Completely Confused. Any advice will be appreciated

Transfer Students
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<p>I am currently in Community College. I currently have a 4.0, and I am in Phi Theta Kappa.
(That's about all I have going for me.) </p>

<p>I want to get my bachelors in International Relations and eventually work for the State Department. </p>

<p>But I have NO CLUE what schools to apply to. NONE!</p>

<p>My sister goes to Temple in Philly, and she says "it's not the school you go to, its what you do at the school that's important" </p>

<p>Ok, yeah i got that. But a friend of mine said "damn that, you need to get into a prestigious school!" </p>

<p>I really don't know what to do. I live in PA, although I don't mind going to another state. What schools, or what kind of schools should I be applying to?</p>

<p>I would appreciate ANY help or advice. Thanks!</p>

<p>Angela</p>

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<p>What schools CAN you get into and what schools you WANT to get into are two different questions. Is the 4.0 after a year? What were your high school stats like? Did you take the SAT? Can you afford a private school? Do you want a private school? Big school/small school? Warm/cold/doesn’t matter? Urban/rural?</p>

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<p>Well, we’d need to know what field you’re interested in and other criteria mentioned by spartan, before we could possibly make any suggestions.</p>

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<p>Well, she said International Relations (me too! I’m at NYU and we have a good program for it)</p>

<p>You gave us like zero information…4.0? Good job. But…
how much tuition can you afford? will you take out loans? financial situation? HS Gpa/Sat/Sat II’s? Will you be a soph, junior or senior transfer? How large? Does prestige/recognition matter to you? </p>

<p>It’s true that how hard you work makes more of a difference than prestige; however, if you’re smart (and a 4.0 means you’re not dumb) you might want to go to a more selective school with smarter people (not that students at lowly ranked colleges are dumb, but the intellectual atmosphere varies a lot from place to place). If you give us more info, it’ll be easier to suggest a couple of schools you might want to think about. Pick one that’s the best fit for you…it might be prestigious, might not.</p>

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<p>This might help…<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/575839-best-colleges-international-relations.html?highlight=international+relations[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/575839-best-colleges-international-relations.html?highlight=international+relations&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>For what it’s worth, my dad is a very successful Temple alum, and hopefully I will be too. Your sister is right.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for replying guys! </p>

<p>I guess I really didn’t give alot of Info. </p>

<p>I am 28 yrs old, and i took my SAT’s a LONG time ago. I honestly don’t remember what I got on them, but I know they weren’t great.</p>

<p>I also went to Cedar Crest College, and screwed up royally. I was like 20 and NOT taking school seriously. </p>

<p>I am in my 2nd year of CC. I should be graduating after the spring semester, so I would like to start the 4yr school in the Fall of 09. </p>

<p>As far as money goes, I really can’t afford a super expensive school. I am using the GI Bill for college. (OIF Veteran) So that helps ALOT. </p>

<p>As far as size goes, I tend to like smaller schools. Like 30,000 students is ALOT to me.</p>

<p>Like everyone else i would love to go to an Ivy, I seriously doubt I would get in, and If I did, i wouldnt be able to afford it. </p>

<p>But I was looking at Bucknell, West Chester, Duquesne. But I don’t want to limit myself. And if I don’t get decent financial aid, i wont be able to afford Bucknell and Duquesne. </p>

<p>LOL I’m bumming myself out. </p>

<p>Is this better information wise or do i need to add more? Also, will my doing so bad in school previously hurt me, even though it was like 7 or 8 yrs ago?</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>Well since you screwed up like 8 years ago, and then chose to go back to CC and 4yr college that makes you look good. So many people drop out and never come back. They’re going to realize straight away you’re not the same as your teen slacker self. </p>

<p>Bucknell - one of the most expensive colleges in the country! Ranked 6/10 on the 10 Most Expensive college list![Top</a> 10 Most Expensive Colleges | 6 | CNNMoney](<a href=“http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/news/expensive_colleges/6.html]Top”>Top 10 Most Expensive Colleges | 6 | CNNMoney) If you apply here don’t get too set on it, because FA might not come through. </p>

<p>If money’s an issue, why not try Penn State? Good state school. Also, Johns Hopkins has a very, very strong International Relations program - it also has a private school tuition though. I’m not going to reccomend my college because it’s big and pricy.</p>

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<p>Stargazer</p>

<p>I would LOOOOOOOOOVE to go to NYU, but I know better. People with much bigger brains than mine get turned down all day long. I think i’ll spare myself. But who knows maybe I could go there for my masters. One can dream right?</p>

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<p>Yeah Bucknell is Uber expensive, but believe it or not I got a letter from them inviting me to do their summer study program. They invited the people with high GPA’s in my school. </p>

