4.0 GPA as a sophomore at small college, what are my options

Transfer Students UC Transfers
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<p>Hi, guys and gals :)</p>

<p>I am currently a Computer Science student at a small college that mostly is used as a transfer stepping stone (they also offer 4 years in nursing, though, so I don't think they are fully considered a transfer college).</p>

<p>For now, I have a 4.0, with the meat of my classes taken being calc I, stats, chem I&II, 2 semesters of Java programming, and 1 semester of visual basic. I've taken all my English and everything like that.</p>

<p>Currently, I am taking calc-based phys I and Calc II. I am pretty sure I will get an A in phys, but there is a moderate chance of a B in Calc II... although I am trying to swing it toward an A...</p>

<p>39 Credit hours currently, will have 51 at the end of this semester, over 60 by the end of spring.</p>

<p>Anyway, I am having a hard time seeing how I actually stack up compared to others.</p>

<p>For one thing, I didn't do a lot in High School. My SAT was bleh (760,630,740 - R,M,W) and I have virtually NO ECs, not even Beta club, just things like Math Team and Academic Team (but no awards in either) and got like 3rd or 4th in class. No ECs in college either.</p>

<p>Pretty much the only thing semi-impressive is my GPA. But how far will that take me assuming I keep a 4.0 or at least really close?</p>

<p>Living in Georgia, I recently applied to Georgia Tech (although I am missing Calc II being completed which is required, I was told that they might be a little lax considering I have a 4.0) and was denied. I am hoping it was just because of the lack of the required course.</p>

<p>I have been told that I should apply to bigger schools like Stanford, but, looking at their admissions, High School, ECs, and SATs seem to be a big part of the process. </p>

<p>How far does a 4.0 go in making those colleges think I am special? I would imagine there are a lot of people with 4.0s in the world, and it isn't like I have been a leader and pillar of community. I am a bit confused about how good a 4.0 is. My old adviser made a big deal of it, but he dealt mostly with dual enrollment, so I think his view may have been skewed.</p>

<p>I've always felt like I wouldn't have a chance at places like Stanford of Berkley. I'm not one of those people who are geniuses or golden community gods. I've never done anything significant to improve the world or distinguished myself in academic competitions. I learn what I'm told to, ha ha.</p>

<p>Would it be worth it to apply, or would it just be a waste of money? I figure I have the best chance of a non-BS answer asking here.</p>

<p>Are there any Colleges that I would have a better chance in than others? I would like to keep it to 2 or 3 colleges maximum, not including GT.</p>

<p>As a side question, should I not even consider anything other than GT? I am a bit concerned about the costs. I'm not particularly wealthy, ha ha. I would love the opportunity to have such a mind-expanding experience of going to a top-10 college, but I would also like to have the experience of not being in 100s of thousands of dollars of debt ;)</p>

<p>Thanks. Sorry for the long post. Peace.</p>

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<p>Sorry. I meant to post this in the general transfers section. This subsections is still relevant, but if a mod would be so kind, I would appreciate if it could be moved to general transfer. Thanks.</p>

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<p>Bump because I want to see someone answer this</p>

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<p>If you go to the Stanford transfer site, you’ll see that they indicate how competitive their transfer rate is. It is all dependent on their freshman class retention rate which runs about 98%. Plus, Stanford is not cheap. You’ll be paying your loans for a long time. Additionally, Berkeley will charge you OOS fees which will be extremely expensive as well as trying to transfer in to an impacted major. </p>

<p>From your post, it sounds like you want to be at the elite schools as a status symbol; it doesn’t sound like you’re looking into their programs. This is an expensive ego boost.</p>

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<p>I think he wants to go to elite schools, and I say this from personal experience, because of their status, but not for a personal ego boost, but because everyone in our lives have always told us that you need to go to a good school because you’ll be more successful if you do. This has probably lead to many thinking that the only way to be successful is to go to a good school. And by good school I mean a very well publicly know top rated school</p>

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<p>Oh jeez. Where do I even begin?</p>

<p>Firstly, do you go to a Junior college or a 4-year? Can you get a degree in Compsci at your school? </p>

<p>Why do you want to go OOS when you can’t afford to do so? </p>

<p>You were denied at GT and someone suggested you apply to a “bigger” school such as Stanfurd? LOL, what? </p>

<p>“How far does a 4.0 go in making those colleges think I am special?” Not that special. </p>

<p>“Would it be worth it to apply, or would it just be a waste of money? I figure I have the best chance of a non-BS answer asking here.” If you have money to do so, go right on ahead and apply but don’t expect to get in. You never know though. </p>

<p>“I would love the opportunity to have such a mind-expanding experience of going to a top-10 college, but I would also like to have the experience of not being in 100s of thousands of dollars of debt”</p>

<p>Your mind likely isn’t going to “expand” more at a “top-10” compared to GT in an academic sense. It’s really quite simple. If you want to take out hundreds of thousands in loans to attend a school for prestige, apply to OOS publics and private schools. If you don’t want to burden yourself with a mountain of debt, DON’T even waste money applying to schools such as Berkeley and Stanfurd.</p>

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<p>Yeah, my reasoning isn’t so much as a status symbol (although I’m not saying I wouldn’t like the status and ego boost). Part of it probably does still boil down to what ALefty said, I would like to be able to have an interesting and fulfilling job, like somewhere at Google or a similar company, and I feel like a top 10 school would definitely look better and give me a better chance, but I don’t feel like Tech would completely doom me in that respect, I would just need more job experience.</p>

<p>It just sounds like a much more pleasant experience than Tech. Now that I have a few friends at Tech, all I hear about from them is how the school is depressing and they don’t even get 4 hours of sleep and wish they hadn’t gone, etc.</p>

<p>My (I guess incorrect) idea of schools like Stanford and Berkely is that it is more of a liberal learning environment with less rote and more creative learning experiences or something like that.</p>

<p>No, my current school does not offer a 4 year degree in CS, but it does offer a 4 year in nursing, and I could get an AS with CS focus.</p>

<p>The reason (at least I hope it is the reason) I was denied from GT was because I haven’t completed Calc II yet which is a required class for transfers. It is in progress, and I was hoping that they would look at it and say “oh well, even if they get a c in calc II, they will have a competitive GPA” and go ahead and admit me. They don’t really have anything else that they ask/consider aside from GPA, so I don’t know any other reason I would be denied.</p>

<p>So far it doesn’t really sound worth it. I think I will probably just take my chances with GT. I’ll have most of the freshman/sophomore classes out of the way, so maybe it won’t be as bad as people tell me it is, and if it is, it is only 2 years, and how much damage could 2 years do, right ;)</p>