Help for future transfer student Seattle

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So, I've had very little luck so far finding a college that has three crucial things:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Preferably a good Arabic department; I want to study Arabic, and not all schools have a Mideast department at all, let alone an actually good one</p></li>
<li><p>A chance of admission; Plenty of top schools have great Arabic programs, of course, but I don't have a chance to get into most of them. Here are my stats:</p></li>
</ol>

<p>GPA: 3.63
SAT: Math: 600 Critical reading: 670 Writing: 750
ACT: 26</p>

<p>Ivy League, Georgetown, and Middlebury are pretty out of my league with my High School stats.</p>

<ol>
<li>Affordability; For example, U Texas at Austin has a great Arabic program, and I could probably get in, but the cost for out of staters is $38,000 a year for tuition alone. Basically, I need to find a place that's affordable.</li>
</ol>

<p>I'm applying to a few colleges (like CUNY Hunter and U Arizona) as backup, but for various reasons (lack of success finding schools as well as missing deadlines) I'm thinking I'll have to do my first year of college here in Seattle, and then transfer next year. Hopefully that way I can save money, and bring my GPA up a lot, so I can have a chance at some of the better schools.</p>

<p>So my question is, if I'm going to transfer later, what's the best school for me to go to next year? My first thought was Seattle Central CC, because it's cheap, and I'm going to be just getting basic ed requirements done for my first year, anyway. But after visiting the building (not an official visit), I really didn't like it, and I don't know if I want to go there. </p>

<p>So, assuming I can get into UW, would it be better to go there? The thing is, since this would be my first year of college, I'd be just getting basic requirements out of the way, and UW would be a more expensive way to get what I might be able to get out of CC anyway. On the other hand, UW has Arabic and other courses that I might be able to get a head start on.</p>

<p>So does anyone have any advice about this? And in particular, I want to know: is it better, if I'm going to transfer to, say, Georgetown, that my first year is a state school like UW? Will this give me a better chance of being accepted than if my first year was at a CC?</p>

2

<p>Have you contacted anyone at admissions at Georgetown to ask that question? If so, what did they say?</p>

3

<p>Can you clarify?</p>

<p>Are you currently in high school or at a CC?</p>

<p>Is your home state Washington?</p>

<p>Are you looking for somewhere to transfer AFTER you’ve completed 2 years at a CC?</p>

<p>You mention that UT-Austin is expensive OOS and you need something affordable…so, how much will your family pay each year for college?</p>

4

<p>Sure, I can clarify - </p>

<p>lynxinsider - No, I haven’t contacted Georgetown yet. On their website, they say that they accept people transferring from CC. But of course they’re going to say that. I’m just curious as to whether, in reality, they might like someone better who’s been to a good school like UW</p>

<p>mom2collegekids - I’m not in high school or a CC. I’m on a gap year in between high school and college. My home state is Washington. </p>

<p>I’m looking for somewhere to transfer to after completing ONE year, whether that’s at a CC or U of Washington (UW). I don’t want to stay here for another two years, one year is pushing it already.</p>

<p>As for what my family can pay a year, I’m not entirely sure. I’m from a large family with a lot of siblings, and we don’t have endless money lying around. 30,000 out of pocket is way too much (and OOS Universities don’t give much aid, from what I’ve heard.)</p>

5

<p>I’m looking for somewhere to transfer to after completing ONE year, whether that’s at a CC or U of Washington (UW). I don’t want to stay here for another two years, one year is pushing it already.</p>

<p>As for what my family can pay a year, I’m not entirely sure. I’m from a large family with a lot of siblings, and we don’t have endless money lying around. 30,000 out of pocket is way too much (and OOS Universities don’t give much aid, from what I’ve heard.)</p>

<p>=========</p>

<p>your strategy is flawed.</p>

<p>Transfer students rarely get much in aid…so transferring is not the best option if you need lots of aid.</p>

<p>Do you know what your FAFSA EFC is? </p>

<p>Why do you want to get out of your state? It seems to me that if money is a problem and your stats aren’t high, that your most affordable cost will be instate public.</p>

<p>It doesn’t seem like you can get the aid you need to go OOS or transferring.</p>

