<p>Hey, my brother who is a Sophomore at Cornell, wanted to know transfer chances into Duke (im an incoming freshman at Cornell, btw and im not transferring).</p>
<p>Freshman Year:
First Semester GPA: 3.9
Second Semester GPA: 3.4
Total: 3.6 ish</p>
<p>SATs (do these matter anymore?):
760V, 720M, 730W</p>
<p>HS ECs: TONS of leadership and awards (dont know if these matter)</p>
<p>College ECs: not much...a few clubs...a few awards here and there</p>
<p>I understand it may be hard to say, but since he's coming from another ivy, would it give him better chances?</p>
<p>Doesn't look good - 3.6 is pretty low for a transfer, though maybe he can say he did worse his second semester because he disliked the school environment, since he needs a good reason to transfer out.</p>
<p>I don't think gpa is a problem. All that's demanded is that you're above 3.5, demonstrating you can handle college work. SATs too, aren't as important. The focus in transfer admissions shifts more toward ECs, essays and Recs. He needs ECs. You have to show ambition and involvement in school life otherwise any case you make about "bad fit" lacks credibility.</p>
<p>I think his chances look good, a 3.6 is pretty tops at Cornell from what I've heard. I think more important than ECs will be the essay since it will give him a chance to talk about the things he wishes to gain from his undergraduate experience that Cornell is not providing him. This is especially important, I think, in terms of transfer applicants where they are trying to find the right fit since they already know your brother is a top student. Good luck!</p>