<p>I am considering applying to transfer for sophomore standing at Union College in Schenectady NY (small liberal arts college), but was wondering whether one or two things might hinder this.</p>
<p>In high school, I was actively involved in a few extracurriculars (not alot, but very active in a few, such as scouting (12-13 years now), altar serving (9 years), and some music and a couple sports, in addition to a few others), but upon going to college, did not exactly find my "niche" and have no real extra curriculars (although I am looking into getting a job this semester). Would this be a hindrance to getting accepted?</p>
<p>Also, because I currently go to a larger school and have classes of 40+ for every subject (most of the important ones being 100-300), I have had very little interaction with most of my professors (with one possibility, as one professor I have for class happens to be my advisor). However, this makes me wonder how easy it would be to get a "very good" prof's recommendation. Would this have a large impact? (If it makes any difference, I could plausibly get a very good rec from one of my scoutmasters in my home troop, whom I have known since first grade.)</p>
<p>And, in case it would make any of the above inconsequential: 4.0 first semester college GPA, ~4.3 weighted high school GPA (out of 4.5), Eagle Scout, AP Scholar (junior year of high school) and AP Scholar with Distinction (senior year of high school), and 1410/2070 SATs, and various other awards.</p>
<p>(I'm really sorry that this kind of devolved into a "what are my chances" thread)</p>
<p>First of all, congratulations on your 4.0! :) That's quite impressive. Your high school stats and ECs are also very good, which will benefit you since you are applying for sophomore standing. This is just my opinion, but I think that your current grades and high school info are strong enough to compensate for your lack of ECs this semester. Although, by all means, if you can get a job/internship/etc this semester, then that will definitely boost your application. Regarding the recommendations, I would definitely pursue the recommendation from your professor and advisor. Does Union require more than 1 recommendation? If so, are there any TAs from your lecture classes that you know well? I looked at Union for freshman admission last year, so I am not familiar with their transfer policies, but I think that you have solid/good chances at acceptance. Good luck!</p>
<p>And no, I didn't really get to know any of the TA's either (to be honest, I haven't been particularly impressed by the quality of the TAs or profs I've had for a number of courses), which is why I put in the comment regarding the possible third recommendation from my scoutmaster. And as for the recommendations that are required, Union requires one from a prof that you've had in the past two years, and one from the dean of students. But would you be allowed extras beyond these two?</p>
<p>Also, wordpainter, if you looked at Union last year for freshman admission, I was wondering if you might have an answer to this question. So far, I've seen/heard at least three separate figures regarding merit/non-need-based aid given out by Union. The first number I've seen is from collegeboard.com, which says the average non-need-based aid is a little over 11000. The second number is from Union's website, where I saw that non-need-based aid can approach 18000-24000. However, when I spoke to a representative from the financial aid department (who did not seem to personally know too many facts it seemed, in my opinion), I was told that the maximum non-need-based aid available for students is 10000. Do you know anything more definitive that you may have seen when looking at it last year?</p>
<p>In your case, I think sending in the rec from your scoutmaster might be a good idea. Based on the research I've done, the rule of thumb seems to be only send in extra things if they will add something to your application. I think this applies here.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid policies, I am afraid that I am unable to help you out. I remember that they did have a few merit scholarships, but I cannot recall the amounts or if they were for freshman or transfer applicants. I do believe that they promise to meet 100% of your demonstrated need if you apply for need based aid. I am sorry that I cannot be of more help in this regard.</p>