Chances for Public Policy Major: Ivies + Top Publics

Transfer Students
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Target Schools: Columbia (Human Rights), Cornell (Public Policy), Brown (Public Policy), UChicago, UMich (Economics), Emory (Finance), UVA, UND, NYU

Out of target schools: Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Princeton, Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, UNC, MIT

Safetyish: UGA, GT

Demographics: Trans Woman, Single-Parent Low Income Household (Immigrant Mother), Community College, First-Gen Mexican, College Cheerleader

Intended Majors: Human Rights, Public Policy, Economics

ACT/SAT: Optional

HS GPA: 3.3 (Honors + 7 APs)(AP HUG Score: 4)/College GPA:(Honors College+Deans List): 3.8 (Research project for Spanish Department and Independent Study with Economics Division Chair)

ECs Highlights:

HS: Founded a organization and advisory board in HS to implement inclusive policies and promote leadership, Marching & Concert band (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute), Captain for Colorguard and Winterguard,

Gap Year: Interned within Mexico City’s Copred Program (public policy to prevent LGBT discrimination),

Now: Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Spanish Activities Club, Equality Alliance, Cheerleading, Boxing

Volunteered at: A cultural diversity center and a trans care & HIV clinic in CDMX, TRANScending Barriers Atlanta, Trans Housing Atlanta, Augusta Pride, Georgia Equality, Human Rights Campaign

Strong LOCs from Economics Chair Professor, Principle from HS, and Communications Professor

Essays: Strong writing skills, covers my experience in the justice system and how that fueled my passion for law and advocacy. Talks about founding my organization in HS in response to the bullying I faced, Covers my gap year in Mexico City and how that contributed to my passion for public policy, volunteering, and art (museums).

I am applying for Financial Aid and my end career goal is investment banking then Law School (Human Rights Attorney)

Schools I’ve already applied to for Spring with 3.75 GPA at the time: Columbia GS (rejected for both fall and spring), Brown, NYU, UVA, UND. I plan on applying for all schools listed for Fall 2024 if rejected from Brown.

Hoping to add another internship/experience this semester and spring semester

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What is your plan if you do not get accepted to any of these schools? It’s a very reachy list.

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I agree….this list is very top heavy. Do you have some sure things for admission that you also like?

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I know that it’s a reach list, but I decided to attend community college to have another shot at attending a top university. If I don’t get into any of these schools then I plan on continuing at my current institution and working towards a 3.9 GPA. I plan to get more internships and keep volunteering. I also plan on studying for the ACT or SAT so it can add to my application.

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Thank you for your reply, what do you mean by sure things for admissions? Sorry, I didn’t understand the question.

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If you’ve graduated from high school, then it’s too late for that.

So you are in your first year of community college, correct? You want to transfer prior to completing your AA?

What’s your financial situation? Have you checked the costs of all of these schools and what kind of financial aid is realistically available? Make sure that any school you consider a safety is one that you can also afford without going deeply in debt.

Finally, agree with a above. Almost all of these schools are reaches. That doesn’t mean you won’t get into one or more of them…It just means that it will be difficult. It is for everyone. UGA seems fairly likely, though.

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The schools on this current list seem very reachy to me. Do you have colleges on your application list where you have a higher chance of acceptance than just Ivies and top publics?

You are already a transfer potential student. You don’t want to go backward to a community college with hopes of getting into a tippy top school. I would strongly suggest you research colleges where you have an excellent chance of acceptance as a transfer student.

Perhaps @AustenNut might have some suggestions for you.

I guess the big question is…is there a really good reason why you want to leave your current college? Are you current’s attending a four year college?

If you are at a community college, I would strongly urge you to speak to the transfer advisor there.

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Yes, I started this summer. I did four courses in the summer and I’m doing 7-8 now, by the time that I transfer in the fall, I believe I will be a Junior.

I’m applying for financial aid, most of schools that I have on my list are pretty generous with their aid (I have a EOC of 0).

I’m aware that these schools are extremely competitive and often have more qualified applicants than spots available but I still want to try! I had the option to go a state school out of high school but I decided to take the more humble route in hopes of getting to a more prestigious school. As a trans woman, it’s important for me to go to a school that has resources to support me, that’s why I’m so drawn to schools like Columbia, because they have policies and resources already in place for me.

