<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I just finished up my freshman year at Vassar, but I’m exploring the idea of a transfer. My main reason for this is academics–I am planning to double major in mathematics and computer science, but neither department is particularly strong here. I’m also not too thrilled about living in Poughkeepsie (would prefer a school where leaving campus can sometimes actually be worth it–better public transportation would be nice too). Finally, the extreme political environment is wearing me down slowly but surely.</p>
<p>So I know that Vassar could very well not be the place for me, but the question remains: where is better? So far, the only schools I can think of (Amherst and Brown) have already rejected me once. After one year of college, I have a 3.75 GPA with a schedule that was probably a bit harder than average and will be vice president of my dorm for the coming year, but other than that, I don’t think I’ve really done much to improve my chances as an applicant.</p>
<p>I should add that when I was applying to colleges in high school, Amherst and Brown were astronomical reaches and may still be today. I only had a GPA in the mid-high 3.6 range and barely any ECs to speak of. My SAT and ACT were alright (2220 and 33, respectively), but my only hope might be that getting a 3.75 at a highly ranked school like Vassar could prove my readiness to schools that weren’t sold on me before.</p>
<p>So, with all this in mind, do any of you have any suggestions for where I should look? I understand that schools like Amherst and Brown are likely still going to be pipe dreams, but are there any others I’ve overlooked? I just want to go somewhere that is as well-regarded as Vassar (or better) but also at least pretends they care about STEM.</p>
<p>Thanks a ton!</p>