<p>I'm wondering what transfer league I should be looking at with a 3.3 freshman GPA from a top 3 LAC (Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst...) trying to transfer to a major city. That is my full year freshman GPA as I was on medical leave for sophomore year, working and supporting myself.
Did well in a very rigorous high school, 1480 on SAT 1 and excellent extracurriculars. College was a trainwreck due to depression and some family circumstances mixed in...(my teacher recommendations should back me up about struggling, but I'm worried because they haven't seen my best work.)
I'm curious how far my school name and situation will balance out the GPA and how much admissions officers will look past the less than stellar college performance?</p>
<p>Swarthmore, Williams and Amherst are recognized as being demanding schools, but I am not convinced that admissions officers at other schols (especially bigger schools) give them the same respect as potential students. Very recently it has become virtually impossible to get into a top 3 LAC, but many people do not know that. Their impressions of those schools will lag reality for a few years. It is entirely possible that the LAC craze that started in the mid to late nineties will die down. However, I would be cautious because I don't think admissions officers will give you as much credit as you would expect. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that a 3.3 from Swarthmore will not be given as much weight as a 3.3 from Harvard of Princeton, but maybe more than a 3.3 from Bates or Trinity. Hope it works out.</p>
<p>jesse86, apply to where you want to go and see what happens.</p>
<p>Also, a 3.3 from Swarthmore will probably carry more weight than a 3.3 from W/A...especially Amherst, from what I hear about their inflation. But I really don't know too much...</p>
<p>Inflation at Amherst is not bad, compared to many larger Unis. It is being combatted a bit.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that a 3.3 from Swarthmore would be looked upon more favorably than a 3.3 from Harvard.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses!
Right now I am trying to figure out what are good schools to aim for. I am assuming that even lower ivy's would be a huge stretch. But schools such as georgetown, NYU, barnard are these also big reaches? (these are schools I got into before)</p>
<p>That performed pretty well at such a school indicates you would be able to handle the decent course-load at a similarly ranked school.</p>
<p>If you're looking for a big city, try for UChicago, Georgetown, Penn, Columbia or Rice. I would think you would be highly competitive at Chicago, Georgetown and Rice.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call a 3.3 a trainwreck...</p>
<p>you got into a top 3 liberal arts school so obviously your high school record must have been impressive enough to get admitted to a great school.</p>
<p>Don't sell yourself short. A 3.3 college GPA at one of these places is not terrible by any means.</p>
<p>A top 3 LAC will be looked at along the same lines as Columbia, Duke, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown. That means that it will be viewed very strongly. </p>
<p>Anyway I transferred out of Columbia with a 3.4 and got into Brown, Duke and Dartmouth and WL at Harvard. I also was very strong in high school and had a ton of great ECs, but there's no question that going to a top school helped. In my transfer class at Dartmouth at least 25% were from other top 10 schools. </p>
<p>If you want an urban school I think Columbia, Brown, and Penn are slight reaches/ high matches and you should absolutely apply. I think you'll have alot of success with Georgetown, UChicago, and Northwestern. </p>
<p>Don't sell youself short. </p>
<p>(Also I would never transfer into NYU. Its like living in the city and happening to take classes, i.e. the antithesis of a college experience. Of course a certain type pf person (clubby type) does seem to like it)</p>
<p>
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Brown, Duke and Dartmouth and WL at Harvard.
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</p>
<p>That's odd. I have a distinct memory of your saying a number of times that you were admitted at Harvard.</p>
<p>WL then admitted...but I wanted to make the distinction clear since I think there is a difference.</p>
<p>A 3.3 at one of the top 3 lac's is good...but a lot of schools state that a college gpa of 3.5 is required for admission.</p>
<p>slipper- can you clear out your PM box? I want to send you a message.
Thanks.</p>
<p>i believe the required GPA that you mentioned is a recommended GPA rather than required.</p>
<p>you might be right</p>