<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I really need to hear some honest opinions aside from those of the admissions faculty
at the Hotel School.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore in college at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. I applied to transfer to the Hotel School for spring semester 08, and was harshly rejected. However, I have reapplied for fall transfer 09, and I am determined to get into this school. Through out my application process, I have definitely interacted with the office a lot, which hopefully helps.</p>
<p>My stats however, are not very impressive: HS GPA: 3.55, College GPA: 3.4, SAT Overall: 1640, ACT: 21</p>
<p>I have ample work experience in the restaurant industry (my concentration) and was also a barista for years. I am currently involved in two clubs at my college, one that I founded, and was the drummer for a best-selling band. I had a great interview, and my interviewer said he would recommend me to the school. My 6 professor recommendations (combining the ones from last app) are excellent, and I also submitted letters of rec from an employer and an alumni of the Hotel School Master program. This very alumni actually found out from the office that it was my "academic standing" that got me initially rejected. However, they only accepted 5 external transfer students for spring semester.</p>
<p>What are my honest chances guys? Any advice? Not like I can do much now, but honestly, I submitted very thorough and creative essays incorporating professors that I want to take, a resume, a plan of study, my band's album for review at the department of music, and now have the potential advantage of being a re--transfer-applicant...?</p>
<p>What do you guys honestly think my chances are?</p>
<p>Allow me to be frank. You will likely not be accepted. Unless you have an impressive GPA in your first year at college, you have virtually no chance. Most of the Hotel School’s transfer acceptances are for Guarantee Transfers (“GT”) or transfer after completion of their first year in college. GTs are required to keep a 3.3 GPA and relative experience. You, I am assuming, are not a GT and have an unimpressive GPA of 3.4. Why you have a GPA of 3.4 from CalPoly is beyond belief since the school is not Ivy League or top 30. It appears to me you probably spent too much time partying and not enough time contemplating about your future. So as you suspected, it is probably your academic standing.</p>
<p>As for work experience, working in a restaurant is so plain vanilla for any one applying for a hotel school. Had you done something interesting like suggest a layout change or introduce a dessert menu, maybe it would be helpful. And being a barista meant you asked “tall or grande? room for milk?”. That experience is irrelevent unless you can elaborate. </p>
<p>And just to let you know, your recommendation from a Masters student virtually has no weight. MMH students attend CU for one year and hardly develop a relationship with the school. Your band’s album will likely not have any effect on the acceptance process.</p>
<p>I suggest boosting your academics if you want to be considered for any type of transfer and bolster your work experience to include management decisions. I wish you luck.</p>
<p>Though Cal Poly is definitely not top 30 and obviously not Ivy League, it is a very rigorous university because of it’s college of engineering, which affects the overall drive of students. Therefore, my GPA is not outstanding, but I don’t think Cal Poly should be cut down to something like a CC where GPA’s are said to come easier. And actually, I rarely drink, and spent most of my free time during first year working in a restaurant and staying involved in clubs.</p>
<p>When I was a barista, I was not asking “tall or grande.” The cafe I worked at specialized in fine Italian coffee and it was far more scientific than you’d probably know. This position is not one I emphasized in my app, but rather, my other restaurant positions in which I was responsible for managerial decision-making.</p>
<p>The masters graduate was not a student of MMH, but the actual masters degree program. She is extremely well-connected at SHA, and certainly “developed relationships.”</p>
<p>The album I submitted received best selling psychobilly album of 2007, and I thought it would be an interesting addition to my application. Whether it works or not, I am unsure.</p>
<p>CUHotel, did you go to the Hotel School or work there? You definitely sound like you know what you’re talking about.</p>