<p>i'm applying to Madison (next week apparently) for transfer admission. I was hoping I could get an idea of what to expect while I play the waiting game. I'm currently a freshman at SUNY Geneseo and applying for sophomore standing.</p>
<p>High school:
4.4 weighted gpa, 3.65 unweighted 5 AP classes, the rest honors classes
1900 SAT (550 cr, 650 m, 700 wrtg)
4 years ultimate frisbee team, senior year captain, won national championship junior year
foreign language tutor for elementary kids
taught ultimate frisbee to kids during my lunch for a couple years. yeah, not much else</p>
<p>Took a gap year after high school:
worked for a year at a restaurant
used some of the money I made to travel to around costa rica for a month, also helped build a house down there</p>
<p>college:
3.86 gpa, 13 credits in 1st semester (math221, geography 123, psych 100, sociology100)
this semester im taking 17 credits
continuing ultimate frisbee here
animal shelter volunteer
yoga club</p>
<p>My main concern is whether my grades will be enough to get me in; I don't feel that strongly about my essay and I didn't send in any recommendations.</p>
<p>greennblue- while by no means is it an excuse, i only decided to apply a couple weeks ago and felt i wouldn’t be giving my professors ample time to write recommendations. if the admissions office makes sat scores optional, how much weight can they place on something such as recommendations, which are traditionally considered with even less importance. (Not to mention the perpetual issue that students rarely develop relationships with their professors after just one semester). my essays will be better than some and worse than others; they’re simply not my best writing. </p>
<p>speaking of the essays… The first question is rather vague, asking for “life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments, and interests” which contribute to the UW community. I felt that this was setting me up for a bad, vague, generic essay where i try to list my experiences, perspectives, talents, etc and tie them together with a couple of positive qualities. Wisconsin can’t possibly want this, can they? I zoned in on one experience which gave me a new perspective and exemplified my leadership skills and ambitious nature. The second essay, describing academic goals, was easier to be specific with. I focused on how I’ve become more interested in studying religion while at geneseo (where it is not offered as a major) and during my year off, wheni took a class in comparative religions. I tried to be specific about how Wisconsin has interesting, specific classes that i want to take (in the religion dept and outside it), unique clubs i want to join, appealing study abroad programs, and being in a different and larger setting.</p>
<p>wis75- could you elaborate on your comment? (eg If you get all of your paperwork done by the deadline, you’ll have a good chance?)</p>
<p>They are optional because ACT/SAT scores don’t matter once you have college-level experience. I didn’t even send mine in when I transferred. Recommendations, on the other hand, I definitely sent in, and unlike ACT/SAT scores they are relevant regardless of how many college courses you’ve taken. As for developing a relationship with a professor after one semeter, I would disagree with this. Each situation is different, and one of my letters of recommendation came from a professor that I only had one class with. </p>
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<p>Basically this question is asking why you will make a unique and positive contribution to the UW community. In other words, what sets you apart from being an average, get drunk on the weekends college student.</p>
<p>If you have time, try to get some letters of recommendation. Heck, you can even just email a professor asking for one, especially since the form is online. The worst thing that will happen is that they say no, leaving you where you are now.</p>
<p>I transferred to UW-Madison, and think you will honestly be fine. I’m friends with a lot of other transfer students, and the common thread with all the transfers is that everyone (apart from a few who usually don’t fit in too well) had at least a 3.6 and above transferring in. I’ve known people who submitted an essay, and I’ve known people who did not submit an essay. If you feel like writing the essay would have been a hindrance to your application, you made the right decision. You have good grades and a good record, let that speak for itself. </p>
<p>The one thing I would like to tell you is that your GPA gets erased once you transfer here, which is tough especially if you did really well at your last school particularly when it comes to applying to different programs within the school. </p>
<p>Bottom line, however, is that I think you should not have a problem. You’ve made a great decision by trying to transfer…I’m so happy I did!</p>
<p>This is true, but with an important caveat. I’ve discovered that those grades can still matter in certain cases. For example, the UW Law School requests your grades from ALL colleges you’ve gone to, including those you transferred from.</p>
<p>I’m also applying for sophomore transfer from UW-Oshkosh. I applied directly into the CoE with an intended major of Nuclear Engineering. I will have all pre-req’s done by the end of this year.</p>
<p>High School- 3.25 GPA, 33 ACT
Was offered a spot in the connections program last year after being waitlisted.</p>
<p>College- 3.685 GPA
Fall- Calculus III, Calc based Physics I w/ lab, Gen Chem. I w/ lab, Gen Econ.
Spring- Calc based Physics II w/ lab, Gen Chem. II w/ lab, English Comp 188 (WBIS), Intro to Philosophy
Decent essays and a letter of recontamination from my Physics professor who also happens to be the Engineering advisor here.</p>
<p>Will my High School grades be much of a factor? (I did have a nice upward trend).
Anyone want to chance me?</p>