Chances for transfer

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, I am international student living in Peru and have been recently admited to KU. If everything goes as planed I will be attending KU this fall, but I am considering applying for a transfer to a university with a better Computer Science program (my major). It doesn't hurt to try, so I will give it a shot.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Background: I am Spanish of Peruvian parents (age 0-7 living in Madrid, 7-17 in Lima)
Intended major: Computer Science
Graduated in December 2010 from Peruvian school (In Peru, the school years ends in December)</p>

<p>High School GPA: 3.7 (Unweightened)
I took the IB diploma at my school:
IB courses (maximum score is 7):
- Spanish A1 HL ----------------- 6
- English A2 HL ------------------ 6
- Business & Management SL----- 7
- ITGS HL------------------------6
- Physics SL--------------------- 7
- Mathematics SL---------------- 7
Total Score: 40 (39 from courses + 1 from Extended essay and TOK)</p>

<p>Class Rank: 6/47</p>

<p>SAT: 1870 (DEFINITELY will take it again)
SAT Subjets:
- Math II: 780 (thinking og taking it again)
- Physics : 740 (possibly taking it again)
- Spanish: 790 (I don't know what happened :/, it was clearly and easy 800 for me)</p>

<p>ExtraCurriculars:
- VP of Finances for a student-created business at our school for a national business program
- Volunteer work at a local church in summer (work with children from the streets of Lima) / In charge of logistics.
- Karate - 5 years (Brown belt) / Jiujitsu - 3 years
- Foregin language: French (2 years)
- Partcipated in various inter school debates</p>

<p>Distinctions:
- Graduated from high school with honors
- 1st place in both Kumite & Kata for 2009 annual karate championship
- 1st place in a national exam from a peruvian university for high school students
- School prefect.</p>

<p>Well, I think my weakest point are extracurriculars. I can improve my SAT score working really hard, but for my ECs to improve I will have to get into many clubs and leadership positions, isn't it?</p>

<p>I am international student that would need a lot of finantial aid. Luckily I am, KU has offered me a great scholarship in which I would only have to pay 12000 annualy. That is just what my parents can affor, a similar amount would be just perfect.
Because of my finantial situation, I was thinking of applying to these three who are need blind and offer need based FA packages:
MIT
Harvard
Yale</p>

<p>I know these are EXTREMELY difficult to get into as a transfer, but still I am thinking to apply.</p>

<p>And how would my chances be at these others:</p>

<p>University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Unviersity of Washington
University of Texas at Austin
University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Michigan
UCLA
UC - San Diego</p>

<p>I know I am aiming very high, but I would like to hear opinons. I am giving for sure that I will do great at KU on my first semester to have a good transcript.</p>

<p>Any comment will be much apreaciated!</p>

2

<p>Michigan, UCLA and UCSD do not give aid to internationals. Check the other state schools, I’m not sure about their aid policies.</p>

<p>For any real shot at MIT, Harvard and Yale, you’ll need much higher scores. You might look at Lehigh, Union, USC, Tufts.</p>

<p>Your biggest issue will be getting adequate aid as an international transfer. There is very limited money. You would be much better off applying as a freshmen, so you might consider not attending KU if you don’t plan to stay there.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your comment.</p>

<p>First of all, I know getting finantial aid is very difficult, even more for international students like me… This is why I am applying to extremely difficult schools like MIT, Harvard and Yale, because of their need blind policy. From the other school in my list, some of them have limited budget for aid for international students, so it would also be difficult. My goal then is look for scholarships and finantial aid from other sources rather than only hoping on getting aid from those colleges. (I have already started my research, but if you have some information that would be helpful feel free to tell me!).</p>

<p>I will atend KU and I have already accepted their offer. The truth is that I know I am capable of something better. Maybe I like KU, I haven’t been there yet, but I would like to try at other institutions.</p>

<p>Also, I have been in a local university here in Peru for a year. In Peru people graduate from school at the age 16 and I did it myself. THat is why I decided to attend a university here and apply for freshman admission at a university in the US. I was not very informed about the process and I went to Fulbright in Lima based on the idea to get an scholarship. In the end I received the offer from KU and this is all I got. If I would have better advice or planning I would have applied to better schools. I am 17 right now and I am young but I would not like to spend another year trying to enter college as a freshman.
I have also been thinking what to do with my studies at the peruvian university. I think I could convalidate some courses at KU (like calculos), but I am afraid that when I apply for transfer they will ask me certificates from this peruvian university. I have done great, but not the best possible. My GPA is about 3.74 (calculated it myself). It would be very difficult to obtain the certificates if I am not in Peru and more difficult to get recommendations as the student-teacher relationships is almost non existant (they only teach, answer question and go away, have not heard of anybody that has good talks with his professors).</p>

<p>So that is my situation. I hope you guys can offer me advice :).</p>

4

<p>Important!
KU has written to me to give my information about accepting the offer, housing options, etc. THey ahve also offered me the chance to apply the Honors Program. The deadline is May 1 (today) but I think I may be able to submit my application a bit later as they have offered me advice. Would being part of the honors program improve my chances for transfer?</p>

5

<p>Bump! Any advice?</p>

6

<p>Bump!!! :/</p>