Transferring to Columbia from UVA

Colleges & Universities Columbia University
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<p>I had a superscored SAT score of 2230, subject test scores of 750, 700, a 4.4 GPA and had 11 AP courses with a lot of regional/state wide awards and was denied last Thursday (I did apply as a Canadian…could this have affected anything?). </p>

<p>For now, I’m either headed to UVa or McGill, but I am strongly considering transferring to Columbia primarily because of its location. I want to study international law and one of my friends who went to Columbia had year-round internships and a lot of access to jobs and mentorships at the UN headquarters and all over the city. </p>

<p>Here are my questions. Any feedback/answers will be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>1) Was my friend’s opportunity to intern year-round an exception? Should I not expect to find such opportunities so easily even if I do successfully transfer to Columbia?<br>
2) How hard is it to get in as a transfer (on the website, it simply says a small amount…)
3) Does Columbia care about which institution you are transferring from? (For example, I heard Stanford normally chooses transfers from unusual institutions rather than those who are coming from already well-known schools)
4) If I need to go to law school for international law (human rights), should I bother putting in the effort? (I ask because the general consensus on the law school forum seems to be that GPA and LSAT are supreme and undergrad institution does not matter very much…)
5) With the core curriculum and all, how hard will it be for me to catch up on credits, etc?
6) What is the transfer application like? Will I have a chance to send in supplements? Am I allowed to re-take the SATs during my year at UVA? </p>

<p>I have a lot of things in mind, but the main thing is the possibility of internships and jobs year-round that would be available at NYC. The location just seems so perfect for what I want to do!</p>

<p>Any advice? Thanks.</p>

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<p>Don’t think about transferring right now. You might just love UVA.</p>

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<p>Any advice?</p>

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<p>how about transferring from Cornell or Georgetown? cuz those are the schools i wiill go to. i know you guys are gonna tell me to wait on transferring and that i might love my school, but i’ve died to go to columbia since my freshman year. and i got rejected because i screwed up my ED app (which actually was a godsend since i learned what i did wrong and made sure i did my other apps well). regardless, i would still love to go to columbia. so thoughts?</p>

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<p>madhukar, you should really make your own thread and outline specific questions pertaining to your circumstance.</p>

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<p>bumppppppppp</p>

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<p>applying as a canadien wouldn’t impact it, columbia is need blind for canadiens. but it is also very competitive.</p>

<p>if you want to transfer - a) love where you go, get involved, do well academically, get to know your professors (or at least one well enough to write you a recommendation - so go to office hours, do extra assignments). b) continue to research columbia, and write a stellar transfer essay that more than likely really explains and explores why you think columbia would be better for you than your current option. for the most part this means you can’t write it until you actually decide you don’t like UVA, or can vocalize what it is you want and don’t want without sounding petty or ungrateful.</p>

<p>the irony - as mentioned above in shaheiruddin’s post. if you really love what you do and where you are, and ruminate on the experience you not only give yourself the best opportunity to transfer, but also the best opportunity to do well at your school (hell maybe even decide not to leave).</p>

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<p>1) Was my friend’s opportunity to intern year-round an exception? Should I not expect to find such opportunities so easily even if I do successfully transfer to Columbia?
Yes - if you seek them out, they can be par for the course.</p>

<p>2) How hard is it to get in as a transfer (on the website, it simply says a small amount…)
It is competitive, but the pool is not the same as the first year pool - a lot of kids that were denied the first time around and frankly didn’t take advantage of their time in college; some kids that never applied, but did well their first semester and think that will absolve. In the end, your SAT scores, mixed with good 12th year grades, good 1st year grades, and a stellar recommendation, would put you in the running.</p>

<p>3) Does Columbia care about which institution you are transferring from? (For example, I heard Stanford normally chooses transfers from unusual institutions rather than those who are coming from already well-known schools)
Some institutions are clearly more rigorous than others, so of course that will be taken into consideration, but ultimately if you have the smarts and the academic profile, they will probably take you. </p>

