<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>What are the chances of getting into the top 60 schools in US News (BU, NEU, BC, Brandeis, NYU, UCs, U Michigan and Syracuse as a safety) if I’m coming from an unranked state school? My SAT is 1600 and GPA is around 2.9. I went a bit downhill in some of my courses during my senior and is planning to get really good grades next year. I’m currently prepping at a college by taking summer classes at a college level (getting no credits) so I can do well next year. I’m actually doing really well at those classes so I have a feeling I will do well in college. What are my chances of getting into top schools and do I need to retake the SAT? Thanks.</p>
<p>You can pretty much write off the UCs as a transfer student, as virtually all of their transfer slots are reserved for California community college students.</p>
<p>Can you afford those private schools? None of the ones you mentioned are known for great financial aid and as a transfer student, you will receive effectively no merit awards.</p>
<p>Moreover, I’m not sure how you can call Syracuse a “safety.” Safety schools are ones you are almost assured of getting into, and that you know you can afford. A 1600/2.9 is not remotely close to “safety” stats for Syracuse.</p>
<p>Edit: I just read an older thread wherein you state that your budget is $10,000 per year. You need to stay at in-state public schools, because that’s all you can afford given your stats. Drop the obsession with fake prestige and rock out at the school you’re going to attend. Make it your own.</p>
<p>Not to discourage you, base on your current stats, you probably won’t be able to get in any of the school you mentioned above. Bring up your college GPA to 3.5, you may have shot to some.</p>
<p>Thanks! I understand your concerns but i’ve known people who got a very good financial aid package from BU and BC with a 3.7 GPA and a 1980 SAT. I’m well aware that Syracuse is not a safety. I’m listing it as a safety because I do have faith that I will do well in college. 
I’m currently taking microeconomic classes and is doing well with a 3.6 GPA. I will work really hard in college and try to get a 3.7 and up. I’m just worried because I got a C in math during my senior year.</p>
<p>Those people you “know” were undoubtedly freshman applicants with significantly superior academic credentials to yours.</p>
<p>Transfer students get extremely poor financial aid at most colleges that do not meet full need, and neither your GPA nor your SAT scores are comparable to theirs.</p>
<p>In addition to what polarscribe said, your gpa and test scores have nothing to do with need based FA. So comparing to what other people have gotten is irrelevant unless they are also transfers and have similar financial circumstances as you.</p>
<p>Stay instate save yourself some money. Take it from me. I made a poor decision going out of state to a public school.</p>
<p>If you wanna move up a little bit you could try Binghamton and Stony Brook, both SUNYs OOS tuition is 15k I believe. I would refrain though.</p>
<p>@Polar Those people are transfers from 2011. One of them got a really good financial aid which gives him the opportunity to pay for room and board too. The other one got a mediocre (8k OOP, and work study) and I believe >6k loan. He chose BC in the end though because BC offered him a better financial aid. I’m not sure if they lied, but I don’t think they will…since there’s no point of them doing so. I live near the MA area so I do know people from MA. One of them is from Boston, so I’m not sure if that is why he got a good financial aid from BU. </p>
<p>Also, are the UCs really that hard to get into? I’ve read some threads on CC and it seems like people are getting into Davis with a 3.5 >. =] I do have faith in myself, since I am doing good at the prep classes. I do understand that colleges are more lenient toward transfer students but I heard that there are also some transfer friendly colleges such as BC who gives their transfer students a lot of money.</p>
<p>In what state are you a resident.</p>
<p>People might have got in with a 3.5. Look at the statistics, they definitely aren’t in any OOS’s favor. Just don’t bank on it. Plus tuition is astronomical as OOS at a UC.</p>
<p>yEAH, I know that the UCs are very low reaches for me. I’m not planning to go, but I put it in my list as a dream school. I love city schools so I’m looking at schools in Boston. BC is currently one of my top choices, a bit crazy…I know. Even more challenging since I’m applying as a sophomore transfer. How hopeless is it having BC as my top choice? My friend got in as a sophomore transfer (which means he’s starting BC as a sophomore student). His SAT wasn’t crazily high, in fact a bit low for BC. It was a 1980 and he had a 3.7 GPA in college. His high school GPA was around the low 3.1 or 3.0 area, I believe. To be honest, I’m not too discouraged since he have really similar statistics as me. I don’t know what kind of hooks he had, or what type of essay he wrote. He was very surprised that he got into BC too, and not to mention, with a very good financial aid which allows him to dorm and such. I don’t know the exact numbers but if he can afford to dorm without breaking his parents wallet, then I’m sure it was pretty good.</p>
<p>I agree with poster #2. Even though I wanted to go to one of my dream schools, which happens to be OOS, I am in a way glad that I’m staying in-state and going to a school close to home. The tuition for OOS at my dream school is about $26,000 while in-state tuition at the school that I’m transferring to now is only about $5,000. We’re not here to discourage you, but I know how it feels to want to transfer into a big named university or your dream school, but sometimes you have to be realistic.</p>
<p>^ he/she’s right. I’ll be transferring home as well if I get in next fall.</p>
<p>Retake your SATs. A 1600 is low.</p>
<p>^Thanks. What scores should I aim for?</p>
<p>1900? or the 2000s? </p>
<p>Also, did anyone received a good financial aid for OOS schools and have similar stats as me?</p>
<p>Yeah, aim for the 2000s. It’s doable. I had a 3.1 GPA and a 29 on the ACTs and I received good financial aid from top 100 private schools.</p>
<p>If you keep comparing yourself to your friend and stating that you have similar academic credentials, aim for a 2000 (like he had). With a 2000 and a 3.7+ from your freshman year you should be in shape to transfer as a sophomore.</p>
<p>Is the state school your attending your state’s flagship? If it’s not, aim for your state’s flagship school and you won’t have to set unrealistic goals for yourself (Unless you didn’t study at all for the SATs the first time, a 400 point boost is near impossible).</p>
<p>Also, most of the schools you listed give horrible FA. I can assure you NYU, SU, and UMICH will not meet your full need.</p>
<p>The only realistic option you have is to do well in the college your currently in and go to an elite grad school.</p>
<p>Thanks! I’ve jus talked to him earlier and he told me that he didn’t get a good financial aid for BC. He just borrowed a huge loan so he could dorm to enjoy the college life. Thanks all tho! Haha, I thought he received a very good FA. Never mind, sorry!</p>