Hi all,
I transferred from a USNW Top 50 school to Cornell. I have valid transfer reasons specific to my academic and extracurricular orientation that would only be satisfied at Yale or Princeton. Does a 2x transfer look bad? Is it feasible to lateral transfer from cornell to Y/P?
So, after you get to Y/P, where’s next? Oxbridge, I suppose…
Look bad to who? If you have a specific need that can only be satisfied at Y or P, then you have to do it. I assume the major, program, professor or team will help you find a job?
What need can possibly only be satisfied by those top two schools? It looks like you’re just transferring to go to a more “prestigious” school.
I think it looks like you don’t know what you are doing.
Typically one attends college for 8 semesters. There are 8 Ivy League schools. Coincidence ? Maybe, maybe not.
“Does a 2x transfer look bad?”
To me it does. #3 above and #4 are the first two things that come to my mind, and neither would reflect positively on you.
"Is it feasible to lateral transfer from cornell to Y/P? "
There are two aspects to my answer of this question.
The first is, having worked with many YP (and H) grads in my professional career, I can assure you that they do not perceive this as a lateral transfer.
The second is, lateral or not, is it feasible to transfer to Y/P at all, from anyplace ?? (besides maybe HYPMS) How many transfer students has each of these institutions taken, over the last several years? When I was looking at this stuff some years ago Princeton wasn’t taking any transfer students at all.
IMO your application would have to be outstanding in every respect to be admitted to either of these schools. Assuming they are actually even taking any transfer applicants.
The closest thing I’ve seen on CC is there was a guy who started at Cornell, then transferred to Northwestern, then transferred to Penn. This was some years ago. But he at least overcame any perceived 2x transfer stigma. But that was Penn, not YP. He may have applied to at least one of YP and was rejected, I don’t recall.
OP: It might be interesting to reread your Why Cornell essay in your first transfer application.
You haven’t even started at Cornell yet, you are a history major and the only 2 schools in the US that you will “be satisfied” with are Yale or Princeton. How do you know this now, but didn’t know this when you were applying to transfer? if Cornell is such a bad fit, why did you apply there in the first place? That’s why @CheddarcheeseMN is saying it makes it look as if you don’t know what you are doing.
Unless, of course, @10s4life is right and this is a prestige grab. By your other thread in January you were looking to go from a “top 50’ to a 'top 20 + Ivy”, and asking for chances to a “High Ivy” and “Low Ivy”. That sort of plays to 10’s point: it sure looks as if you are trying to leapfrog your way what you perceive to be “up” the prestige ladder.
Of course, anything is possible. There are fewer spots available each year, and if you applied to either of them this year (and if you didn’t, why not, if they are the only places in the US that fit your criteria?) and were turned down, the odds won’t be better next year.
1)The chance that you will be accepted into Yale or Princeton after making one transfer already is exceeding slim.
Nobody will stop you from putting in another transfer application but I recommend that you work hard, be creative, and make Cornell work for you.
Since 1990, Princeton has not admitted transfer students – until this year, starting in the fall. Even then,
the transfer acceptance rate is lower than the regular admissions rate, and
the transfer slots are pretty much reserved for military veterans, low-income students, and community college transfers.
Other colleges, including Yale, have used their transfer policy not only to fill their diversity holes but as a way to strengthen their athletics programs, as well, one thing that Princeton alumni have been very unhappy about up to this point. What “hole” do you think you’d be filling for either Y or P? You can then decide what your chances are.
Would it make better sense to defer Cornell for a year and applt to the others for the very specific program?
Would it make sense to stay where you were in the first place, or just settle in at Cornell, and study a related topic as an undergrad, then head to Yale or Princeton or wherever else offers this special topic for grad school?
re:#11
“Would it make better sense to defer Cornell for a year and applt to the others for the very specific program?”
could maybe make sense if :
-OP really didn’t want to attend Cornell (but then why apply, and accept the admission?),
Then during that gap year apply to colleges that were more preferred.
This could only help if that gap year activity made for a stronger application.
It would not make sense if the only two preferred colleges were YP. Because YP are exceedingly difficult to be admitted to.