GPA: 2.9 HS & 3.98/4.00 or 4.13/4.3
Junior Transfer
Indian American Male
Insitution: Georgia State University (In-State)
Major: Business and Philsophy (applying Economics based on school)
Schools I’m Applying To:
UT (McCombs)
UGA (Terry)
GT (Scheller)
Cornell (Dyson)
Columbia
UPenn
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Duke
UChicago (TED)
UNC (KF)
Yale
Stanford
UVA
WUSTL
ECs:
Internship in a 90 million dollar VC fund
Junior VP of the Economics Club at my School
Outreach Chair of another club
Analyst at an Investment Portfolio Management Club with 1 million AUM
Deputy Project Manager for NASA L’SPACE managing a theoretical 2 million dollar budget
LORs: Cant give too much about that
Awards: Dean’s List my first sem and President’s List every sem after
Why do you want to transfer? It seems like you are doing really well where you are both academically and in your ecs. What is your current school lacking?
What are you looking for in your transfer school? This seems just like a listing of USNWR top rated schools. Many of these schools have competitive clubs so you might not even get in to clubs if you transfer and definitely won’t have leadership positions. Most of these schools have low transfer acceptance rates so it’s really hard to predict. I would cut this list way back to the ones you like the most and know are affordable and take a shot.
Research, plain and simply. As I’ve gone through college I’ve picked up an interest in Economics. I realize that my current institution doesn’t really fund undergraduate research in the subject. I have a specific field of research I want to do and I believe that the kind of opportunities available at labs at for example Duke better serve the field of research I want to partake in. That, and I didn’t like the opportunities I was given.
Most undergraduate research is done by working with a professor on something they are working on and have funding for. It sounds like you are looking for separate funding for independent research. You need to look at all these schools carefully to see if they have that and what percentage of students actually get it. For example, If only five students per year get funding for independent projects, the chances of you being one of them as an incoming transfer is pretty slim. You need to do more in-depth research on this list and narrow it down.
All of this info was accessible on an easy google search, so I would hesitate to say this is your main reason for transfer.
If you want to move to a more ‘prestigious’ school I get that, but you need to own that desire. I can’t chance you for these schools, but if you are certain you want to transfer you do need to add some likely schools.
Were you accepted/denied to any of these schools out of HS? Do you have any budget constraints?
No, I mean that there just aren’t enough funds for undergraduates to participate in research at my current school. The schools I’m applying to have labs in additions to professors, so even though I’d still be working with a professor the opportunities to participate in research under professors in certain labs is what draws me to apply.
Nothing in the Experimental Economic Lab is something I’d be interested in doing, and again there isn’t funding for undergraduates. The lab is application based while I’m solely interested in the theoretical side of economics. I don’t have any budget constraints and I was rejected by a few schools in high school.
ok on the research. Not sure what you are saying about funding for undergrads…many research opportunities aren’t paid, is that what you mean when you say funding?
Have you already applied to these schools? (some deadlines have passed)
I added UGA, and my school runs on a 4.3 scale so I recalculated my GPA to a 4.0 scale to get the 3.98 and the 4.13 is the GPA on my transcript. I’m not sure about cost issues, once decisions start rolling in I wanna talk to my parents about cost issues and possible solutions to remedy them.
So, research funding is awarded to professors based on previous work. When talking about funding, I mean how much money are professors given to give certain types of students opportunities to participate in research. And yeah, I submitted my app for UNC this past Tuesday.
Oh, I thought you meant cost issues in terms of the number of applications I was sending. I think I might qualify for need-based aid but for schools like WUSTL Im going to go full-pay.
You kind of need to have that talk to front with your folks.
Assuming you are in state now, you are talking multiples of your cost to go to these others. Multiple. Like 3.5 times the cost.
Ga State grads do well. My company is in Atlanta. We have loads. Kennesaw too. Major company you likely know very well.
We have UGA/Ga Tech too. Don’t know everyone’s salaries but don’t think they differ by school. The job grade all start the same.
Make sure you don’t get yourself in over your head. There is absolutely research taking place there at Ga state and you might even find a Ga Tech prof willing to take you on while at Ga State since they are so close.
I tried looking at GT professors to take me in while I was at GSU and the effort was ultimately fruitless. But I will say, I’m going to definitely miss the professors and teaching here. I love this place in that aspect, but I believe that for what I want to do with my life the opportunities at the schools I have is better and I’m willing to trade the amazing instruction and professors I’ve met for the opportunities I could get.
My guess is you’ll get into a school like Ga Tech but maybe add some lesser names - an Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, etc that would be a sure fire admit. Well if one is affordable and you need to find that out first.
They will all have - any flagship you choose - significant research opportunity.
I can’t speak to transfer and Ga Tech looks attainable based on the #s - but I’d want a true safety.
But your list is full of $75k + and you could be wasting time if mom and dad say heck no. What is your plan if they don’t qualify for need or the school doesn’t give transfers need (need to look at each ). You said full pay at WUSTL which likely means full pay at all.
Actually, WUSTL’s the only school I’m applying Full Pay. I’m applying for aid everywhere else. And should it come that we’re a bit short. I don’t mind doing a job while I’m there.
So if Ga State is $24k in state and WUSTL is $84k, how will you pay ? Unless you have some crazy job, it won’t be through part time work. Can’t get a loan that big. Can your parents afford and are they willing to ?
Have you looked into these situations ?
How can you afford WUSTL but not Duke or Cornell ? Have you run the NPCs ?
You may have all this covered. But it doesn’t appear so ….
Re: research…it sounds like you have well established yourself where you are now. So…as an upperclassman, seems to me some research OPs could be pursued.
If you transfer, you will be the new man on the block.