Chance a transfer with poor grades from McGill? (will chance back!)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi all! Here are my stats:</p>

<p>HS: International school in US
IB diploma, bilingual, 4 HLs
GPA: 3.8
SAT: 2050
SATII: French with listening (800), Spanish (760)
ECs:
- School awards for theater
- President, founder of Theater Club
- Mentor and teaching assistant to 3rd grade</p>

<p>Uni: McGill University
Major: East Asian Studies
GPA: 1.53 (explained below!)
ECs:
- Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students' Society: support group co-facilitator
- Membership in clubs, but nothing special </p>

<p>Uni: Harvard Extension School (open-enrollment classes taught by local profs - offers associate, bachelor, master degrees)
Non degree candidate
GPA: 3.83 (only took three courses at a time, all substantive classes in language, government, history, etc.)
ECs:
- Summer in Beijing for six week language intensive program
- Summer in Tokyo for six week language intensive program</p>

<p>Projected for Fall 2013:
- Full-time coursework at HES
- Volunteer with rape crisis center.
- Part-time work (20-30 hrs per week)
- Intern at Japan Society of Boston
- Active membership with Harvard Extension Student Affairs
- Possible research with associate director of Weatherhead Institute of International Affairs at Harvard (improbable, but possible - I studied under him in a smaller class a while back and got an A)</p>

<p>Hooks:
- International background: have lived in five countries, traveled to fifteen countries.
- Speak five languages, three fluently</p>

<p><strong>Note</strong> My time at McGill was marked by severe depression and debilitating anxiety issues after being raped at the end of high school. I never attended class, forgot assignments, and failed or withdrew from most courses. The admin were really awful at trying to understand my situation, which made life very stressful. After volunteering at SACOMSS, I realized I needed to take time off to heal. </p>

<p>It's been two years sice I withdrew, and I'm now in better health than ever. I took classes at the Ext School as I recovered, and I finally feel ready to take on what I would consider a full slate of work this semester. </p>

<p>I'd like to transfer to a smaller school with a good East Asian Studies program, but would be happy at a medium sized school with a great EAS program. </p>

<p>Chance me for Spring admit to these schools?</p>

<p>Smith
Mt Holyoke
Vassar
Barnard
Bryn Mawr
GWU
Tufts
BU
Wesleyan
UMass Amherst
Columbia GS (alumnus uncle has close contacts in the admissions office - he urged me to apply)</p>

<p>Also, please suggest some match or safety schools I could check out! Leave me a link in the comments after you chance so I can chance you back. :) Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Anyone? I would love anyone’s feedback, and would be very happy to chance back! :)</p>

3

<p>Smith: Match
Mt Holyoke: Match
Vassar: Low Reach/High Match
Barnard: Low Reach
Bryn Mawr: Match
GWU: Match
Tufts: Low Reach
BU: High Match
Wesleyan: Low Reach
UMass Amherst: Match
Columbia GS: Reach</p>

<p>You would drastically improve your chances if you increased your SAT a little bit.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the feedback! I am actually more enthusiastic about the women’s colleges than I am about the larger schools, so your assessment is encouraging. :slight_smile: I agree that my SAT is rather lackluster, but because I’m so far removed from maths (it’s been four years since I last did any!), I’m not entirely sure I would be able to improve my score. Perhaps if I studied for a while? Also, to what extent do colleges account for SAT scores for junior transfer?</p>

5

<p>I would assume that the more college credits you have, the less your high school stats matter</p>

6

<p>Thank you for your input! Anyone else have any suggestions or assessments?</p>

7

<p>I’m not good at chancing, but good luck! I think you have a strong chance at the womens’ schools and I think a female environment will be very healthy for you. A good friend of mine is attending Mt Holyoke and ADORES it. I think you will be very happy at one of those schools :slight_smile: And Smith meets full need for transfer students (financially), so that’s a plus too!</p>

