Applying with credit disadvantage

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm a CC student who is preparing to apply for spring transfer admission. My top choices include Notre Dame, Northwestern, Cornell, UIUC, UMich, UVA, and University of Washington. My first semester at my CC, I took 15 credits and got straight A's. However, two of them were online, and one of them was a mandatory communications class.</p>

<p>I have over 30 credits worth of AP's, which will allow me to finish my Associate's degree next semester. This means that when I'm applying to colleges for the spring, I will only have 15 credits under my belt with another 23 in progress. </p>

<p>Normally, spring transfers have finished an entire year in college already and are applying with 30 credits under their belt with 20~ credits in progress, and fall transfers have finished a semester of 15~ credits with another 15 pending. This means that I am at a 15 credit disadvantage when applying, but am on par with fall transfer applicants..</p>

<p>Will colleges care about the difference in the amount of classes I am taking compared to the traditional spring transfer applicant? Are 4 classes, two of which are online and one of which is a "gimme" class, be enough to convince adcoms that I am ready for university-level work? I had a bad record before community college, which means that I am further at a disadvantage in this context. I am taking very advanced classes next semester (discrete mathematics, computer architecture in assembly language, etc) and will get good recommendations and hopefully a 4.0 mid-semester gpa. Will this be enough to compensate for my credit disadvantage?</p>

2

<p>Your situation is iffy, since you only have 15 units actually completed in college and the others just in progress. I would say that they would probably look at your HS record, despite the AP’s likely counting as credit at your current school. It sounds like you are on the right track though taking advanced classes and keeping good grades. I don’t see what else you can really do other than start contacting those universities, but even then I don’t know if you will get good info on your situation.</p>