HELP me choose a school

Transfer Students
1

<p>i am a 22yr community college student that failed in school several times. now i am attending a community college and would really like to finish school.
These are the classes that i have taken to plan on taking later on.</p>

<p>spring semester i took 3classes due to several problems</p>

<p>--spring2006--
accounting101 - dropped
economic101 - b+
remedial math - passed</p>

<p>i have not recieved any grades for the summer 2006
--summer 2006--
english101 -
english201 -
health education101-</p>

<p>--Fall 2006--
anthopology101
english392- world literature
french101
speech101
world history101
music101 </p>

<p>My old SAT is extremly low, too embarrassed to say it. plan to retake it
no SAT II's, but plan on taking world history and 2 other test, dont know which ones yet.
plan on taking ACT</p>

<p>No EC's, but plan joining several clubs like phi beta alpha when i get a 3.5, in the fall and several other clubs or sports the catch my interest.
plan to volunteer at a hospital, tutor JHS kids, and what else i can fit into my schedule</p>

<p>as for essays, i am going to need help on these. i dont have anything significant to say about myself, no personal achievement, no sports. the only thing that i can say is the failure that i had in school from 2002-2005. within these 3years i did not take school seriously and basically failed all my classes and got kicked out. </p>

<p>well basically after im done with my CC, i plan to transfer to a four year university. The problem is that i dont know which school is best for me. I have lived in NYC all my life and never lived on campus. i want a school that is quiet(maybe), beatiful scenery, diverse culture( i am of hispanic heritage, dominican), average to small classes, great financial aid package, excellent premed courses(very important for me)</p>

<p>these are the schools that i am considering.
Duke - my number one choice, but i dont think they would ever accept me.
UNC-chapel hill - second choice, still dont think they would accept me
NYU - maybe, but too close to home
syracuse - maybe 50/50 chance
stony brook - i think this is a sure thing
and if anyone else could recommend me some other schools in which you would think i can get into.
thanks for your help.</p>

2

<p>well it is good that you are planning on getting good grades to show improvement, but we won't really have any idea until you've gotten more grades and taken your SATs. Your heritage is good too.</p>

<p>Just from looking at your spring grades though, here is what I think...
Why did you drop Accounting? That is not a good way to start if you are going to show a major change. What grade did you get in Remedial Math...all of the places you have listed will go off of a GPA basis and Pass/Fail won't help your chances. As for the classes you plan to take, most are good, but if you want to show a true improvement and newfound zest for learning, you shouldn't take health, speech, or anthropology. Try to focus on taking core courses that will transfer easily to wherever you go and that are viewed as challenging. </p>

<p>As for now, if you get a 3.5 here's what I think of your chances:</p>

<p>Duke - not gonna happen
UNC - reach
NYU - more of a reach
Syracuse - I dunno much a/b Syracuse
Stony Brook - also don't know anything a/b this one</p>

<p>Since you're in New York, I'd recommend checking out SUNY/CUNY as I hear they are good schools and not quite as difficult to get into. Like anyone, you always have a chance but if you want to get into some of the great universities you've listed, it'll come down to academics and some stellar essays explaining how you've changed. </p>

<p>But like I said, your spring grades just don't seem very promising for most of those schools. I would advise looking on Princeton Review.com or another site that can help match you with some schools based on your interest. Good luck to you.</p>

3

<p>don't just say it.. go out and do it.</p>

<p>come back and ask after you complete the fall semester. we really don't have much to say with only a b+ in one econ course.</p>

4

<p>lol yea seriously. how on earth could an expert even predict anything? with 1 grade and a bunch of promises. good luck. and get As from here on out..and consider public schools also. since duke and nyu are reaches</p>

5

<p>Hey, it starts with a dream. Just stay focused on what you want, work hard, and hope for the best.</p>

6

<p>i agree with brand. duke is a top 5 school, they want people with amazing statistics, it won't happen. i'm not sure which nyu school you are considering but stern is their top 5 business school and has gotten extremely selective (i was waitlisted, and no more spots were left for the 2010 class for fall '06). you could try the college of arts and science but even that is a reach if you are too embarrassed to post your sat scores. i do not know much about unc but syracuse is also difficult to gain admission. stony brook is a top 5 suny school, i'm not sure if you can really call that a 'sure thing' as your course selection doesn't seem great and your only grade posted is a B+.</p>

<p>my advice, try getting some A's in the fall and definitely retake the sat and sat iis. you might want to consider other less selective suny's such as albany or buff state. good luck to you.</p>

<p>edit: if you want a great financial aid package, don't even bother applying to nyu. they are very stingy with their money, especially for transfers.</p>

7

<p>jmerc - you have gotten some good advice above. </p>

<p>You have a very clear goal and you should be proud of that. You've had some academic setbacks, but you are focused on overcoming them. This kind of resolve will take you very far. There are many, many schools which can take you where you want to go.</p>

<p>Don't worry about the essay. Your writing - just in this post alone - is clear and persuasive. An essay doesn't have to be about some great accomplishment. In fact, the best ones usually aren't. They tell a story, a slice of life, give an insight into who you are. You can come back here, especially to the Parent Forum, for help on the essays when the time comes.</p>

<p>The key thing is to find the right school to achieve your goal. To ensure acceptance to a 4-year school that you would like, you need to choose 6 or so schools, after you have your fall GPA and your re-take of the SAT/ACT.</p>

<p>Choose 1-2 schools where your GPA is higher than the average admitted student, and your SAT is in the top 25% of accepted students. Make sure these schools have high transfer acceptance rates (60% or more). These will be your safeties. Make sure you like these schools (ie, quiet, scenery, diverse...). Check their typical financial aid packages and their financial aid policies and make sure you will be able to afford them. These will be your SAFETIES.</p>

<p>Choose 2-4 schools where your GPA is at or above the average. Where your SAT/ACT is within the 25-75%ile range of accepted students (but not too low in the range). These will be your 50/50 CHANCE or MATCH SCHOOLS.</p>

<p>Choose 1 or 2 schools where you are near the bottom of the 25-75% range of accepted students for SAT/ACT (perhaps below the 25% range, but that's not ideal). Make sure your GPA is reasonably close to the average for the school. These will be your REACH schools.</p>

<p>Your heritage may help you do even better with your acceptances than simple stats will show. But you need to choose schools that match your wants and needs and your stats. If you want to throw your hat in the ring for a school that is way outside your stats, you can try it, but I'm not sure what the point is.</p>

<p>Start investigating schools that might be a little lesser known but that fit your stats and your desires for atmosphere. You should find some hidden gems that will work very well for you.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

8

<p>thank you for your advice, i shall come back and post my stats again after the fall or spring semester.</p>