I am currently attending UMass Boston and I am hoping to transfer in the spring but I wanted to know if I should wait until next year to apply. They require that high school GPA be sent in if you have under 27 credits and my GPA in high school was pretty low (2.7 unweighted, 3.0 weighted). My SAT was a 1290, which isn’t great either. I went to a really good high school, the best in my state but I’m worried this will hold me back from being accepted. I have a few extracurriculars, my strongest being my work right now at children’s hospital and my high school study program at Harvard medical school, but I wanted to know if I’m better off waiting to apply in the fall semester when they won’t look at my high school grades. My intended major would be Public Health but my second choice is psychology. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!
Would going to UMASS impact your current work at Harvard given the distance whereas the current school might be better?
I’d say - if you are interested in applying, then do so and see.
You might ask a UMASS transfer adviser for some advice - in regards to is it the right timeline - maybe there’s a requirement being missed, etc.
Or you can ask about applying two semesters in a row (if you get turned down) - is it allowed. The answer is likely on the website.
Good luck.
The program ended when I was in my junior year of high school, but it might take me away from my childrens hospital work until the summer. I’ll try this round and if it doesn’t work out I’ll try again, and I’ll get in contact with their admissions. Thank you for your reply, it made me feel better about my chances
Just make sure you can apply two semesters in a row.
Most counselors are there to help you - so if you express your desire to transfer and show your overall package, they’ll give you honest feedback.
Good luck.
How many credits of college have you completed?
Wait. And get terrific grades your freshman year. Actually applying as a junior transfer would be best as your HS record won’t matter as much as your college one.
Did you apply to UMass Amherst as a HS senior? What was your admission decision if you did?
I did apply as a senior, I was rejected, which was part of why I’ve been nervous to start an application now. I’d rather not wait until Junior year to apply because a large part of my desire to transfer outside of academics is wanting the traditional college experience, but I can definitely wait until fall 2025 and keep my grades between a 3.7-4.0. After I get 27 credits they wont look at my high school GPA so I think I’ll wait, but I don’t know if I would be allowed to apply 3 times if I tried for Spring and failed.
By the end of this semester, I will have 17 completed. Since this is my first semester of college, I dont have any completed credits yet.
If you apply to transfer for your sophomore year, your high school record WILL be used. You already were not accepted at UMass based on that high school record. If you really want to try for UMass again…it’s my opinion you should wait and transfer as a junior…when your HS record won’t matter…but your college one will.
@Mwfan1921 your thoughts?
I agree…would recommend staying at UMass Boston for two years and establish a track record of academic success and involvement on campus. I don’t see a UMass Amherst app being successful with zero (if trying to transfer for Jan 2025) to one semester (if trying to transfer for Fall of 2025) of college data.
Devil’s advocate - what would stop OP from applying for 2nd year and if rejected, then for Junior year ? I’d make sure it’s possible but if so, it wouldn’t hurt IMHO.
OP are there possible other college experience schools you’d consider? Why does it have to be UMASS ?
Maybe there’s an easier get like URI to try as well ?
Or is this budget driven ?
Another thought. Public Health will require a masters in that field. Perhaps stay at UMass Boston…get a degree in psychology, and then apply to masters in public health programs. Continue your work in Boston. Build up some good relationships, and get great grades.
As much as that would be a good idea, Im desperate to leave UMB because the public health program here is brand new (so new there are only four classes in the course at the moment), so even if UMass Amherst is off the table for this year, I would want to apply to somewhere with a better public health program or just stronger academics in general.
I know that they won’t look at my highschool GPA as long as I’ve completely 27 credits, so if I apply for fall I think it would be fine because I’m on track to have 34-35 credits by then. I had assumed they would receive both semester’s grades, one would just come in later, like with high school grades where the full transcript is sent once the school year is over. Is that not the case?
Once more…you do not need to major in public health as an undergrad. If you plan to do public health as a career, you will need to have at LEAST a masters degree.
The public health folks in our family, all very successful with excellent jobs at least related to the field, majored in the following in undergrad: Spanish, English literature, health sciences, sociology. NONE majored in public health as undergrads. Another family member is getting an MPH now as part of another program. That person was a biology/engineering major in undergrad.
I would want to apply to somewhere with a better public health program or just stronger academics in general.
If you want to transfer this much, then transfer. But I do think you should not put all of your eggs in the UMass basket. Maybe you will get accepted, and maybe you won’t. Many students, like you, do much better in college than in high school.
Do you have budget constraints? Is that why UMass is your choice. If not, please give us some guidance. Someone here might have a few additional suggestions for your transfer applications.
I sent you a message with more information. Did you read it? Please don’t reply to it here!!!
I’ll ask again- why UMASS vs. a URI or others that might give a better chance.
In other words, can you apply to multiple schools? Or is there a reason (budget) for UMASS specifically.
Agree, PH undergrad not gonna be a huge differentiator.
It’s interesting you say stronger academically - someone the other week wrote that of both schools, they experience top notch faculty at UM Boston. Of course, that’s subjective by each individual.
I really love the campus and the more involved campus life at UMass, my own school doesn’t really have much of that, being a commuter school. It’s also the most affordable option that I have, and I can’t leave Massachusetts so it seems like my best bet. I’ll probably wait until fall to submit an application and work to keep my grades up/build my resume, thank you!
I really don’t like UMass Boston, that’s my main issue. No matter where I go, I won’t stay here. The academics are okay but I just don’t enjoy it at all and that’s something that matters to me. I might get a psychology degree instead, but not at UMass Boston. I appreciate the advice though, and I will still work towards a masters in public health.
So…give us a little more info so we can maybe help you with some college choices. Do you have an annual amount that you need to adhere to for your undergrad studies. Please let us know…there are likely programs folks can recommend.
At UMass Boston I’m getting around 30k a year in financial aid and I’m paying around 8k out of pocket. I’m not looking for a school over 45k a year because that would be too far out of my price range. I’m thinking I will wait until the fall semester to apply anywhere though, now that I’ve spoken to my advisor and UMass Admissions.