<p>Hey, I'm a sophomore at Temple University hoping to transfer to CMU 2015 fall. My GPA is 3.4 ( I know /: ), my ACT score is 30 (only took it once), SAT score is 2050 (also only took it once). I've involved myself in a lot of lab work at Temple. I worked 20-30 hours a week in an organic chemistry lab this summer, and averaged 15 hrs a week during the fall. My high school grades are pretty poor, around 3.2 unweighted, but I ran track and cross country all four years, and did very well in triple A division. Temple cut its track program so I haven't been able to run there, but CMU's track team would be a desirable option if I was accepted. Does anyone have any helpful advice for getting in or convincing admissions I'm a good fit? my dad works for the SEI at CMU and so I could go there for free if I was accepted, which would obviously be amazing. Thanks!</p>
<p>(P.S. This semester, fall 2014, I took Chem2, calc 1, and bio 1, but also taught myself ochem 1 and 2 and NMR)</p>
<p>I think your chances are poor. Whether you learned orgo yourself is irrelevant. Your grade is too low for CMU, if you can improve your college Gpa to 3.8 then you might have a chance. </p>
<p>Not CMU but still a top-tier school, Yale says:</p>
<p>"A transfer candidate’s academic strength is our first consideration. An applicant for transfer admission should have an outstanding academic record. The average GPA of admitted transfer students is usually 3.8 and above in a demanding selection of courses. </p>
<p>Transfer candidates should also have particularly compelling and well-defined academic reasons for wishing to attend Yale.</p>
<p>Wanting to leave one’s current school is not a sufficient argument for admission to Yale. Transfer candidates should explain in their application essays how studying at Yale would give them an educational opportunity particular to their interests that could be experienced nowhere else."</p>
<p><a href=“Transfer Application Process | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions”>Transfer Application Process | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions;
<p>If you want to transfer you’ll need an amazing essay that demonstrates why CMU would be a great match for you. </p>
<p>I agree, my GPA is pretty low, I definitely allowed the lab to distract me from my classes. That being said, I do think it prepared me very well do get As in organic 1 and 2. At the same time, I don’t know whether or not my grades next semester would have any role in my being accepted or not. I could potentially bring my grade up to about a 3.6 by next semester if I increased my course load, but I don’t know how much that would even help for applying 2015 fall. it might increase the chances of a 2016 spring entry, in which case my courses would be synced. Also, I’m majoring in Biology so I’m applying as a Bio major to carnegie mellon MCS.</p>