<p>Okay I'll take that curriculum wise a top cc could probably be somewhat tougher than a low tier university, but in the transfer process, would adcom really think the same way? IMO I doubt it.</p>
<p>it would probably depend on how well known the difficulty of the CC's program is to the transfer adcoms at that specific university. intrestingly enough, ive been told that transfer adcoms at the top schools are much more knowledgeable on that subject than at mid and lower level 4 year schools, probably because it matters more to them.</p>
<p>I agree with indie_boy when he says, "I have seen lot of university students who have got there butt kicked bad @ De Anza."</p>
<p>I myself don't go to De Anza, but I have seen the same at my own CCC. I've seen on many occassions current UC students enrolling at my college (for the completion of breadth requirements I suppose), thinking it will be a breeze in comparison to UCs. Boy were they wrong...</p>
<p>hey indie boy.... i go to de anza too!!</p>
<p>I think you all have a great shot. Listen, I am transferring from a community college in Houston,TX (and it is NOT a top CC), with 63 credit hours completed with a 3.46 GPA. I have been accepted into Penn and Hopkins, so far. My high schools grades were average, at best. My test scores didn't even calculate because they were so bad.
The only edge I have is that I am 32 years old and I have been a working professional for the last twelve years.
I also volunteered over 400 hours of personal time, in 2004, to my community (which is where one of my recommendation letters came from).
Although I didn't realize it at the time, Penn and Hopkins stated that my age, volunteer and work experience was viewed way more favorably to the admissions committee than someone who is younger with a better GPA and test scores. They felt I could bring a unique perspective to the classroom.
If anyone is interested, I would be more than glad to tell you what Penn, Hopkins, and Georgetown are looking for (i.e., what gives someone an edge). Please understand, I make no claim to "knowing it all". However, me being a working professional, I was able to have long conversations with the members of the admissions committees that maybe the average applicant hasn't. I would be willing to help in any way that I can.
Good luck.</p>
<p>I'd be interested in your comments.</p>
<p>I guess I can be considered a "working professional"</p>
<p>I work 40 hours a week in new york for both bear stearns (investment bank) and dow jones. </p>
<p>I'm taking 17 credits this semester and I am 18 years old. Please see my past posts on my stats. </p>
<p>Similarlly, I am interested in transfering to Penn, but to the Wharton school.</p>
<p>I am interested in your thoughts.</p>
<p>Greenspan...thanks for the reply. You have good work experience. Whether or not that will get you into Wharton, I'm not sure. From your work history, I'm guessing you want to go into Investment Banking of some kind. I am a real estate agent and I have a few clients that work for Goldman Sachs. I was inquiring to them about going into investment banking myself (Real Estate, of course), and I asked what did GS view as favorable degrees and from where.
They told me that Investment firms hire all types of majors, but that a B.A. and NOT a B.S. is viewed way more favorably, especially a B.A. is Economics. As you know, a B.S. focuses more on Science and Mathematics, and a B.A. studies the Humanitities and Philosophy fields. They told me that being an investment banker has little to do with actual numbers, and more to do with citical thinking and projection. Plus, you need good people skills. So, getting a degree in Finance or another mathematics field does not make you more favorable, at least not at GS.
I'm not sure what you are interested in, but you could definitely get into Penn, but I'm not sure about Wharton. I'm getting a B.A., so I wasn't shooting for Wharton.</p>
<p>I think the reason why hedgefunds always eat an investment banker's lunch is because bankers do not employ enough quantitative strategies. The pricing of mergers/acquisitions/debt/equity is uber-inefficient. Hedgefunds take advantage of that.</p>
<p>I think I am in the range for Wharton. I called them up.. they said average was about 3.7.. I'm a 4.0. I have some national recognition and etc.. please see my other posts.. I would like your opinion.</p>
<p>I do want to go into investment banking, but whether it is sales & trading, finance, or research.. I still do not know yet. In addition to what I am doing right now, I'm looking for opportunities at Hedgefunds during the summer and see how they eat the bankers' lunches. </p>
<p>A BS degree matters if you want to go into sales & trading/research, which are divisions of investment banking.</p>
<p>You are right in regards to finance being more of critical thinking and just hard work. I am in contact with several bankers at Bear Stearns and on the street. It seems to me that everything seems systematic and there is a formal structure for everything. Whereas sales & trading/research are more dynamic and quantitative based. I don't understand the logic of that. For instance: there are distinct valuation techniques to price certain types of bonds.. this is beyond simple present value stuff. I am now going into Black-Scholes and other nobel theories and the like. I don't understand why bankers don't use those theories and quantitative formulas much like economists and hedgefunds do. Maybe it is because they lack the mathematics.</p>
<p>I respect your opinion. But I have been looking at some full-time positions at iBanks. These are research/hedgefund positions. They typically ask either for undergrad physics, math, stats, econ and finance. </p>
<p>Regardless, math and stats (the most underrated major) are important, even for bankers.</p>
<p>If you would like, I would like to exchange emails with you. You seem like an interesting person. I would like to continue this debate and learn more from you. Indeed, you do have more experience than I. Also.. this forum doesn't seem fitting for our "discussion." Private message me if you are interested.</p>
<p>Well, just in case...</p>
<p>It's interesting that you mention communication skills. I think I have the luxury to have obtained it earlier in my life when I slacked off.</p>
<p>Here are my stats.. in case if you have not seen them yet.</p>
<p>Target Schools: Harvard (Stats/Econ Major, Chinese/Math Minor), Penn -- Wharton (Finance, Econ, Stats, Major Chinese Math Minor), Yale, Chicago, NYU - Stern, Northwestern, Cornell, BC, Michigan, Columbia.</p>
<p>HS Stats:
Freshman GPA: 2.3
Sophomore GPA: 2.5
Junior GPA: 3.68 (unweighted)
Senior GPA: 3.87 (unweighted) 4.44 (weighted)
SAT:
1380
SAT II's:
720 Average</p>
<p>College Stats:
Year: Freshman
College: Rutgers University
GPA: 4.0
Classes: (17 credits)
Calculus
Regression Methods (400 level applied statistics, hardest offered here)
International Economics (300 level class)
3Honors Classes</p>
<p>Current semester: (17 credits)
Econometrics + 2 Intermediate econ classes that uses multivar calc
Calculus
484 Stats
Stats programming class (380)</p>
<p>I can actually graduate with an econ/stats degree next year.</p>
<p>EC's:
Fed Challenge NY Federal Reserve Semi-Finalist (HS) (Presentator)
Fed Challenge NY Federal Reserve Champions (Presentator)
2nd place in national competition
Harvard University Economics Department (research assistant)
Rutgers University Economics Department (research assistant) -- Worked on a working paper to be published in the Journal of Finance
Financial, International and Monetary Policy Columnist for School Newspaper
Money Manager/Founder of Hedge/mutual fund
LIBOR (Investment Banking Club)
Publishing a research paper, possiblly in Barron's</p>
<p>Internships/Jobs
Dow Jones - Barron's
Bear Stearns - Investment Bank
I work 40 hours a week on Wall Street
Summer:
Probablly at a $1 Billion hedgefund</p>
<p>Recs: (All three should be great)
Undergraduate Director of the Economics deparment here.
Private Sector Economist who I have worked with.
HS Fed Challenge Advisor
Undergraduate director of the Economics department at Northwestern.. I guess I will get in there..</p>