<p>Which person would have a better chance at ivies and top schools? If both people just graduated from high school and have the great grades, test scores, and achievements. </p>
<p>A. Went to a state college for their freshman year. They want to transfer to an ivy.</p>
<p>B. Worked full time for the national guard in the major (broadcast journalism) that they want to get a degree in. Are applying for fall admission after completing a year of work in the national guard. Also, this person would take online college classes to fill their freshman year requirements.</p>
<p>But seeing as the ivies, as far as I know, do not even offer Broadcast Journalism as a major, it’s far from a slam-dunk, although work experience of any kind is good.</p>
<p>You’d also have to look at student A’s recommendations and transcript to hazard any kind of guess.</p>
<p>Transfer odds are very long for any applicant to one of the eight colleges in the Ivy League. (There may be some units of one or both of the two Ivy League colleges in New York State that preferentially admit transfer students from New York colleges, but that would be the only exception to the general principle stated here.) At least one Ivy League college, Princeton, has a general policy of not accepting transfer students at all. </p>
<p>What is the goal here? Majoring in journalism, or studying at an Ivy League college? Several colleges in the Ivy League don’t offer a journalism major. (That does NOT keep graduates of those colleges from working in major journalistic organizations after graduation; their extracurricular activity in college is working for the college daily newspaper or other media outlet.) The best way to get into an Ivy League college–I didn’t say easy way–is to apply as a freshman applicant. </p>
<p>My problem is the last sentence in option B. If the applicant takes on-line courses “to fulfill freshman year requirements”, then I think the applicant will have to apply as a transfer student rather than as a freshman. I don’t see how that is preferable to applying as a freshman following a “gap year” in the national guard. I’m under the impression that getting admitted as a transfer student at a top school is harder than as a freshman.</p>
<p>The OP did not exclude non-Ivy top schools. Some, such as Northwestern, have various types of journalism programs. I’m no expert on this subject, but I suspect it is a lot easier to be successful as a print journalist with a non-J major than as a broadcast journalist.</p>
<p>Some public universities have very well known, very well-connected broadcast journalism programs. If the reason for going to a state school, or doing national guard for a year, is to save money for a top school that is otherwise unaffordable, I might suggest looking really closely at all the options–if that has not already been done.</p>
<p>An Ivy would not consider the on-line classes taken towards fullfilling freshman requirements for admission - the national guard person would probably have a better chance applying as an outright freshman applicant - but if qualified - the military participation may actually help a little.</p>
<p>^^^If the applicant has over a certain number of college courses, post-high school, I believe it will make the applicant a transfer applicant, whether those courses are community college or on-line or whatever. I agree, the applicant is better off applying as a freshman, and I agree that the military participation, especially when combined with some broadcast journalism experience, could be helpful. At least, I don’t see why it would be harmful.</p>
<p>Is this a student who has already applied to colleges and has not had the desired results? If so, I doubt that spending a year in the National Guard will help much with the same schools. If this is not the case, why not apply as a college senior, get accepted, and then request a gap year to do the National Guard work?</p>
<p>The question is moot as based on the info you provided, both would have very long odds – longer than the usual long odds for Ivy transfers.</p>
<p>Also, no Ivies have undergrad majors in broadcast journalism or any kind of journalism. If a student wanted to major in broadcast journalism, the best places in the country are schools like University of Missouri, Northwestern and Syracuse.</p>
<p>At least one Ivy (Yale or Princeton) takes no transfer students. The ones that do take as few as 40 a year. It’s much harder to transfer to an Ivy than to get in as a h.s. senior, and the odds of getting in as a h.s. senior already are very long.</p>
<p>Strong grades, scores and extracurriculars and other notable achievements are just as important for transfers as they are for students who apply as h.s. seniors. Simply having been in the National Guard wouldn’t count as a notable achievement.</p>
<p>It is Princeton that does not accept transfers. To the OP, can your daughter enlist in the National Guard for just one year? It seems like most enlistments are considerably longer.</p>