<p>If I would have went and did well i would have qualified for a full ride. </p>

<p>I couldn’t do it, i had to work over the summer :frowning: (sucks, i know)</p>

<p>But I think i will follow up with them. I had a 4.0 then and I have one now, so if the chance comes up again, i’m gonna jump on it!</p>

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<p>I would definitely check out your instate schools, but I’m not sure which that would be. I also like American, Georgetown,GW, UMd-CP, Catholic U and, of course, Johns Hopkins for IR (and, sorry I missed that in your first post) as they are right there in DC, maximizing your chances for internships etc.</p>

<p>Some of them are expensive though and I don’t know the financial aid policies of each for JC transfers. You should check that out for each of them. As you are 28, you should figure out your EFC and see how much need-based aid you might get at any of those schools.</p>

<p>Finally, I agree with your sister. If Temple is a good option for you cost-wise, go there. Get to know the profs in your field. Seek out internship opportunities through them, through Career services, through any methods you can find. This, of course, applies at whichever school you choose. But it is true that it can very much be what you do at the school, not the “prestige” of the school, that matters.</p>

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<p>Do you plan on going to school full time? Do you want to live on campus? I ask because as a 28 year old going to a LAC will only undergraduates might not be a good match for you socially. To be your state school would allow you a good education as well as a social life.</p>

<p>I am not familiar with the rules of the GI Bill; can you use it at any school?</p>

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<p>The only problem is that I dont think we have International Relations (we DO have one of the best International Business programs though)</p>

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<p>Ok, help me out, what does LAC mean? As far as a social life, where ever I go I will be looking for an apt. I really couldnt imagine living in a dorm room with an 18 yr old. </p>

<p>I think the GI Bill is for state schools, thats why it’s reeeeeealy important I get a good financial aid package</p>

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<p>LAC means liberal arts college. It looks like no one has suggested this yet, but a few schools have undergraduate programs specifically for adults who want to come back to school (I know Yale and Columbia both have one)..Maybe try to find other similar programs.</p>

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<p>Sure, Bucknell is expensive, but the stat cited above is EXTREMELY misleading because it only looks at tuitiion. When room, board, etc are factored in, Bucknell isn’t anywhere close to the top 50 in terms of expense. Since Bucknell does meet all demonstrated need, and you presumbably are no longer a dependent of your parents, you should qualify for a large amount of aid.</p>

<p>Having said that, Bucknell is heads and shoulders above schools like Duquesne and West Chester. If your choice was among those three and Bucknell gave enough financial aid, that would seem like a pretty easy choice unless you have your heart set on living in an urban environment.</p>

<p>BTW, Bucknell has a very active program of taking students from a group of “partner” community colleges. I don’t know their stance on transfers from other CC’s but that can’t hurt.</p>

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<p>Spartan buddy, I appreciate the vote of confidence, I really do. But columbia? Yale? lol, wow i don’t think they even look at applications from community colleges!</p>

<p>I know Bucknell is a good school. I am just not sure if these really expensive schools like Bucknell, wellesley, u of Michigan, do these colleges even accept CC students? </p>

<p>And for these more expensive schools does Phi Theta Kappa help me, or does it only help with a school like Duquesne or West Chester, Arcadia?</p>

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<p>Both of the schools I mentioned look at applicants from community colleges, and it sounds like you have a pretty compelling story to tell (veteran,change in life direction?), and your renewed enthusiasm for higher learning and academic success both highlight your motivation. </p>

<p>Here is an excerpt from Yale’s Eli Whitney Program:</p>

<p>Yale welcomes applications from non-traditional students who would bring exceptional backgrounds and aspirations to Yale. Eli Whitney students are generally older than other undergraduates because their college plans have been delayed or interrupted. They take classes with other undergraduates and may earn either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Eli Whitney students may choose to attend Yale on either a full or part-time basis, and they have full access to Yale’s generous, need-based financial aid. Though on-campus housing is not offered, they have full access to all other Yale College facilities and programs. Students in the Eli Whitney program cannot be easily typed; they come to Yale with an extraordinary diversity of life experiences and intellectual interests.</p>

<p>That sounds like you! And yes, almost all schools accept CC applicants. I would also check out the PTK website, I think they offer scholarships.</p>

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<p>Spartan you rock. I will check it out. I’ve never heard of it before, the Ivy’s are sooooooo out of my league. But It doesn’t hurt to try, the worst they can say is no!</p>

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<p>But considering there is a 99% chance I wouldn’t get into an Ivy, what other schools are good options? Again, I am not stuck on PA. I can go to a school in another state.</p>