<p>I went to a CA public high school from which few students go to ivies/top 20 colleges. A fair amount go to great schools like UCB and UCLA, but in my graduating class, 1 person went to Stanford, 1 went to Upenn, that's it for the T20 out of a class of 500+. </p>
<p>Every single year top transfers from community colleges do get into top schools including HYMS and peer institutions. Only you can decide if it is worth your own time to apply.</p>
<p>Like every other transfer applicant, you need to be certain to have a safety or two on your list as well.</p>
<p>You have a chance, but probably a smaller chance than a kid out of high school, which is already pretty miniscule. You might try Cornell. I was reading the transfer threads last year for a while, and a few got into Cornell from CC, but most of them were the result of articulation agreements. I did read about kids transferring from CC to Stanford, but it seemed like it was so rare it became almost national news. But you can always try. Or you can go to a UC, knock it out of the park, and try for grad/business/ or law school at an Ivy.</p>
<p>Search the alias “chasethecarrot”. I followed her journey last year. She was a very interesting applicant, got into USC, Columbia General Studies, waitlisted at Stanford. I don’t think she got sufficient financial aid to go to any of those schools though, and not sure what she ended up doing.</p>
<p>What was your HS record like? Did you have the stats to get you into an Ivy/ top 20 then?
If not, realistically your chances of acceptance at a very selective college now if you weren’t competitive then are almost nil. You DO know that tio top colleges have very very few openings and admit a much smaller $% of transfer students than they do freshman, I hope?
If you have great stats now, I suggest you apply to USC [U of Southern Calif] as they do accept a lot [ close to 1000/yr] of transfer students. They even have scholarships for transfer students, and their FA program is the largest of any private college in the US. USC is a U on the move and is now among the top 25 Us in the country.</p>
<p>I was a mediocre student in HS. I know that the odds are stacked against me (Cornell accepts thirty-something transfers into AEM, many others accept community college students in the single digits, etc.). </p>
<p>I suppose a better question is whether any of the top 20s are worth my time to apply to (besides USC, whose deadline passed).</p>
<p>Also, I posted my stats and a link to them in my OP.</p>
I’m not sure, but (and forgive me for blaspheming) what’s the big difference between #20 and #s21 and 25? As a top CC transfer, don’t you have a pretty good chance at Cal, UCLA, or (heaven forbid) UCSD? Or are those getting tough even for CC transfers with 4.0?</p>
<p>I mean, if you’ve already applied to Cornell you could pick another T20 if you want. But then concentrate on making sure you have someplace to go next year if all else fails.</p>
<p>You do have some safeties, right? Just in case the UC competition is worse than I think. Because, much like a bar at closing time, after 2 years at a CC you pretty much have to go someplace else.</p>
<p>I already submitted apps to UCB, UCLA, UCSD (TAG), and UCI. My progress on the Cornell app and my current workload would allow me to do one or two more solidly-written apps (depending on when they’re due). I have two safeties (UCSD, UCI), two match schools (UCB, UCLA), and now i’m considering one or two more reach schools (besides Cornell).</p>
<p>I’m mainly trying to see how high I should aim. I won’t have another shot at this and I don’t want to have regrets. I would be very happy to go to a UC, but why would I limit my options?</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re on top of it. Pick the school you like and roll the dice. Why not? I don’t think there is any one school that’s easier to transfer into.</p>
<p>If this is your goal, then apply to all schools you want to attend, if you can afford the application fees. That is the only way to avoid regrets.</p>
Then I say why not go for what you want? As long as you don’t mind paying the app fees (negligible in comparison to the cost of college), are willing to spend the time doing the apps (which isn’t that big of a deal), and can stand receiving some rejection letters (hopefully along with some acceptances) then go for it.</p>
<p>Even if it doesn’t work out you’re already quite well set with UCSD, which is an excellent U, and the other UCs.</p>
<p>Stanford always takes a few CC transfers. You don’t mention ECs though, they’ll be looking for ow you spent your time outside of the classroom. A job could do.</p>
<p>Aim high. It would really be great if one or two of your CC profs know someone (professor, senior administrator or someone in admissions office) at one of your reaches – and can write a stellar reference for your application…and will send it with a special note to the person they know, too.</p>
<p>Are you, by any chance, first generation in your family to go to college?</p>