<p>hey guys! I made a thread like this earlier in the year but now that the semester is over, the circumstances are different.</p>
<p>Basically, I was wait-listed at Harvard and I've been wanting to go even more ever since. I ended up going to Duke, which was my second choice. Duke just wasn't a good fit for me: it was Southern, there was too much Greek life, and it sucked to be in a bad city (Durham). Also, Harvard is the prime place for what I want to study: bio with a concentration in molecular and cellular bio. They have the stem cell institute, a proteomics core, and the RNAi screening center. My plan is to apply to their MD/MPH program as a senior. </p>
<p>I had a 4.0 in high school with APs.
SATI: verbal: 730, math: 770, writing: 770
SATIIs: Chem: 800, MathII: 780, Spanish: 760</p>
<p>I also received the Harvard Prize Book Award as a junior.</p>
<p>My problem is my first semester at Duke. </p>
<p>Biotech and the New Genetics: A-
Accelerated Inorganic Chem: B
Cognitive Psychology: A-
Global Health: A- (this class had tons of grad students)</p>
<p>Part of the reason is because I had a couple very time consuming activities: Marching band and a work-study in a molecular genetics lab. </p>
<p>It's very very difficult to transfer into Harvard. Last year, 85 out of 964 transfer applicants were accepted: that's an 8.8% admit rate.
You have a chance, but there isn't much room for error. They're not there to cut you slack.</p>
<p>yeah, I might as well try. My Dean told me that both the students who applied for transfer admission from Duke last year got in and one of them had a 3.4 and the other had a 3.6.</p>
<p>I'm going to have to disagree, IMO high school resume means a lot more for sophomore transfers. Think about it, is one semester of college grades really going to trump an entire 4 years of high school? Especially when you factor in the fact that you're in a new school and that you're adjusting to new social scene, grading, etc and you go to duke which is a great/difficult school anyway. I feel like colleges place more emphasis on the high school resume for sophomore transfers, it appears to me to be more indicative of your academic skills, as opposed to 3 month or 4 months of grades in college.</p>
<p>Good luck to you. Are you applying for fall semester?</p>
<p>I also wish to go to H for thier awesome biology... are you interested in global health? I am as well. Just know that some of us that are applying to h from a CC would LOVE to be in your shoes right now if that makes you feel any better.</p>
<p>If you really want to get out of Duke, Georgetown has a Global Health major that is actually quite interesting in thier school of Nursing and Health studies.</p>
<p>dude, i definitely think you have a good shot given that you write some killer essays and good recs. i mean im applying from Berkeley. My school will not be regarded as good as yours, heck very few schools will be regarded as good as yours. I know its not saying much that you have a better shot than me, but hey, you do! lol, my only upshot is that I am pretty sure I'm gettin a 4.0 this semester, but I'll still not get in. whatever, worst case, like everyone is saying, you will get a fine degree from a great institution. that's the way I try to look at it. but if your really unhappy, you may want to also explore a few other options of schools that have what your looking for, but are maybe not as prestigious or difficult as harvard. i'm not saying don't apply to harvard, I'm saying that if you really don't like it at Duke there are other options if your willing to possiby sacrifice a lil in the prestige department. heck, i don't know specifically how good duke's bio program is in copmarison berkeley, but i can just tell you that berkeley's is pretty amazing. they have literally the best professors in the world, and its really quite amazing. they also have national labs associated where im doing cancer research. im sure duke has got plenty, im just giving an example of another school that is may be good, and is VERY lively (because its so liberal and stuff), meh, just an example</p>
<p>thanks, guys. I'm a girl, btw...I had to laugh when I read "man". Anyways, I wish I could have a super high GPA like a lot of you guys, especially Pulkit with that 4.0. Duke's bio program is really good as is their pre-professional advising...they get more people into top grad schools after Harvard. I'm not looking at other schools, etc because I heard Duke gets better for a lot of people sophomore year. Being wait-listed at your top choice sucks big time...wait lists suck in general.</p>
<p>yeah, well then, i hope it gets better for you, plus, understand that mose people get waitlisted or rejected from their top choice. its sad but it happens. while i believe it is a fine idea to try to transfer, I would say try to make the best of duke, take every opportunity given to you becasue it is a fantastic school to be going to. do your best no matter where you are, thats whats most important i believe</p>
<p>Don't take it hard. Getting waitlisted at your top-choice is one thing, but getting waitlisted at Harvard is another thing. Harvard is known as the best university not only because of its academics, but also because it is extremely selective. Even the brightest minds are rejected, and that fact shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone: there are simply more than 2,000 geniuses in the world. </p>
<p>You could try for Harvard, but I strongly doubt you will get in. Your GPA is too low. Don't worry, though: you still have time to work for grad school. I was pretty upset that I do not attend Harvard, but after three years of working hard, I actually have a reasonable shot at Harvard Law School and Harvard philosophy.</p>
<p>nspeds, what do you think, do I have a shot, or im pretty much in the same problem circle. although i willl prollly have a 4.0 this sem at berkeley, my sat's are SAT 1: 2020, SAT II: 700, 700 chem and math, i am currently working at lawrence bekreley nat'l lab, and should prolly get a great rec from my prof there (head of the life sciences division), and a rec from english prof. my real problem is my scores, and I hafd only a 3.7 at the Texacs Academy of Math and Science, i didnt do that well in hs...i just didn't try hard enough, but i am gonna try to do it right this time, write great essays and stuff (key word being try...) do you think i have a shot?</p>
<p>not to be arrogant, but out of those 2 and me, 3.93 at Northwestern, 1470 SAT, 3 700 + SAT IIs, top 2-3 percent of a high school that sends around 30-40 percent to top 25 schools, who has the best shot at Harvard?</p>
<p>You both have a better shot than most applicants, which for Harvard is not saying much. Just focus on the soft factors – recs, essays, and so forth – and rub your prayer beads.</p>
<p>"not to be arrogant, but out of those 2 and me, 3.93 at Northwestern, 1470 SAT, 3 700 + SAT IIs, top 2-3 percent of a high school that sends around 30-40 percent to top 25 schools, who has the best shot at Harvard?"</p>
<p>I hope you get into all of those schools too! Is Columbia brutal too? Do you know if it helps if you were wait-listed? I guess that it means you were well qualified based on your high school records.</p>
<p>Columbia takes like 5-6 percent transfers, i realize i have no hope</p>
<p>the only thing i think that helps for all of us is that we are coming from such fine schools to begin with</p>
<p>while ppl on these boards refuse to admit this, most transfer aps are not of high quality, most are in fact from "decent" to bad schools. Very few are from very selective schools. I think it helps to be from a place like Duke and have such high grades from high school and good test scores.</p>