’d focus on doing great there and having a wonderful college experience. The bigger concern seems to be affordability for four years. Do you have other, more affordable options?
i understand this but im in the position where i strongly believe ive been dealt a bad hand throughout hs. i feel i can do better and strongly believe i will. if worse comes to worse and i dont end up transferring, i will have brought the best out of myself just by attempting to transfer
like i said, im not planning to hate my college, be spiteful, or anything of the sort. in fact, i plan to utilize every resource possible. it is not personal at all. coming from a target is better than a nontarget
im viewing this experience similarly to if i went to cc. this is the turnaround period of my life that could allow me a better opportunity to break into high finance if i really wanted to.
just like if i want to stay at pitt by the end of the first year, i would. the reason i chose pitt rather than cc is to experience campus life and finally be independent, which is more present in uni than cc
if its not viewed by colleges, id happily skip it
im looking for schools that provide similar aid to first year students
many do this, unless i am able to rack up a lot of credits. i wondering if there is any way to rack up more credits like over than summer from the july-august period??
A CC is meant to be a 2 year experience. Pitt is an outstanding university that can give you every chance to reach your goals. Here’s hoping you make the most of your opportunity.
Federal loan limits:
Freshman year: $5500 which is $2750 per semester
Sophomore year: $6500 which is $3250 per semester
Junior/Senior year: $7500 which is $3750.
Financial Aid tends to give their best aid to entering Freshman.
Private loans are backed by financial institutions (banks, loan institutions) who look at your family income, home value, and collateral. They might start off loaning you enough money for a year or two, but once the value of your assets is depleted, they will deny any further loans. If you are low income, loans are not the way to go.
USC is $90k+. They shell out their big bucks for National Merit Winners, recruited athletes and artists/musicians. You cannot qualify for NM because that award is based on the PSAT. Retaking the SAT won’t do you any favors because, as previous posters have noted, it’s a high school test and, higher scores, as a non high school student, won’t be considered.
Take advantage of any affordable school and work hard to graduate. You’ll earn a degree that will only help you rise to your goals.
You really need to talk to an advisor at your target transfer school to see if your being realistic. Many classes might not transfer cleanly especially in Math /sciences. Not sure you thought this through clearly but great start coming here.
You can be just about anything you want to. But it’s not just about attempting to do well to transfer as I am reading here. You have to have the attitude to do well in spite of your short comings. Prove that to yourself first. Definitely use every resource including professor hours, peer to peer mentoring, math /science labs. You are going to need it. Pitt is no joke. Once you prove that you can handle this part then maybe you have a realistic chance to transfer “after” your sophomore year. At that point your either killing it and simulating into college life and culture or your not. Or your making excuses.
Sorry to be hard on you. I was you and went to a community college for a year. Met with admission at my local regional college since I didn’t have the money to go away. I worked and lived at home and drove to the two “Big” college visiting friends but also had my own fun. I met with professors also that taught at both places and got great advice. I felt the same way you do right now. My circumstances drove my GPA to the ground and life was tough. Then I got realistic with myself and decided as I state a lot on here… I “bet” on myself. No one else was going to (OK my mother ). I stopped feeling sorry for myself and killed it the rest of the way. Getting lots of help.
Pro Hint : college is damn hard. Never say no to help.
If you feel confident that you can earn a much higher score on the SAT, then do so as long as it doesn’t detract from putting in the effort to earn the highest college GPA that you can.
From a psychological standpoint, a higher standardized test score is likely to bolster your confidence and lessen your complaints.
Also, it is not uncommon to see resumes from college students and recent college graduates which display one’s highest standardized test score. Also not uncommon for employers to request an applicant’s standardized test score for positions which do not require substantial prior work experience.
U Pitt is a great university. I suspect that you will be pleasantly surprised by the work ethic and intelligence of your peers there.
