Hey guys! I’m a student at a community college currently and am looking to transfer. I’m hoping I will be accepted to Hamilton College when applying for transfer admission in the spring. My second choice is Colorado college. I have a 3.8 GPA currently and have one wonderful letter of recommendation. I also requested a second from another professor. My declared major is English, but I would like to transfer into either college’s program as a dual creative writing and philosophy major. My letter of recommendation is quite strong- my professor expresses in her 30+ years of teaching she has never been as impressed by a student as she was by me, and ranks me in the top 1%-2% she has encountered. I was planning on applying to many of the UC schools since I am native to California, but I decided to make a leap to some dream schools due to having this letter under my belt. How much do letters weigh into transfer admission into these schools? Could they make or break admission? I’m wondering mostly because I feel my GPA may drop a little after this semester at my community college, although I could be worrying without reason. Have you guys had any experience with transferring to private liberal arts schools? As a spring transfer? To Hamilton or Colorado College in particular? Thank you guys for taking the time to read this and hopefully offer some great insight!
Letters of recommendation typically account for no more than a sixth of an application. Beyond that, even excellent ones cannot help you at all if the rest of your demonstrated accomplishments do not match them. However, in your recommendations you may have wording that 1) will make your file reader pause and consider you perhaps as someone it might be a mistake to pass on and 2) reinforce your own confidence. Both will help.
Depending on how much college work you have done, you may not have to declare or “transfer in” as any particular major. Both of these colleges, as far as I know, are structured so that all students can choose from all majors. Most courses outside your major(s) should also be open to you.
Wishing you success. Your choices are great for your interests.
This helps quite a bit. Gives me some backing and understanding behind the letter and the lack of rigidity at these schools (as far as the major is concerned. Thank you!
“never been impressed by a student as she was by me”
Nice job . . .
(Though logically contradicted – unless your professor has only encountered about 75 students – by then ranking you in the top 1-2% of students taught. But what are you going to do? Nice job either way.)