Freshman Transfer Applicant

Transfer Students
1

Hi all.

35 ACT, 3.74 Honors community college GPA (4.0 last semester, excluding dual-enrollment courses from 2017) + Dean’s List

3.7 gpa in high school up to soph. yr, graduated before jr. year via proficiency exam

780 on Math II, 720 on Spanish w/ Listening

Glowing LoRs (only had them last semester, but they asked me if I needed a letter and were happy to write them)

No hooks, but I am considered non-traditional

ECs:

Board Member of a 7-figure health nonprofit and Public Relations Manager (operate a 30,000+ reach advertisement program), all volunteer work

TEDx college chapter, Marketing Strategist + Graphic Designer, we’re having some celebrities headlining the event, volunteer work

Martial arts volunteer instructor, involvement since middle school and qualified, etc.

Business club at school, pretty insignificant but I’m still a part

Graphic Design / Photography as a hobby, some online client paid work and full-fledged portfolio of 7+years, regional award in Photography

Misc:

Fluent in 3 languages, graduated then studied in Europe for a yr at 16. Would be applying for the class of 2023, a year earlier in essence

Notes:

I’d like to consider the possibility of applying to some T20 schools. My greatest worry is that I don’t have a phenomenal GPA now, nor did I back in high school. my most recent coursework (calculus, writing, political science, spanish) was 4.0, but I hope my test scores make up for the lack of academic history.

Am I insane for wanting to take a shot at some of the upper-tier schools or do I have a chance? My top choices would probably be Yale, Brown, NU, Vandy. thanks!

2

Some of the top schools won’t take transfers who have more than 2 years of college coursework. I think that applies to Harvard and Yale. Not sure about the others. Check the requirements carefully before you take any more credits.

If you have taken a gap of > 1 year in your education (which it sounds like you did in HS), you would be eligible to apply to Columbia General Studies. This is a school primarily for nontraditional students. You’d be a strong candidate. Only downside is that financial aid is not as good as the other Columbia undergrad schools (SEAS/CC). You should also look into Cornell, they take a lot of transfers.

3

I think that you would be a strong & interesting applicant.

4

There’s a lot more to choosing a college than “t-20.” Don’t rely on rankings. They’re misleading, and it’s the fastest way to end-up going to the wrong college and having 4 years of complete misery. Have you talked to your parents about what you can afford? What are your interests and/or ambitions? Different schools have different cultures. Some cultures are a good fit, others might be toxic to you. Take some time to really soul search and think about what you want in a college. Consider your in-state university. You can get the same accredited bachelors degree for a fraction of the cost as a private university.

5

Hi, thanks for the comment. I assure you of the fact that my interest in these schools is the result of meticulous research and in-person tours. I’ve looked into every school’s major-specific program and know exactly what I’m getting myself into. I will admit that I was once a fiend for USNews rankings, but I’ve since grown and look more toward the innumerable facets of every school. But thank you for the advice!