A few specific questions

Transfer Students
1

<p>I posted the following questions a while ago in a previous thread but its inundated by pages of topics and as I haven't received an answer to my questions in several weeks, I figured it might be appopriate to post another thread and try my luck again. I think these are legitimate inqueries and hope some of our fellow transfer buddies can provide some insights for them.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>**Am I taking way too many credits? I will finish CCC with 89 semester units. Will it hurt my chances? If so, at which colleges? Most courses are mandatory so is there any suggestions one can give me regarding this?</p>

<p>Is my schedule competitive enough? For the few semesters, I have to take classes such as trig and precalc; are these hindrances in the eyes of adcom? I will finish CC with Calc 2 - is this enough? Should I do further into math considering I am applying for Econ for some of the schools? </p>

<p>How are my choices of colleges? Are too many of them reaches? Should I add a few more safeties? (Assuming I can maintain my 4.0 throughout the 2 years. I am passing with flying colors thus far but lets hope I can last the distance)</p>

<p>Should I retake my SAT? I have a 1460/1600 , 2100/2400. Are these scores enough for some of my reaches? Does anyone know whether if the schools on my list accept SAT scores taken during college? </p>

<p>How about my SAT 2? I have a 660 for US History and haven't taken Math 2C. Should I retake the history and get a score for 2C? Will these be accepted?**</p>

<p>My info:</p>

<p>SAT: 2100 (770m, 690v, 640w)
SAT2: 660 US History, 800 Chinese</p>

<p>HS GPA: ~2.3
Bottom 35-40 Percentile
Didn't graduate on time due to failing of senioer english and us history. had to make up courses in summer school to receive hs diploma. </p>

<p>CCC Schedule:</p>

<p>FALL 06:</p>

<p>Principles of Business
Chinese 1</p>

<p>WINTER 07:</p>

<p>Economics - Macro
Computer Information Systems 11
Soccer</p>

<p>SPRING 07:</p>

<p>Trigonometry (Not transferable to UC)
Chinese 2
US History 1
Economics - Micro Honors
English 1A
Soccer</p>

<p>SUMMER 07:</p>

<p>Pre-Calculus
Accounting 1</p>

<p>FALL 07:</p>

<p>Calculus 1
Chinese 3
Political Science Honors
English 1C Honors
Statistics Honors</p>

<p>WINTER 08:</p>

<p>Astronomy
Astronomy Lab
Accounting 2</p>

<p>SPRING 08:</p>

<p>Calculus 2
Chinese 4
Sociology Honors
Music Appreciation Honors
Introduction to M. Poetry
Humans & Environment</p>

<p>Semester Units: 89
UC Quarter Units: 129 (untransferable Trig credits disregarded)
Honors Scholar (assuming I can maintain a 3.2+)
IGETC Fulfilled
TAP with UCLA (assuming I can maintain a 3.2+)</p>

<p>Majors: Business Administration, Business Economics, Economics</p>

<p>Colleges:</p>

<p>Harvard
Stanford
Penn Wharton
Cornell
NYU Stern
Northwestern
Chicago
CMU
USC Marshall
Cal Haas
UCLA
UCSD
UCSB</p>

2

<p>Most schools I have looked at (private) really don't like it if you have 90 credits - as in, some won't even view your application. I think you're really pushing it with 89.</p>

<p>Edit: And shouldn't you be starting with Calculus if you scored a 770 on the math section of the SAT. I scored a 670 and skipped all the high school stuff that you're having to take. Certainly you're well above their qualifying score!</p>

<p>And if you can pull a 4.0 off after 89 hours, my hat's off to you. But it's much harder than it sounds!</p>

<p>As for your chances, assuming you pull of a 3.9+ (which is ideal), all of those schools are worth a shot, with the possible exception of CMU. I heard that in recent years they hadn't been taking transfers, but I may be wrong.</p>

