I’m currently finishing up my first year at community college with a 4.0 (both semesters). Last semester I made the Chancellor’s honor roll for my GPA while taking a full load and expect to make it again. Over the summer I plan to start applying to colleges as a transfer but wonder if I have a shot at Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, etc. I plan on being an English major, possibly with a concentration in creative writing. I’m not a sob story and didn’t grow up in special circumstances, and my resume isn’t bursting with incredible clubs and jobs and internships. Even though I’m a great student, is it enough?
Yes it will be incredibly difficult to transfer to any Ivy League. Harvard has an acceptance rate of 0.009% and others like Yale have an acceptance rate that is below 2%. Your best bet are Cornell and Brown, but even these two schools are also extremely competitive. With nothing that stands out in your application, I think they will be extremely high reaches. You can go through individual schools’ threads to see who got accepted with what stats, but many people with impressive grades and extracurriculars are rejected.
What is your high school GPA and standardized testing? Don’t mean to be a debby downer and you should apply to a couple Ivies, but you should apply to more realistic options.
My high school GPA unweighted my senior year was a 3.94, weighted by my spring semester was a 4.71. I took the SAT twice and got a 1930 and 1950, and took the ACT once without studying and got a 30. A 34 in English, 34 in reading, and 36 in writing, but tanked math and science. Should I retake it, even though I plan to have 2 years of college under my belt before transferring?
Also, the Ivy League thing is really a reach; their programs and reputations are renowned, but as a CA resident places like UCLA and Stanford are much more appealing location-wise. But since I’m exploring the places with the best programs and opportunities, of course the Ivies come up. I just want to know if I have a shot or if it’s more realistic to aim a bit lower.