8

<p>Thank you so much! I also think a female environment would be healthy and supportive. :slight_smile: Though I don’t mind a coeducational environment in the least! I’m so happy to hear that your friend is enjoying her time at Mt Holyoke! I was actually accepted at MHC out of high school with a 30k scholarship, but turned them down to attend McGill. I hope they won’t view that too negatively when I reapply this fall!</p>

9

<p>Yes, you clearly had a tough time and I empathize for your situation, but the hard truth is that you are a transfer applicant with a 1.53 GPA. I think that your chances are very low at many of these places, and non-existent at Columbia.</p>

<p>I feel like a bit of a jerk for writing that, but I feel that the other posters are giving you a false sense of security.</p>

10

<p>High tier universities (including Columbia) and LACs tend to use a more holistic admissions process, so your extreme hardship (not too sure if that’s the right word for it) may give you a significant edge. However, the advantage is completely dependent on whether you have recovered from the hard times. Even though you have clearly gone through more than what many of us will ever go through, elite universities do not “just” want those who are able to survive. Rather, they want those who are able to endure and emerge from crises stronger than ever before ACADEMICALLY, rather than just psychologically. Just as muaythaiguy said, your chances are VERY slim (though not necessarily nonexistent if your GPA shows a high upward trend).
With this in mind, know that it is ultimately YOUR decision on whether to apply to the universities you wish to attend.</p>

11

<p>Hey muaythaiguy18, thank you so much for your input! Listen, don’t feel like a jerk - and thanks for being constructive. I know, a 1.53 GPA is really, really low. And I honestly think my uncle’s a bit crazy about Columbia. :wink: I’m hoping to increase my odds just by applying to so many schools and hoping one will take me. Do you have any safety schools you could suggest? I think it’s time I started heavily researching my options. :)</p>

12

<p>Alphaprime11, thanks so much for your comment! I hope to build my application around my recovery and use it as an opportunity to talk about how it made me a stronger, even more determined and focused person than I ever was in high school. I agree that my chances are slim, nonetheless! Thank you again!</p>

13

<p>Anyone else? Please feel free to give me your input - I would be more than happy to chance back!</p>

14

<p>Bump! Please help, will chance back!</p>

15

<p>First off, I’d just like to say that I’m disgusted by the admin at McGill for not being more understanding of the situation. I’m terribly sorry you had to go through that there - usually student support services there are great (I have many friends that went there). Definitely not very Canadian of them. </p>

<p>Smith: Match
Mt Holyoke: Match
Vassar: Low Reach/High Match
Barnard: Match
Bryn Mawr: Match
GWU: Match
Tufts: Match
BU: match
Wesleyan: Low Reach
UMass Amherst: Match
Columbia GS: Reach?</p>

<p>Honestly, I would even aim a bit higher. If you want an all-girls environment, why not throw an app at Wellesley or somewhere similar? You never know what might happen. I don’t see you having a problem with any of the above schools so long as they use a holistic admissions process.</p>

16

<p>To be honest, mcgill is quite well known in academia and the fact that you got a 1.xx gpa there doesn’t help the case at all.</p>

<p>Also, if I may ask what did mcgill do wrong? I mean from what I gather your assault happened in high school while you were in the U.S</p>

<p>I’m not sure how mcgill is to blame for this or how they could help at all? If you needed help or counseling, it should have been resolved before you arrived there or during a gap year if you wanted one. Did you go there expecting mcgill to hold your hand and give you an easy pass grade wise?</p>

<p>These are just the questions which the officers in charge of your file are going to be asking.</p>

<p>The fact that you actually went there in the Fall and then did badly and plan to blame the it on an event that happened before you even reached is quite a stretch. It’s even more of a stretch if you consider that mcgill would have gladly deferred you a year if you felt you weren’t ready.</p>

<p>If you have other reasons for performing poorly then please do list them when you apply next time because this looks more like a sob story with ridiculous excuses. I apologize if this comes out harsh but someone needs to tell you this.</p>

