Any chance of getting in with the following specs?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey all
So I'm a transfer student, applying as a junior. I'm planning on applying to a few tier 1 and 2 schools (Caltech, Georgiatech, Cornell, Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of Illinois, UCLA and UC Berkeley, etc.) for the Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 terms.</p>

<p>The only problem is, I failed 2 classes in my 2nd semester. I made them up, and got A's the second time i took them both. My current gpa is 3.8, averaging about 40 credits each year (summer, spring and fall). My extracurriculars include 2 research internships, volunteering, soccer team, EMT training, and journalism (I've wrote a few articles for newspapers, one of which ended up on the NY times). Also, I've participated in various competitions (writing, science fairs, math, geography) throughout my time in high school and college. </p>

<p>Additionally, I graduated from high school with a 3.8 gpa, honors, a 1950 on the SAT, and 3 SAT II's. </p>

<p>I'm planning on majoring in either biomedical engineering, applied physics or engineering physics. Currently, I am a sophomore. Is there any chance that I can get into these schools? Also, I have a few months until I start my applications, so any suggestions for extracurriculars and other things I can do to improve my chances would be great.</p>

2

<p>The biggest thing you need to focus on right now is your SAT score. 1950 is below average for schools like CalTech, Cornell, Michigan, Cal, UCLA, etc.</p>

3

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</p>

<p>Transfer students don’t need to worry about SAT scores. Basically, when a person graduates high school and chooses to go to community college their slate is wiped clean and all that matters is GPA, ECs, and essays.</p>

<p>OP: A 3.8 is a good gpa for those schools. However, your two Fs will probably kill your app unless they were dropped from your transcript. Sorry</p>

4

<p>“Transfer students don’t need to worry about SAT scores. Basically, when a person graduates high school and chooses to go to community college their slate is wiped clean and all that matters is GPA, ECs, and essays.”</p>

<p>dead wrong- take a look at this list from Cornell’s website. It states that transfer applicants must include- </p>

<p>"7. Official Transcripts
We require your official secondary/high school transcript(s) and official transcripts from all colleges attended.</p>

<ol>
<li>Standardized Test Scores
If you have previously taken the SAT or ACT, you should have an official score report sent to Cornell by the testing agency. It is not necessary to take the SAT or ACT if you have not previously done so."</li>
</ol>

<p><a href=“http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/transfer-applicants/admission-requirements[/url]”>http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/transfer-applicants/admission-requirements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>ALL top private colleges and U’s REQUIRE standardized test scores and / or your HS Transcripts as well your college transcripts.</p>

<p>your SAT scores and failed College classes will not get you into the top schools [Caltech, Cornell, UCLA, Berkeley] on your list.</p>

5

<p>this is what Caltech requires:
Common Application for Transfer Admission
Caltech Transfer Supplement
Entrance Examination Proctor Agreement Form
Math/Science/Engineering Faculty Evaluation Forms (two are required)
College Official’s Report
Official academic transcripts from the last secondary school attended, and all colleges or universities attended
Application fee in the amount of $65 (U.S. dollars)
Official TOEFL score (if applicable)
Entrance Examinations in Mathematics and Physics (exams will be sent to your proctor and are due back to the Admissions Office by March 21, 2013)</p>

<p>Transfer Entrance Examinations:
All applicants are required to take Caltech Transfer Entrance Examinations in mathematics and physics. These exams are taken after candidates submit a transfer application to Caltech. Students must find a proctor at their home institution to administer the exam. The math exam is approximately four hours, and the physics exam is three hours. Copies of previous transfer exams are not available. All applicants are responsible for securing a proctor on their home campus. Proctor Agreement forms are sent to students by email after the application is submitted. Neither the Caltech Office of Undergraduate Admissions staff nor any faculty on campus may proctor the exam.</p>

<p>Topics Covered on Transfer Exams*:
Physics:
Newtonian mechanics (motion, vectors, trajectories, Newton’s laws, forces), work and energy, energy conservation, momentum, rigid rotations, angular momentum, harmonic motion, resonance, gravity, Kepler orbits, ellipses, electric fields and potentials, Gauss’s Law, current resistance, capacitance, inductance, magnetic fields, Faraday’s law, AC and DC circuits, and special relativity.</p>

<p>Math:
Basic calculus, Taylor polynomials, series, linear algebra (systems of equations, vectors and matrices, determinants, vector spaces, transformations, eigenvalues), vector calculus (multiple integrals, line and path integrals, theorems of Green and Stokes), and differential equations.</p>

<p>*Not all topics will be found on the exam, however, the list should be used to help transfer students prepare for the exam.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the quick replies. I was actually planning on taking the SAT again this year. From my practice tests, it looks like i’ll get ~2200 or so. will that make much of a difference?</p>

<p>as for the failed classes, my school’s policy will keep the failed classes on my transcript, but the F’s will not be used to calculate my gpa, since I passed both classes a semester after I took them initially. </p>

<p>Caltech was actually the top choice on my list. the entrance exams should not be a problem, since I completed differential equations, linear algebra and all 3 intro calculus units already. </p>

<p>what should I do at this point? i still have some time until the applications are due, and i dont want to waste any of it, if it will help my chances.</p>

7

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</p>

<p>Let us know what you think after taking the exams.</p>

8

<p>I think Georgia Tech will let you in.</p>