<p>Hey, guys; I've been reading College Confidential for a while and finally decided to go about posting my stats up to receive advice on a current dilemma.</p>
<p>I've always set lofty goals for where I'd like to go for higher education. However, my GPA and extra curricular activities in high school haven't exactly portrayed this (and fully understand how badly that cripples me to receive admittance even in what would normally be considered a safety school). Several affairs regarding my personal life at home and with myself (and overall laziness) comprise of my reasons why I've performed so poorly.</p>
<p>However, while statements like these are admittedly perceived as clich</p>
<p>You cannot transfer into oxbridge. You have to apply as a freshman. Even if they do consider your app, there will be no transfer of credit as universities in England have a completely different system.</p>
<p>And if you can do what you plan to do, I think you definitely have a shot at NYU. Make sure you check out the websites for all these schools course requirements. </p>
<p>Also, simply don’t go for the name of the college. Try searching for the top philosophy programs in the country.</p>
<p>Princeton doesn’t take transfers, do your homework.</p>
<p>“Hope” and “want” are nice, but only what you “do” matters.</p>
<p>I think if you do all that you’ll have a good shot at Georgetown and will probably be in at NYU, UCLA, William & Mary, and George Washington easily.</p>
<p>This is my first chance thread 
So I’m not the most reliable person.
From what I’ve heard before it’ll be hard to get into top tier US colleges just because grades will not get you in. You’ll have to do something really spectacular in extra curric and write REALLY REALLY good essays.</p>
<p>You might have a higher chance for oxbridge cus UK don’t weigh extracurric as heavily as US. Keep in mind that you would have to place top 1% in your community college. Cambridge is afterall #1 in the world (I dunno if it changed yet). A girl in my year tied first place in the world for IGCSE Advanced Math , is top 1% in our competitive school and scored 45/45 for IB Diploma. Her extracurric was weak though. But, she is accepted to Cambridge Med school.</p>
<p>Also, you don’t need to retake SATs since you’re transferring. Adcomms only look at your college transcript. SATs don’t matter.</p>
<p>And, it is much much harder to transfer to a top tier school because there just won’t be any space. Students don’t usually leave Harvard etc once they get in. UCLA might be more…possible. I’ve heard it’s easier to transfer as a Californian CC student rather than transferring from UC to UC. </p>
<p>I think that it’ll be possible to turn over a new leaf in college. You seem to be determined Setting high goals is good, but I think you should look into less prestigious schools. Just so that you’ll have a cushion to fall back to if you don’t get in. </p>
<p>You never know you might fall in love with other less prestigious schools. (Out of curiosity why do you want to get in all those top schools? Is it just because of its name and prestige?)</p>
<p>ps. “I plan on majoring in Philosophy” COOL. Why not look for schools with great philosophy departments? Also, ignore if you’re financially-capable of paying a private school tuition, but if not I don’t think top tier schools may be for you with your major. I’m not totally sure on this. I’ve always thought it’ll be more of a bargain if you’re majoring in premed or law :S. Sorry if I sound like I’m offending you.</p>
<p>Best of luck in future. I for one definately know I won’t get into harvard 
Maybe grad school. But that’s even more impossible - OH and harvard is really overrated. I’ve heard it’s only worthwhile for grad school. It’s best investing somewhere else for undergrads.</p>
<p>I agree with entomom, you need to do your homework. The good news is that you have goals in mind before attending community college, so you have time to get things in place and make them happen. </p>
<p>For example, the schools you’ve listed are very selective. Harvard accepted 12 applicants out of a pool of 600 last year, and for two years prior to that the didn’t accept any transfers. UCLA, along with the other UC’s, take UC transfers and California Community College students prior to looking at other transfers. Stanford takes approximately 2-4% transfer applicants, and NYU tends to give horrible financial aid (although, I don’t know if this is a factor for you). To be honest, I really don’t see any reason to attend OxBridge or St. Andrews. The United States offers an exceptional college education. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have so many international students trying to come over here for college! </p>
<p>I’d suggest that you do spend two years at community college and get a degree. Your HS record will be weighted less when colleges look at your application. You also should look into how you can get involved at your community college, and definitely look at scholarships! There are resources out there that will help you succeed. Keep in mind, though, that all of these schools are reaches regardless of being a transfer or not, and that you should add some ‘safety’ schools to the mix as well. </p>
<p>In short, you have a pretty big mountain to climb, but it’s not impossible.</p>
<p>Like everyone else has said, UK Universities don’t accept transfers. If you’re looking to go abroad, there are a number of good institutions that you could possibly go to. Also, if you’re considering going to grad school, you might want to save the prestige for then, and go for cost now.</p>
