I am currently a second semester freshman in the honors college at a relatively unknown, medium-sized (~15,000), state school. I was accepted to my state flagship (very large 35,000+.) and a few OOS public schools (too expensive) with better reputations, but I chose my current school based on its smaller size, affordability, and location, figuring that the academics could be whatever I made of them.
In making that decision, I was partially correct. I am a huge fan of the location and the easy access to nature that it offers. Additionally, I really like the small-ish size and I have enjoyed several opportunities to get to know my professors.
Despite these fantastic features, my current school falls short in two key areas. It has a large commuter population which takes away from the community atmosphere, and the academics here have not been what I wanted. As far as actual courses go, my professors have been great for the most part and I have done well. But outside of the classroom it is difficult to find well-rounded students who seem to care about their studies, and this is something that I am really looking for. I love the idea of college because you get to be surrounded by so many people who are interested in so many different things, which not only exposes students to new things, but it also inspires collaboration, and encourages innovation. I want to be able to take advantage of that environment and I can’t do that here, so I am looking to transfer.
Schools that I am thinking of:
Vanderbilt
Georgetown (first choice)
Dartmouth
Brown
NESCAC’s like: Swarthmore, Tufts, Hamilton
Washington and Lee
*note: I will need financial aid
Here are my stats:
HS:
(I wasn’t very motivated until senior year. 9th: 3.7 10th: 3.7 11th: 3.3 12th: 4.0)
-12 APs (did OK. 3’s and 4’s mainly)
-3.7 GPA
-2000 SAT (660M/700R) might think about re-taking if it will help
-Varsity athlete
-peer tutor
-CubeSat research project
-Robotics team & programming team
College: MolCell Biology (Pre-med track)
*Freshman S1: 4.0 GPA
-gen chem 1 (H), gen bio 1 (H), intro to philosophy (H), honors colloquium (H) , pre-med seminar
*Freshman S2: Currently a 4.0
-gen chem 2 (H) , gen bio 2 (H), calculus 1, pre-med seminar, English 2 (H).
EC’s:
-10 Hrs/wk teaching English to refugees
-Club Lacrosse
-Rock climbing team
-Researching in the genetics lab on campus under the head of the bio department (the only freshman)
-Volunteer at a refugee mental health clinic
I think I am going to plan on staying here for this summer and my sophomore year in order to make some headway with my research project, but by junior year I hope to be at a more well-rounded, academically-minded school. If I can keep a 3.9-4.0 by then, do you think I have a shot at getting into any of the schools that I listed with financial aid? I would also appreciate any advice regarding suggestions for enhancing my resume or other schools you think might have the traits that I desire. Thanks in advance!