I had a 3.7 GPA in high school (4.8 weighted), all 6/7s on IBs and 4/5s on APs, and I’ve done international science fair and gotten 4th and 2nd. I have already applied to all these schools (except any UC schools) in my senior year of high school and this is how I plan to improve my application over my freshman year at the University of Florida so that I can apply as a transfer to these schools for Fall 2016
4.0 GPA for freshman year
34 ACT (already have this)
750-800 on SAT Math II, Biology, Chemistry (already have around 740s, retaking for higher scores)
Publishing two papers this fall
Working in a lab with a professor who has a lot of credibility in the field and is willing to write me a rec
Doing community service through a mentoring program that helps at-risk middle schools
Volunteering abroad in India this winter break and interning in hospitals in New Delhi (trip costs covered by my financial aid)
Please help me out here by letting me know if I have any chance and also how I can also improve my chances. Thank you.
UC’s accept only Junior level transfers with minimum 60 semester/90 quarter units. HS grades/test scores and EC’s not considered for transfers. AP credit can be used towards the minimum units but expect to have some units from UF not transfer.
Here is what you should know-- the seats at Ivy-plus schools that are available for transfers is largely tied to attrition. Since attrition is almost non-existent in the top Ivy schools, so are the seats available. By way of example, recently, Harvard had over 1500 applicants and admitted about 15, and Yale had over a 1000 applicants in which about 2 dozen were offered seats. So, while being qualified is certainly a criteria, the other portion must convey why these schools; typical reasons are that these schools offer programs and/or degrees not offered at your existing institution.
Second, that you could have obtained admission as a freshmen applicant. Third, that you have perfect scores at your current institution. Long story short…it is much more difficult to obtain admission as a transfer than as applying for a freshmen seat…
If you already applied and were rejected you will be rejected again.
Dont bother to reapply - there are far fewer slots for transfer students and those slots go to students who did not apply as HS seniors. Find other U’s to apply to AFTER you have excelled at U of F.
UCs offer virtually no aid to OOS applicants, let alone Transfers. @menloparkmom is absolutely correct, if you didn’t get in as a freshman applicant, you won’t get in as a transfer.
This same logic does not apply to UC’s. Depending on your major, it is very likely that you can get accepted to UC’s (provided you meet certain criteria). You are competitive. I can’t say for certain about the other schools.
Okay, but disregarding UC schools, can I get some ADVICE on how to make my transfer app better/stand out? I really just want some help on how to approach this and make my application the best that it can be. I 110% understand that my chances are quite miserable, but I really would just like to submit the best app possible, so I can have that satisfaction.
The only thing you have control over in regards to your application itself is your personal statement(s) - and of course your GPA, but I’m sure you plan to maintain it.
Start early, talk to a counselor about them, call up various schools to ask what they look for in an applicant, etc. It depends on the school, more or less. Your application already stands out. You’re a freshman who will be publishing two papers, and is doing research. That’s stellar.
Just make sure to apply far and wide (consider schools other than these that you have mentioned). I think Brown, Cornell, and Columbia are the most transfer friendly Ivies. UPenn, I think, is up there as well. Again, apply to more than just top-tier schools.
Research what exactly these schools want/require. You need to complete certain requirements to be considered. Good luck.
The above poster, while well- intentioned, is not entirely correct. Cornell does have close to a 20% transfer rate, but many of those seats are reserved for students in the NY state system. Brown and Columbia still have transfer rates in the single digits…
To those saying that you will be rejected again if you were rejected as a freshman applicant - not true. There have been many instances of people being accepted after they were already rejected, and I know a few of those people personally as well. While it is true that transfer rates are lower than freshmen acceptance rates, it is completely false to say that if you were rejected as a freshman, you will be rejected again.
@boolaHI I know people from California CC’s who have received acceptances from Ivies. They are transfer friendly. It’s harder applying as an OOS applicant to anywhere, but that does not at all make it impossible. I did mention looking into other schools as well, did I not?
Regardless, I think OP has a strong academic record and has a decent shot at getting accepted to some of these schools. Definitely better chances than most other OOS applicants.
I’m am speaking statistically, not anecdotally. That said, while they accept transfers, they are hardly friendly in terms of acceptance, e.g. Princeton accepts none, Harvard about 1%, and Yale 2%-hardly friendly.
Ask the prof who is writing your rec, or any co-authors on your paper(s) for contacts at the colleges you are interested in. Research (hehe) who at your target colleges is doing work that is interesting to you. At the least, use this info as part of your ‘why I need to be at your school in particular’ essay.
It should be expected that schools like Princeton, Harvard, and Yale are not transfer friendly. Stanford isn’t transfer friendly. There are top schools that are, however - and while being an OOS applicant is a major hindrance to being able to transfer, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate all chances of getting in. I stand by what I said, I think that OP is very competitive and could get into some top tier schools, if their cards were played correctly.