<p>We are in the same boat. I have a 2.4 and 1290/1600 and little ECs. I also have lofty sights set (not quite as lofty though). So hopefully everything works out.</p>
<p>I’m a huge proponent of the “shoot for the stars” mindset. That said, it will be extremely difficult, next to impossible, to garner admittance to the caliber of schools you’re aiming for. You might say you’ll score a 2300 on the SAT and achieve a 4.0 GPA, but saying and doing are two different things. And even in the event that you achieve the above statistics, kids with those stats get rejected by the schools you mentioned every year. </p>
<p>I bid you good luck, but to be completely honest, you’ll need much more than luck.</p>
<p>“I bid you good luck, but to be completely honest, you’ll need much more than luck.”</p>
<p>^ You really think he wouldn’t have a strong chance to get into NYU, UCLA, William & Mary, and George Washington with a 4.0 with 2 years at CC? Haha… Yeah right… </p>
<p>Even without retaking the SAT, he’d be fine for those schools. The only school he MIGHT want to consider retaking the SAT for, which he could realistically get into, (if all that hypothetical stuff happens) is Georgetown.</p>
<p>The most certain path for the US schools would be for you to go to Blinn Community College in Texas, win the community college national championship as the team quarterback, and then transfer to Stanford. With Andrew Luck leaving next year, they will be looking for a good quarterback. Really, that’s all there is to it. Just play great football. It worked for Cam Newton (#1 draft pick), although he brokered a different college choice.</p>
<p>It is possible. Community college has really paid off for me, literally. </p>
<p>I had a 2.7 in high school and am about to graduate with my AA in 2 weeks. I will be an “honors college” graduate, a PTK member, and have about a 3.6 gpa. It was 3.7 when I applied to schools.</p>
<p>I have gotten accepted everywhere I applied but I am still waiting to hear back from JHU and Georgetown. JHU I am not hopeful for but I know I have a chance at Georgetown.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^ Nice! Any other of the OP’s schools on your list?</p>
<p>DreamingBig, that’s a very fitting username. </p>
<p>To clarify, I was referring to HP, and other schools of that caliber…NYU, WM, and GW are at the bottom of his list.</p>
<p>Luck’s replacement was recruited from a neighboring school last year. His name is Brett Nottingham and was was #1 high school quarterback in the nation. So, that method may not help</p>
<p>So I just wrote the LONGEST response to this thread, then pressed “reply” only to be greeted by a login window (which then erases my post after I log in).</p>
<p>Now I’m too lazy (ironic) to make individualized responses for everyone, so I’l just write what my revised general goal is:</p>
<ul>
<li>A bit irritated that transfers to UK schools aren’t feasible. While the US offers a plethora of good institutions, a personal dream of mine is to live in the UK for a few years (and going to college there would kill two birds with one stone. Oh well)</li>
<li>Strongly considering going to either NYU or UVA now after community college-- NYU because they have the strongest philosophy program in the country, and UVA more for the name/in-state tuition.</li>
<li>So should I or should I not retake the SAT…? I’d feel more secure if I did. I did some reading and discovered that they still want to see your scores. I don’t know whether or not they weigh it as much as a transfer student, though.</li>
<li>Dreams for admittance into Harvard are still alive, mostly due to the facts that 1) I maaaaay also consider majoring in political science instead of philo (which they’re top-notch for) and 2) my best friend is going there beginning Fall 2011 and has ignited a bit of competition in me to try and get admitted, as well.</li>
</ul>
<p>REVISED TOP SCHOOLS LIST</p>
<ol>
<li>NYU</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>UVA</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>William and Mary</li>
</ol>
<p>I wouldn’t bother with Harvard:</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admits 12 Fall Transfers | News | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/9/1/students-transfer-harvard-new/]Harvard”>Harvard College Admits 12 Fall Transfers | News | The Harvard Crimson)</p>
<p>You should definitely retake the SAT or take the ACT. I think you’re exempt from sending the scores to NYU after one year of full-time study, but it will definitely help for UVA, Georgetown, and W & M.</p>
<p>Can you afford the schools on your list based on what a likely FA would be for you?</p>
<p>Once you start getting CC grades in you should take another look at your list and add some safety schools as well. These are schools that have high transfer acceptance rates (50%+) for someone with your (real, not projected guesses) college GPA profile.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Annika, yes, I’m able to afford the schools listed. Otherwise, why would I list them? lol.</p>
<p>I’ll consider adding in some safety schools, but I doubt I would bother with them if what I project is my future ends up manifesting.</p>
<p>A lot of people are unaware, but there is very little aid available for transfer students–even more so at a school like NYU that is already notorious for its financial aid packages.</p>
<p>Unless, of course, you have a means to pay out of pocket the 50k/year price tag most of these schools have</p>