3

<p>Ah, that doesn't sound good. I really wish I can cut some of those classes out but everything seems like a requirement...eg: I need to get IGETC done, I need to finish the agreement with Haas and UCLA, I need to take 6 honor courses for honors scholar (UCLA TAP), and as a Chinese, I think I really need to learn how to read and write my native tongue.</p>

<p>Actually I pulled off the 770 with only algebra 1 under my belt. I only took up to trig in hs and got a d in my second semester so I have to start over in college although my cc entrance test would otherwise allow me to take higher courses. I tried to reason with my counselor without much success but to be honest, i forgot how to add and subtract already. haha, i def need to strengthen my math background if i were to take calc.</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
As for your chances, assuming you pull of a 3.9+ (which is ideal), all of those schools are worth a shot,

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Harvard is a definite reject: students cannot apply with more than 60 credits, and even if that requirement is excised, the CC aready puts him at a significant disadvantage.</p>

5

<p>Should I retake my SAT? I have a 1460/1600 , 2100/2400. Are these scores enough for some of my reaches? Does anyone know whether if the schools on my list accept SAT scores taken during college?</p>

<p>Didn't actress Natalie Portman score a 1400 on her SAT's and get into Harvard? Okay maybe not the best example.</p>

<p>As I have answered in a similar post about a poster with 73 credit hours at a CC, I do agree that your going to overcook your application with 89 credit hours. BTW how many years did you spend at a CCC? Other than your credit hours being an issue, I see no other problem. My close friend got into Harvard with a 1370/1600 a while back, although her EC's were loaded.</p>

6

<p>I am in my first year. I will finish CC by next spring so 2 full years I guess. And of course, I am giving up both winter and summer breaks during these two years....</p>

<p>And thank you for your reply guys :D</p>

7

<p>From Harvard's website</p>

<p>
[quote]
Students who have completed more than two years of college study with transferable credit...are not eligible to transfer to Harvard College

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I disagree that this means "as soon as you have more than 60 credits, you can't apply to Harvard." To use the same old example, the guy at my school that was accepted to G-Town, Rice, and UT was waitlisted at Harvard and he had just over 60 credits (around 65). Were he automatically denied a shot because he had more than 60 credits, it's unlikely that they would have even waitlisted him.</p>

<p>Instead, I believe this is referring to 2 years (literally). So if you've been at a college for 2 years and you begin the next fall semester, you'll have 2 1/2 years and thus be ineligible. </p>

<p>Also, to further examine this aspect at other schools the OP is applying to:</p>

<p>At UChicago:

[quote]
All students who have completed one term are eligible to apply regardless of how many terms they have completed. All transfer students must, however, receive credit for a minimum of 18 courses at the University of Chicago before they can graduate.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>At UPenn:

[quote]
Penn maintains a two-year resident requirement. One-half of the total number of courses required for the degree must be completed here, regardless of the number of transferable credits completed elsewhere.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>At any rate, if you're worried whether these schools will have a problem with your number of credits, you should call them and check or you may just be wasting money. While it looks like most schools will look at your application even if you have over 60 credits (both from the evidence provided here and my own personal experience), you will have a TON of credits, so your case may be special.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
Also, to further examine this aspect at other schools the OP is applying to:

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Okay, and even if "two-years" is open to interpretation, Harvard is a waste of money for any CC applicant.</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
Harvard is a waste of money for any CC applicant

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Haha. Well, I seem to recall you suggesting I "shoot an application over to Harvard" in addition to Brown. Thanks for encouraging me to waste my money.</p>

<p>And I would disagree with that, as I know several people from CCs that have transferred into Harvard - however, most of them were from CCCs.</p>

<p>Still, in this case, with 89 credits, I would encourage the OP not to apply to Harvard as they are probably going to throw it out.</p>

10

<p>
[quote]
And I would disagree with that, as I know several people from CCs that have transferred into Harvard - however, most of them were from CCCs.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Oh, there is no harm in shooting in application.</p>

