<p>Hi! So, I'm applying to Colorado College as a transfer from Colby College. I plan on majoring in environmental science. Unfortunately, my grades bombed this semester. I have a D (not sure the exact number) in intro bio, and I have a C (I think, I'm not entirely sure about this one either) in intro econ. I'm doing well in anthropology so far (B+) and philosophy (A). So, what are my chances?</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>White girl from New Jersey
1st semester freshman at Colby
GPA: terrible, probably a 2.5 or something
Extracurriculars: EnviroCo (the environmental club), organic gardening club, Amnesty International, EcoReps (environmental dorm representative), Outing Club officer</p>
<p>High school GPA: 4.0 weighted, 3.9 unweighted
APs: Language and Composition (got a 5 on the test), Statistics (5), Calc AB (4), Environmental Science (4), Literature and Composition (didn't take the test), US Government and Politics (didn't take the test)
SATs: 720 math, 690 CR, 700 writing (superscored)
National Merit Commended Scholar
National Honor Society (2 years)
Extracurriculars:
French club, junior and senior year, treasurer
Environmental club, junior and senior year
Model World Health Organization, sophomore and junior year
Volunteered at a cat sanctuary two hours a week sophomore, junior, and senior year</p>
<p>Your high school record is very competitive. What happened ? Since you are currently a student at a highly selective LAC, you are probably aware that transfering to a highly selective LAC like Colorado College is extremely difficult due to high retention rates. I believe Colorado College’s retention rate is one of the highest in the country, about 94%. I don’t know the transfer acceptance rate but the freshman acceptance rate drops every year. For the class of 2015 it was 25.8%. That said “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Apply…but go forward with your eyes open that it is likely a reach. If you have an explanation for your low grades I would certianly include it in your application. I have two Ss at CC. Last fall there were several College Confidential posters who applied as transfers. You can still get to the old posts if you google the topic. If I recall correctly, several transfer applicants posted their stats and the outcome. Good Luck.</p>
<p>Colby and CC are both schools that I have on my radar if my ED school doesn’t pan out. Would you mind sharing why you hope to transfer from one to the other?</p>
<p>My issue with Colby is that a majority of the students are wealthy, privileged kids from New England. I’m just not comfortable here. I’m a hippie environmentalist, and while there are certainly a lot of students who care about the environment, it doesn’t make up for the overwhelming preppiness and student apathy. And it’s true- most people are from 20 minutes outside of Boston, which shouldn’t be important, but being at a school with so many kids from the same economic and geographic background can make you feel very sheltered. Also, a ton of students have cars, and there’s a definitely pressure to get off campus. Colby can get boring quick, so if you don’t have a car and don’t know anyone with a car, be prepared for that. (there are taxis and a jitney service (which is unreliable, or so I’ve been told) but it’s probably kind of a hassle to have to call a cab every time you want to leave campus. I wouldn’t know because I haven’t done it yet) I also don’t sense a lot of passion in most of the students. There are definitely kids who want to change the world, but there are also a lot of kids who don’t seem to care about global issues. But then again, this is just my experience, and plenty of Colby kids will tell you they love it here. I want to transfer because I want to be at a school where I feel like less of a loner and where the kids are really motivated to make a difference.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure the reason my grades are terrible is because I’m so focused on how much I want to leave. I know that’s not a good excuse, but it’s hard to pay attention to your studies when you’re thinking about how much happier you’ll be somewhere else, and how isolated you feel from the rest of the world, and how isolated you feel from the rest of the student body…I’m hoping that my high school record will make up for my Colby record.</p>
<p>Have you visted Colorado College ? Although I have never visited Colby I am fairly famaliar with CC. Both boys visited/applied to Eastcoast LACs and CC and I attended (many, many years ago) an East Coast LAC. My CC senior would tell you that the student body at CC has changed over the last several years. When he was a freshman he was told that the senior class (class of 2009) was the last true “hippie” class. As CC becomes more and more selective the students become more like the “typical” student body of an East Coast LAC. I believe that the highest percentage of CC students come from the East. The majority of my S’s friends are from the East Coast or the suburbs of Chicago. (We live in a midsize city in the Midwest )I can also tell you that there are plenty of Range Rovers and Volvo SUVs on campus. If you have not visited I would strongly encourage you to spend a weekend on campus. Both Ss found Carleton and Grinnell (two other schools they considered) much less “preppy wealthy” than CC. Oldest found CC to be the perfect middle ground between schools like Grinnell/Carleton and East Coast LACs (Bowdoin, Middlebury). I recommend you read an article from the Denver Post on CC. If the link doesnt work google "Denver Post–College Admissions Misses Mark
[College</a> admissions miss “risks” - The Denver Post](<a href=“College admissions miss “risks” – The Denver Post”>College admissions miss “risks” – The Denver Post)</p>