<p>Over the past few years my main focus was getting into a university in D.C.
I had everything: amazing extracurriculars (CEO, non-governmental organizations, internships) and awards, a 3.9 GPA all IB's, multiple college visits, etc.</p>
<p>Well, everything but the SAT. I scored a 1760. I studied and studied but now that I look back on it I needed outside classes to assist me. I should have convinced my parents to help sign me up for them.</p>
<p>Oh well, that's in the past now. My grades were still at the top and everybody expected me to get into my targets, at least.</p>
<p>My targets were: American, Boston, GWU, Northeastern, NYU.</p>
<p>All denied.</p>
<p>Reaches: All denied.</p>
<p>All that's left is my state school. I am feeling unbelievable grief thinking that I had a chance at an ivy if only I had a high score. </p>
<p>Should I appeal some decisions and submit additional information? Should I transfer later on; how does that work?</p>
<p>Thank you, sorry for the rants.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that you did not get into any of the colleges you applied to. In my opinion, trying to appeal is not likely to be successful. Perhaps you can attend the state school and transfer to a more desirable college after a year or two. You could also attend a community college and then transfer. Another option is to take a gap year and retake the SAT or ACT.</p>
<p>Your other posts indicate that your “state school” is Rutgers. It is a good school. Go there if you can afford it.</p>
<p>I’m just surprised that I was denied to Boston U and American. I understood my low SAT score but was counting on getting in there since my SAT was in range and everything else was above range.</p>
<p>I highly doubt that I will take a gap year. Studying abroad again and building up more perspectives sounds appealing, but that’s one year off. However, I could take a summer SAT course, get 2250+ and I would have a shot at the big ivies. </p>
<p>Does Rutgers renew its aid each year? This year I got zero financial aid/scholarships so I would be required to pay the full tuition of about $24,000. My family is pretty unstable so the income varies highly between years.</p>
<p>Is there a way to request more aid or Rutgers scholarships? Also, I requested to appeal some decisions; is it ok if I wait until April 30th to decide to attend Rutgers or not? Will I still be able to secure a dorm and everything else?</p>
<p>Contact Rutgers’ financial aid office to check on its policies for re-evaluating financial aid for continuing students.</p>
<p>Contact Rutgers financial aid office and inquire about additional aid and/or scholarships. Check your admissions letter for the acceptance deadline; it’s May 1 for most colleges.</p>
<p>I guess my intent will be to transfer sophomore year to either Georgetown, Columbia or a few other schools on my mind.</p>
<p>I will keep up a 4.0 GPA at Rutgers. Can and should I enroll in the honors program? What else should I do in order to follow this path?</p>
<p>Just to add, I think my Rutgers experience will be very fun and exciting! I’m just very ambitious and want to move on to bigger opportunities before finishing undergrad.</p>
<p>If I don’t get into the above schools when I transfer I’ll finish off my undergraduate degree at Rutgers. Fate will decide.</p>
<p>You almost certainly wouldn’t have gotten into an Ivy even if you had increased your SAT 500 points… so feel good about that
My stats were basically yours with a little worse EC’s and about 420 better on the SAT, and I didn’t get into any of the Ivies I applied to…</p>
<p>American and NYU were reaches for you</p>
<p>Why not? Obviously it’s a slim chance for anybody to get into the ivies, but you had a qualified chance. I would of had one too if I raised my score.</p>
<p>I’m awkwardly optimistic. With my score I had a .0001% chance at Harvard. If I raised it 420 points I’m sure I would have had at least a 10% chance (my EC’s are the big push since everybody has high scores).</p>
<p>When I looked at American U’s early decision acceptance rate (75%) I think I lost part of my soul, lol.</p>
<p>What should I focus on in college to increase transfer chances?</p>
<p>GPA? lol</p>
<p>That’s almost the sole decider</p>
<p>Yes, but a 4.5 GPA all IB or AP is nothing special if every other applicant to Harvard has it (and 93% get denied). </p>
<p>Extracurriculars bump up the uniqueness.</p>
<p>I mean for transfer students…
COLLEGE GPA is the most important thing for TRANSFER students</p>
<p>Oh, sorry lol.</p>
<p>Like I said, I’m going to try to keep up a 4.0 GPA. What else should I do in college to help chances? Would enrolling in the honors program be worth the extra workload?</p>
<p>Biggest factors for junior transfer applicants are courses taken and grades. Of course, the courses need to be suitable for your intended major at the target school.</p>
<p>Many schools are less friendly to sophomore transfers than junior transfers, and are more likely to consider high school record and test scores for sophomore transfers, since you won’t have much of a college record when applying for sophomore transfer.</p>
<p>I’m intending to study international relations. What pre-reqs would I require for Georgetown, Columbia and Harvard? I’m also interested in taking a few courses in political science and communications, if that is possible.</p>
<p>Junior transfer means that I would start at the transfer college Junior year, right? So 2 years Rutgers 2 years transfer college.</p>
<p>My friend and I are too poor to afford SAT prep classes. We both managed to average 1490/1600. This far into the admissions process and you still look back at “what could have been?” I feel no sympathy for you; you had NO chance at an Ivy, you only want to transfer for the name on the diploma, I know this because you mention transferring to “Georgetown or Columbia”. Your head is in the sky, be grateful your parents are paying for your education; if I weren’t getting a full ride to Georgetown, simply put, I wouldn’t be going to college.</p>
<p>Don’t start any hate in here without knowing anything. As I mentioned in the OP my heart was set on Georgetown for the past 3 years.</p>
<p>My parents are middle-class and my father is on the verge of being laid off (he is the only income in the family). Also, I studied for the SATs months on end, hours every single day. Why did I get a low score? Because I’m not a naturally gifted test taker like you. But you know what? I still got straight A’s.</p>
<p>How do I intend to pay for college? My out of pocket expenses from the small business I started on my own, financial aid, scholarships, a few loans and hopefully my parents will help out.</p>
<p>Get out of here unless you have something meaningful to contribute to this community. I recently discovered this forum and there’s so much great information!</p>
<p>If you intend to transfer, you have to look up the freshman and sophomore required courses for your major at your target schools and try to figure out what the equivalent courses are at your current school. For community college to state university transfers, there are usually convenient lists of course equivalencies, but you mostly have to guess based on course catalog descriptions where there is not, as in the case of most four year school to four year school transfers.</p>
<p>Ah ok. After I sign up for those courses should I enroll in the honors program at Rutgers? Would it help the transfer or just hinder efforts for a perfect GPA?</p>
<p>Just mentioning, I’m not strictly intending on transferring. I will simply work towards it and try to transfer to a more ambitious university. If I don’t get in, I still have 2 more years at Rutgers which is great.</p>
<p>I love and will be involved in many extracurriculars, leadership roles and summer internships at Rutgers. Is there anything else I should focus on?</p>