Hi,
If I take 2 years at a community college (I am from California), would it be possible to transfer to Stanford or an Ivy League?
Thanks.
Nearly impossible for most people. Not going to say it has never happened.
Possible but very unlikely.
What could possibly foment a plan like this?
It is possible (except at Princeton, which takes no transfers at all), but not necessarily likely. For example, while Stanford accepts about half of its transfers from community colleges, it accepts very few transfers in total.
OP. It is harder to get into Stanford as a transfer than it is applying as a freshman (toughest school to get into as it is)…however, Stanford does show “preference” to outside-the-box types of students who have traveled a “different” path for the rare transfer “slots”…
…if you were a studious and successful army ranger, green beret, navy seal…or the next top “American sniper” who can bring a different world view/perspective to the campus…you do have a shot…
You might want to read about this army ranger/community college student who successfully transferred into Stanford:
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/02/01/transfer-patrick-phelps-benefits-from-past-military-experience/
You could also win the PowerBall lottery . . .
Cornell admits 20% of transfers, that’s higher than their normal acceptance rate. But the other ivy’s are much harder
The real question is it possible for you. Based on your previous posts, your academic record would indicate that it’s a practical impossibility. There’s not “short cut” into top schools via community college. Those who are accepted from community colleges are the sort of academic superstar who if they had applied as HS seniors, they’d likely have gotten in. This doesn’t describe your achievements to date.
“Cornell admits 20% of transfers, that’s higher than their normal acceptance rate.”
Cornell has seven undergraduate colleges. Admission to Cornell is done by college. The acceptance rates and admissions profiles of each of its colleges are not identically the same.
Moreover, the reported transfer admissions rates to its three “contract colleges” are swelled by “guaranteed transfers” (people who were offered conditional deferred admission when they applied as freshmen) and students admitted to certain specific majors via articulation agreements with some New York State community colleges.
The last transfer admissions data I have was for Fall 2010. At that time Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences (the college there most like the other Ivy League schools) admitted 7.3% of transfers, vs 15.7% of freshmen applicants. The university as a whole admitted 18.4% of freshmen applicants, aggregated over all its colleges. But again, nobody applies to the aggregate,.just to individual colleges.
More recently the freshmen admit rate, aggregated over all its colleges, was 14.2%. But I don’t have the individual college or transfer breakdowns.
However the transfer class defintely includes community college graduates, in the other colleges particularly but into Arts & Sciences also. And not just from New York State.
Okay, thanks for those who helped, I really appreciate it!
But I don’t appreciate those sarcastic people…
It would be very difficult to prove, after community college, that you could handle the workload and academic rigor of an ivy/Stanford. You might be able to do it…but you would have to be truly, truly exceptional. The average community college student isn’t at that level.
No. If you go to a CC, look into the many wonderful CalState or UCs that would have transfer agreements with your CC. Transferring to an ivy should not be something to even consider as a plan. Your plan should be to get all A’s at CC, then transfer to your state school and do as well as you can. Then if you are a star, apply to graduate schools where ever you please.
True, but only to a certain extent. The UC system accepts thousands of students who never had a chance to be accepted as freshmen, and this with a high number at Berkeley. Some will argue that Berkeley is indeed a top school.
You are correct Xiggi,…that is why he should worry about getting into a UC or a CalState.