<p>Just a reminder from the posts of Hanna and several other Harvard transfer admits who are familier with the schools of entering transfer students: less than three CC students are actually admitted per year.</p>

11

<p>Well, unfortunately Harvard has never interested me. Like yourself, I instead fell in love with Yale, but I believe that's a waste of money for practically anyone.</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
I instead fell in love with Yale, but I believe that's a waste of money for practically anyone.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I never fell in love with Yale. I remember reading that they preferred students from odd/disadvantaged backgrounds, which made me believe that I had a shot.</p>

13

<p>Okay then. Well I did. ;)</p>

14

<p>Stanford
Penn Wharton
Cornell
NYU Stern
Northwestern
Chicago
USC Marshall
Cal Haas
UCLA
UCSD
UCSB</p>

<p>Ok took out CMU and Harvard. Are there any other schools with a strong econ/business program thats worth a shot?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

15

<p>More importantly, I think you should make sure you really like each of those schools. If you can't come up with great reasons for each one besides "strong econ/business program" it'll usually show in your essays, and you'll likely be rejected. </p>

<p>What qualities are you looking for in a school besides the obvious strong econ/business.</p>

16

<p>Stanford is hard to get into, especially from a CCC. If you're going to further reduce your list, you should take Stanford out.</p>

<p>Yeah and to add to what brand said, you better be sure that you can handle all the paper work it takes when you apply to that many schools.</p>

17

<p>
[quote]
you better be sure that you can handle all the paper work it takes when you apply to that many schools.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Which is what I'm finding out right now. Although the paperwork is a burden, the essays are what will really get you.</p>

18

<p>To be honest, all I want is a great education. Everything else is just secondary...I have ditched over half of my hs days and I can't afford to waste my opportunity at an education again. Currently,for my winter schedule, I have classes from 11 all the way to 7 on monday and wednesdays without a break so that means i don't have time for lunch either, but i don't really mind bcause i enjoy my classes. lets take anoher example...last semester i would still have had A even if i didn't take the finals but i studied all night and aced the test without missing any question just the same. </p>

<p>So I am not sure what to put when colleges ask me why did I choose them because all I am interested in right now is how strong academically the school is and nothing more. I can perhaps say I am addicted to learning...LOL</p>

19

<p>Hahaha you sound a lot like me when I first started looking for schools. Look at it this way: you've got a lot of great schools on your list and you can't go wrong at any of them. You've already done very well at your CCC. Considering your list, and pending a continued high GPA (3.9+) as well as completion of prereqs where needed, I think your chances are:</p>

<p>Stanford - reach
Penn Wharton - reach
Cornell - low reach
NYU Stern - match / high match
Northwestern - low reach
Chicago - high match / low reach
USC Marshall - match
Cal Haas - high match
UCLA - match
UCSD - safety / low match
UCSB - safety</p>

<p>So now consider that you have 11 schools. That's really not that many, but I can tell you that with 8, I'm having a bit of a time trying to get all of those essays. At least for the UCs you can reuse essays (I think) so that'll help. I would automatically keep those schools where your chances are great or good and pick several of the reaches that you have researched a lot and truly like. After all, the only way you'll really have a good shot at those reaches is if you can really talk about what you like about each one.</p>

<p>If I were to revise your list it would be more like:</p>

<p>UCSB
UCSD
UCLA
Cal Haas
USC Marshall
Cornell
NYU Stern
Chicago</p>

<p>just because you really would have a good shot at any of those and wouldn't be throwing money away. At Stanford and UPenn, where the acceptance rates are under 10% and applicants are INCREDIBLY competitive, you may be better not applying unless you just really love them.</p>

20

<p>Thank you brand, that really helped.</p>

<p>Oh, I thought I just read somewhere that stated Haas automatically reject everyone who hasn't finished the preq and breadth by time of app...can someone confirm this please?</p>