<p>4) If I need to go to law school for international law (human rights), should I bother putting in the effort? (I ask because the general consensus on the law school forum seems to be that GPA and LSAT are supreme and undergrad institution does not matter very much…)
You got it. But then consider how naive it is to say I want to do X when you may realize you don’t like it; use college to explore, and find the setting and location that you most desire to explore it. Whether that’s UVA/McGill or Columbia.</p>

<p>5) With the core curriculum and all, how hard will it be for me to catch up on credits, etc?
Not hard to catch up on credits, but I believe they suggest to start seriously considering your major then, and start taking courses toward your major while you are a student elsewhere. And consider that some core courses may transfer - languages, sciences on occasion a writing course. And some major credits will transfer - so long as the courses are comparable to ones that would be taught at CU.</p>

<p>6) What is the transfer application like? Will I have a chance to send in supplements? Am I allowed to re-take the SATs during my year at UVA?
Believe its going to be the common application next year, so who knows. I don’t know why you’d retake the SAT - 2230 is a good score. And in general, sending supplements that are superfluous is a bad idea. But supposing Columbia keeps its normal procedures, they’ll accept it and add it to your file.</p>

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<p>UVA pre-law classes are strong, and I think it’s an excellent school. UVA is a school that is accredited by almost any graduate school and is viewed as a public ivy! Also, big school burn-outs are horrendous.</p>

<p>Asses your situation at UVA before you transfer…
Best of luck!</p>

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<p>shaheirrudin and thispakistanigir, of course I will assess my situation at UVa! I am asking all these questions in the case that I am still willing to transfer. </p>

<p>admissionsgeek - what’s the transfer community like at Columbia? Are transfer students generally “looked down upon” or regarded in such a manner as, say, “Oh, that transfer kid” or do transfer students become a part of Columbia like any other undergrad students? </p>

<p>also, what would be a superfluous supplement? I’ve been playing the clarinet for a while and a lot of my regional and state wide awards were related to that. I was going to send in a recording this year but thought I didn’t have the time to make one that was better than decent so decided not to at the last minute (which I’m regretting now, and is why I actually want to try sending in a recording this time if I do transfer).</p>

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<p>columbia doesn’t accept music supplements from transfer students.</p>

<p>transfer community - well there is the Columbia Transfer Alliance, Transfer Orientation that somewhat serve as spaces that help transfers orient and find friends because it is daunting to step into a place where everyone else already knows each other.</p>

<p>but like anywhere and anything - it is what you make of it. i knew many transfers that you would only find out they were a transfer when you’d ask “where did you live first year?” and they’d be - not here. so it was more a level of wow, they were really good at just blending in, acting like nothing was new. plus columbia as a culture operates often in small interlacing circles, you make your friends, and meet others and others and others, so you could be new as a transfer, but quickly make your way through the circles and you’d be as new to some people as someone who was originally a first year. </p>

<p>now - the one thing to know is that columbia students will pick on you because they can, don’t take it poorly, just know someone might make a wisecrack about you being a transfer, but then again that probably will also occur cause you are coming from canada. some of it might hit below the belt, but it is almost always meant in jest. and in the end you’ll catch up. perhaps you can’t joke about the illiad when you first get to campus, but after you take lithum you’ll be up to speed.</p>

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<p>This is from Columbia’s site - transfer admission, frequently asked question #21…I believe they do allow music supplements. </p>

<p>Also, can you explain your last paragraph?</p>

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<p>my bad, just saw someone in a similar situation so i hopped on lol. sorryz</p>

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<p>actually, columbia does accept music supplements for transfer applicants–i sent in my application with a music supplement last month.</p>

<p>definitely send in the recording. in all honesty, it can only help your application. even if the music were terrible, it wouldn’t hinder your chances.</p>

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<p>oh sorry, i was repeating old news from when i used to be a tour guide, things change.</p>

<p>and i was just responding to this question powerbomb: Are transfer students generally “looked down upon” or regarded in such a manner as, say, “Oh, that transfer kid” or do transfer students become a part of Columbia like any other undergrad students?</p>