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Yes, Georgia Tech and University of Georgia! These schools have a higher likelihood of me getting in since I’m already attending a school that shares a common system!

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Sorry I didn’t see this part. I’m currently attending a 2 year community college which different offer a degree in the majors I’m pursuing. I’ve spoken to a transfer advisor and I’m currently taking courses that “make me look good” in hopes of getting into Columbia or Cornell.

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You need to also check the policies for awarding need based aid to transfer students. At some colleges, the aid is far more generous to incoming freshmen than to transfer students.

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Yes I’ve already checked this! Good point though and I will definitely look more into this just to be sure. Do you think that if I raise my GPA to a 3.9 that my likelihood of an acceptance would increase? Any tips to make me more competitive?

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Just continue to do your personal best. But I would also suggest researching some less competitive colleges for admissions. There are some great colleges that fly under the radar screen…not necessarily top schools or Ivy League.

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Do you qualify for free in-state tuition in Georgia?

If so, one school you might want to consider is Georgia State It’s part of a consortium where students can take classes at other colleges, like Emory, Georgia Tech, Agnes Scott, and Spelman. Additionally, being in a state capital is awesome for people who are interested in public policy, because that’s where so much policy-making takes place.

Alternatively, have you looked into the work colleges? Berea is probably the best-known, but there are others as well, and that would be another route to an affordable degree.

https://workcolleges.org/

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Hello,
These are good points. I do not qualify for free in state tuition currently because I had a 2.9 HOPE GPA in High School. I was accepted to Georgia State but I didn’t feel as it fit. I’m currently exploring Emory, Georgia Tech, and UGA. Between this and the people on Reddit ripping me a new one, I think it may be best to stick to schools in Georgia but perhaps that’s my hurt ego talking haha.

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Can you please share what is important to you in a college so the posters here can help devise a college list for you? There are so many knowledgeable people here that can help you build a realistic college list. Of course, you can still apply to your reaches, but it seems you need some other options as well.

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Of course, resources and policies already in place to support transgender and first generation students. Connections to be able to recruit for Finance Jobs and Law Schools. Generous financial aid. Preferably a school that allow me to continue cheerleading, a school with a football team. A strong Finance and/or Economics program. Finally, located in a city that has plenty of volunteer opportunities and job opportunities.

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Does your family live within commuting distance of a 4-year school? Because right now we need to find a school where you can essentially get all of your tuition paid for and have your living expenses covered, all of which is a tall order.

You may want to look into the Transfer Scholars Network as well, which helps students go from community colleges to top colleges:

The expectation, though, is that students earn their Associate’s. Additionally, if you’ve only been out of high school for 4-5 months (plus your gap year), your high school GPA is going to be playing a much bigger role in any transfer application. And a 2.9 or 3.3 in high school is not going to help your case. I would take your full two years at community college. Instead of taking 7-8 classes/semester, take a regular full-time load and then focus on building relationships with professors, getting involved, showing leadership, etc. That will help you to build your case that you deserve to essentially get a free ride (i.e. EFC of $0) from one of the most competitive schools in the country.

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Hi! Yes I live one hour away from Atlanta and two hours away from Athens and Macon. Attending a university like Mercer, Emory, GT, or UGA should probably be more so my focus.

Thank you for this input, this is actually really helpful! I think right now I’m just a little stuck between taking mainly liberal arts courses to cater to these top universities or taking the University system of Georgia’s courses that will specifically transfer to these schools in Georgia.

Regarding the classes, my school mainly does classes on an eight week basis and I don’t find them challenging at all so getting all A’s this semester is very probable for me with my current course load. This semester I’m doing an Economics Independent Study and a research project for the Spanish Department since I’m apart of the honors college so I hope that will make me stand out more.

Getting a full ride would definitely be amazing and a dream come true! Thank you so much for your reply! :slight_smile:

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You have an impressive resume and I am wishing you all the best! I just wanted to clarify, you applied to Columbia twice? Once as a HS senior and once last year as a transfer?

Perhaps others can comment on your chances there as a transfer after 2 rejections (unless I’m misreading), because it seems like it is your #1 choice, and my understanding is that an acceptance (anywhere) after a rejection is extremely rare.

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