<p>What’s wrong with your state schools like WWU, UW and WSU???</p>

6

<p>I don’t think you understand. I’m not necessarily intending to transfer to an OOS Public University at all. Like I said, I’d like to transfer to Georgetown if possible (which is very good with aid) or some other good University, including a private one.</p>

<p>I absolutely don’t want to live in Washington for the next few years, (like I said, one year is pushing it). That may be hard to understand if you’re not a kid trying to get out of the house, which I am. </p>

<p>Also, UW is the only University in my state that has Arabic, which I want to study, so I’m not that interested in the other Universities here.</p>

<p>Anyone have any advice?</p>

7

<p>So what is your FAFSA EFC? We can’t help you find any kind of school with “good aid” without know how much you might be eligible for.</p>

8

<p>My EFC is around 9,500. To be clear, I’m trying to find not just cheap schools but schools that have a good Arabic program and are not prohibitively selective. </p>

<p>Also, any insight into the situation with transferring. I keep reading about how classes don’t always transfer over. So, if I took general education as well as Arabic and other courses that go toward my major at the U of Washington, how likely is it that these will be able to transfer over to a place like Georgetown (or really, any place at all)? Thanks.</p>

9

<p>Many privates don’t give good aid to transfers either.</p>

<p>G’town may give GREAT aid to incoming frosh…that doesn’t mean that they give great aid to transfers. Do you know what their policies are for TRANSFERS? You can’t assume that they’d be the same for transfers as they are for frosh…rarely is that so.</p>

10

<p>Georgetown says on their website that they will meet the complete financial needs of every student admitted there. </p>

<p>I’m not actually asking people to tell me whether I should or should not transfer, by the way. That’s already my plan. People transfer all the time, and I’d like more info and perspective on the best way to do this. I don’t have a solid plan for the future yet, but that doesn’t mean my only choice is staying where I hate for the next few yearsSo, . </p>

<p>So, I’d like some actual advice on transferring, if anyone has any. Just to be clear.</p>

11

<p>Just because people “transfer all the time” does not mean that financial aid is what’s funding those transfers. More likely, their families are paying.</p>

<p>Since typically only the BEST schools give good aid to transfers (and some are need-aware for transfers), then you need to get the best stats while you’re in college in Wash, so you’ll be admitted. </p>

<p>It may be your plan to transfer to an out of state private that gives great aid to students, but if you don’t get the stats you need or you’re not accepted, then you’ll need a Plan B.</p>

12

<p>Let me be blunt here, my friend. You will not likely get into Georgetown. They get tens of thousands of applications a year, including transferitis kids who dream of going there, but who DONT HAVE THE STATS. Sorry. Plus Georgetown is extremely political and has a lot of legacy admits, and then diplomatic admits and so forth. </p>

<p>You would be WELL ADVISED to stay at UW which is a very good program, get your arabic degree or Middle Eastern Studies and then go to graduate school in the east. Save your money for graduate school, you will need it. </p>

<p>If you can live at home and commute to UW in Seattle, that is optimum, to save money. Or share an apartment off campus with friends. </p>

<p>The field you want to enter is extremely crowded. Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, the Ivy League and such only take the creme de la creme…kids with incredible stats and often incredible hooks to go with them. Same even at George Washington University in Foggy Bottom. </p>

<p>Focus on getting your undergraduate degree and doing a semester abroad, in an arabic speaking country that is safe and not war torn, like the Emirates or Morocco. Egypt is not safe anymore. Lebanon is beyond unsafe. Even Jordan is not safe. Saudi Arabia is a special place and not very friendly to westerners and foreign students. </p>

<p>Most people pursue graduate work in Middle Eastern Affairs, and either teach or work for a think tank in DC, or the UN in New York or Geneva. Or work for the US Government. But they DONT work overseas unless its a petroleum company or State Dept. </p>

<p>I dont say this to offend you or hurt your feelings. Nothing wrong with dreams and aspirations. But be realistic. You have good stats, not uber high stats. A community college wont get you into any prestigious eastern university. Period. </p>

<p>Btw, Fordham has a very good Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic program at Lincoln Center and you may qualify for that. But its very, very expensive.</p>

<p>Again, I recommend staying home, going to UW, which is very respected, and save your money for graduate school, which you will need anyway to get anywhere in that field.</p>