<p>If I go to CC/lower state school for a year and apply as a sophomore to one of the better schools (second-tier, I'd say - though I don't know much about what constitutes this tier or that tier), do they look at your high school gpa? SAT/ACT? Is there an way for them to know the latter but not the former? </p>
<p>Also, what kinds of things would you need to do to be accepted as a transfer student at "second-tier" schools? </p>
<p>I'm in a dilemma right now: I am certain I am going to community or a low-selectivity state school in 2010 (I am a junior) because my gpa is really bad, but I can assure that I won't get a bad gpa in college. So if I got a 4.0 as a freshman at CC/lower state college, do I still need to fit the criteria of someone applying as a freshman (extracurriculars, awards, etc)..or what?</p>
<p>Here is my main question: Since I am going to apply as a sophomore to transfer to a good school, I haven't even thought about which schools I want to apply to at that point. Should I do so, assuming I have a chance? Should I decide once I'm in CC or whatever, or decide at the same time as I would were I applying as a freshman? </p>
<p>I had terrible grades through most of high school, got good grades at a CC over the last couple years and was accepted at some good tier 1 schools as a junior transfer. My advise to you would be to transfer after your sophomore year and target schools that are good fits for you academically and socially. Do some research to find what schools are good in your major or areas of interest. You can narrow it down by ranking, attainability, career placement, location, cost or whatever other factors are important to you. I personally found schools that are great in my major, were attainable and didn’t place a lot of, or any, emphasis on applicants’ high school records. Many schools require high school grades, but many also do not if you have a certain amount of units completed, generally around 30ish.</p>
<p>Lilactree - it really depends on what specific “good school” you are looking for. Most/All universities will harshly look at your high school record (GPA, SAT, EC’s) if you are hoping to transfer as a freshmen for sophomore standing. This is because when you are applying you will only have 1 semester or quarter done from your cc/state school. You can possibly get out of not having your high school past not looked at by surpassing a certain amount of transferrable units, usually 30 semester.</p>
<p>Recommendation, apply as a sophomore for junior standing because it is most certain the universities will not look at your high school stats. Although if you’re looking to transfer to Ivies and other univerisites in their rank (Caltech, MIT, etc.) they will still look at your high school background regardless if you’ve done a lot of semester/quarter units at your cc/state school.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that colleges look much more closely at your college GPA than your high school GPA. I think you will have a much better chance transfering after your sophomore year, though. If your state has an AA transfer degree (covering a little history, a little English, a little PE or art, etc,) then that would probably be your best bet. It might not be directly transferable outside your state, but it immediately tells the colleges you’re applying to that you took typical “core curriculum” classes and also that you took a good “balance” of classes.</p>
<p>But if you are shooting for one or two specific schools, it’s a good idea to check ahead of time and see a) do they require anything specific of their transfers in the program you’re interested in and b) do the courses you want/intend to take at CC transfer. I learned this late and am now trying to cram various classes into my schedule this last CC year at a ridiculous rate. I’ve also discovered there is a GREAT amount of variability in what transfers, depending on the 4-year college in question.</p>
<p>I ended high school with a 2.7 GPA. I completed 30 credits at CC and have now been accepted to UMiami, UIllinois, University of San Diego, and a bunch of others. I’m still waiting on USC, I don’t think it’s going to happen though. I’m most likely going to University of Miami. </p>
<p>if you have a crappy high school record, don’t give up! It’s college that really counts.</p>
<p>bottom line is you should apply as a sophomore, not a freshman. After you hit sophomore status, most schools focus primarily on your college grades anyway. You also don’t need to freak out about not hitting a 4.0. Most colleges accept students with like 3.7 and up.</p>
<p>if your highschool sucks, stay at CC for as LONG as you can to demonstrate lasting improvement… i was accpeted to TCNJ with a 3.67 college GPA when my highschool was a 3.3</p>