<p>The situation would have been different if you got assaulted in campus after you already started at mcgill but that isn’t the case at all. I see no proper reasons for you performing badly if you consider everything I’ve said above.</p>

17

<p>Zilch, you already rudely blasted the OP in another thread… Lay off.</p>

18

<p>@CBits1224 Thanks so much for your input! Honestly, I do love McGill - the students there are inspiring and really forward thinking, and the education you get really is world class. If it had a better East Asian studies department, I would definitely be going back! As for women’s colleges, I might look into Wellesley, but was hoping to look into less competitive application processes - maybe Simmons? Thank you again!</p>

19

<p>@Zilch3: Thank you for replying. I feel your assessment is harsh, but valuable. I think your perspective is both one that many adcoms may share, and also one that it is my responsibility as an applicant to change. More critical comments like yours - while painful to read - are definitely those that will help me improve my application the most. So thank you for taking the time to comment. </p>

<p>Regarding McGill’s inability to help me, I’m afraid I won’t go into the details. I think it’s poor form to discuss my old institution in my own frustrations with the admin - it really is a great school, and my experiences with the admin should by no means be made a generalization. The subject isn’t at any time brought up in my application - instead I focus on my own failure to attend class and turn in assignments. In fact, I try hard to make sure I never at any point use my rape as an excuse for my poor academic record. Those grades are all mine, and I own it. I’d like to focus on talking about how my experience made me a stronger, more determined individual, instead of playing the messy and pointless game of ‘who’s to blame’.</p>

<p>However, Zilch, I don’t know you, but I think I should address you personally. It’s now my turn not to sound too harsh, but while I appreciate your criticism of my application, some remarks you made have little understanding of the mental trauma that follows sexual assault. Though rape in an alleyway by a stranger happens, it is comparatively uncommon next to the much more frequent partner assaults and assaults by acquaintances.</p>

<p>I happened to have been raped by my own boyfriend. As you might imagine, it was a very confusing experience for a sixteen year old girl to go through. I felt disgusting for months and couldn’t stop crying, but didn’t know why. I blamed it on stress. I told no one. I didn’t know rape could happen to me. The truth is, the actual rape left no physical wounds to heal except minor bruising. That took maybe a week. Healing the mental and psychological wounds took me three years. </p>

<p>I’m starting to ramble, so I’m going to try to keep this short. To answer your questions, I did not seek counseling before going to McGill because I thought it was my fault. I was confused, ashamed, and embarrassed. I just wanted to stop thinking about it and go on to college. I didn’t know I would finally have the room to actually think about what happened. If I had, I would have deferred. I didn’t even know that was an option then. My situation is what it is now. I’m just trying to move forward. </p>

<p>Thank you again for your input.</p>

20

<p>I apologize. I clearly have no understanding of the trauma that follows such an event nor can I ever pretend to do so. </p>

<p>I was just speaking my mind like average joe, most people looking at your file at admissions will probably be the same as me unfortunately.</p>

<p>Your reply was quite moving. I clearly dont know what goes on in the mind of a 17 y.o after such an event and neither will the majority. </p>

<p>I should just point out though that it would probably be better if you left out the fact that you’ve traveled to 15 countries etc. When people assess your application, they are probably comparing it to people who potentially have it worse. It doesn’t come off well, just my opinion. It gets harder to relate to you as a victim.</p>

<p>Just want to mention though that most universities East Asian department isn’t going to be very good since it’s not a popular major. Have you considered just returning and finishing up at mcgill? You might be further disappointed once you start at your new uni and discover that the department may even be worse then mcgill’s.</p>

<p>Consider returning, since the stress of applying again to all these schools and potentially facing rejections again is not something a person like you deserves.</p>

<p>If you dont want to return there, perhaps look at other universities in Canada as safety’s if your U.S choices dont work out.</p>

<p>I hope things work out for you, I really do.</p>