<p>Highschool rank: 6/239
HS GPA: 3.99 Unweighted (8 AP classes, 6 5's, 2 4's on AP tests)
ACT: 34 (36 Science, 35 English, 31 Math [Always my weakest, despite not being bad at math, just rapid math under time constraints...if that makes sense] 34 Reading, 12 Writing)
SAT: 2260 (720 Math, 760 CR, 760 W)
SAT Subject Tests: 760 Math II, 750 Lit, 730 US History</p>
<p>Come this fall I will be attending Johns Hopkins, planning to pursue the pre-med track with a potential english major. I am happy where I am, but as I see it, in the field of medicine (and thus arguably pre-medical preparation) the only school to trump JHU would be Harvard, thus my interest in applying for transfer. Aside from that I find the Cambridge area more to my liking than Baltimore (just in flavor and its closer proximity to my home). I also favor the Harvard grounds and facilities more, though these things are arguably trivial. </p>
<p>My question is this: without some incredible back-story (single mom raising kids, orphaned child who grew up on the streets making his way in the world, etc. etc.), with stats average for an institution such as Harvard, and an acceptance rate floating around 2%, is it even worth my time to apply? I do have a genuine interest in the school and am not just enamored by the flash of its name, but is it enough?</p>
<p>I do appreciate your time in reading this far and (hopefully) replying.</p>
<p>Only you can judge if it would be worth applying. Last year, Harvard’s transfer acceptance rate was 1% (not 2%). They admitted 15 students from a pool of 1448 applicants. If you were not admitted as a freshman applicant, your chances are going to be even slimmer applying as a transfer student.</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins is a really wonderful school, especially for pre-med. It’s absolute tops in the medical field, and if you do well, you should be admitted to a very fine medical school. My advice: There is nothing that Harvard can offer you (except the name) that Johns Hopkins cannot. At the risk of sounding like Bob Marley or Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t worry, be happy!”</p>
<p>I appreciate your candor. I suppose that if you never play the lottery how can you ever win eh? Any advice or past threads that discuss just this topic? (Specificaly by someone accepted as a transfer?). I just want to understand whether or not one has to be the son of God (so to speak) in order to be among this 1%.</p>
<p>"Vanderbilt University transfer Wade A. Laycook ’14 said that it was these opportunities that drew him to apply, even though he knew that his chances of getting in were extremely slim.</p>
<p>“Harvard offers more opportunities than my previous school. Everyone here seems motivated,” said Laycook, a prospective government concentrator.</p>
<p>Mark R. Jahnke ’13, who transferred from Boston University, said he sees value in a program that allows students to decide they want to seek out a college that better suits their tastes.</p>
<p>“I never expected to get in,” said Jahnke. “I just wanted to know that I had made an effort to get a more enriching experience.”</p>