The real problem is the private loans. If you have to take out private loans to pay for college, even the one you’re in may not be affordable. You might not like the advice I’m about to give, but here goes. I have a perfect transfer option for you…community college. This could very well be the difference between affordable and unaffordable. If you transfer to another university, your financial situation will be the same or potentially much worse.
thank you for understanding where im coming from. most of the time, people just think i want to transfer just because and will make no effort to tap in with the community. no, im simply trying to make up for lost time or close the gaps from my shortcomings.
i definitely am devoted to making use of resources at upitt, even connecting with some current students to see what i programs to look out for, what i can get a headstart in etc. my focus is definitely on doing well academically first as that’s the basis of transfer in the first place.
you mentioned you went to cc for one year, which im assuming as sophomore transfer. how do i rack up credits to put less emphasis on my low hs gpa, given there is a 18-credit limit per semester and im trying to get about 30 by 1st semester?
from ap credits if i do well this year, ill have about 12 credits, but im assuming worse case scenario because i rather be safe than sorry
I have a close family member at Pitt, totally overshot with the applications, he got off 2 other waitlists. Similar gps, 35 act/1540 sat. Full pay (parents say st least they’re saving a lot of money oos at Pitt (next 1 heading to WUSTL). He thought of transferring, but he’s a sophomore and most likely staying. It’s really a fantastic school (my daughter didn’t receive enough merit to attend).
So it’s really hard to advise you. You need to meet with your college advisor. If your already accepted to Pitt then call and make an appointment with your undergrad advisor now. Air all of this out and ask for suggestions. 18 credits is a lot. My engineering son did it. Not something I would suggest for you. Once you get your study habits improved you can always take classes at a CC in the summer. They are double speed but taking one or two will help. That would be the summer of your sophomore year (between freshman and sophomore year).
Life isn’t a race. But taking 18 credits and not doing well isn’t a good strategy. Look at the 4 year plan. See what Aps will count cleanly. Take 12-14 credits max first semester (have the college advisor suggest this). Prove to yourself that you can handle that. College is tough. Makes high school look like a joke to some. Focus on doing well. At some colleges student do a whole grade point less then where they are now first semester. Get my point now??
If Pitt isn’t affordable and you talked openly with your parents than community college might be the most logical option for you. There is nothing wrong with it. I went one year and learned how to study. I transfered to a local regional 4 year that the same professors taught at, so the transfers after one year was easy. It wasn’t a hard school to get into. I did two year’s there and somehow got into med school a year early (they must of had an open seat and I don’t really care ). Med school was extremely difficult for me. But I excelled in the clinic and was clinic doctor of the year for 3 consecutive. My point being.. Figure out your deficiencies and get help to fix them. I went right to some of the smartest people in the class who were also nice human beings and asked for help. Trust me. This wasn’t easy to do. But I learned something. Everyone in college needs some help. Those study groups are for a reason. They are for real. It’s really hard doing college alone.
I also learned that I am an auditory learner. We taped our classes and I didn’t take great notes in classes but just kinda took it in. Then I made a commitment to myself to go to the library and listen a second time and take notes. This really helped me. Also we paid some students to take the “class” notes. What a difference. Now, instead of studying everything, I learned to study what is important.
Now you have some great AI apps student’s are using for note taking and they even form quizzes from those notes. Wish I had that. Lol.
Anyway, figure out what works for you then implement it.
USC will still look at your HS record if you apply for soph year. You need 30 credits by the end of first year, not by the time of application. So no need to take 18 credits your first semester. Take fewer credits, set yourself up for success in college.
Your HS record will be much less important to the decision at most schools (if at all) if you apply for junior year transfer.
Transfer Units
USC does not require a minimum number of transfer units.* However, if you will have earned fewer than 30 transferable semester units by the end of the spring term, we will base our decision in large part on your high school record and/or SAT or ACT scores (if you submit them). Please note that applicants to the 2024-2025 academic year are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores, although they may still submit them if they wish.
If you are thinking of retaking the SAT test after you graduate HS, i would not waste your time. That is a test designed for HS students, not college students.
). I stopped feeling sorry for myself and killed it the rest of the way. Getting lots of help.
). Med school was extremely difficult for me. But I excelled in the clinic and was clinic doctor of the year for 3 consecutive. My point being.. Figure out your deficiencies and get help to fix them. I went right to some of the smartest people in the class who were also nice human beings and asked for help. Trust me. This wasn’t easy to do. But I learned something. Everyone in college needs some help. Those study groups are for a reason. They are for real. It’s really hard doing college alone.