Help out a Clueless Ivy Leaguer

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi, I'm currently a sophomore at Dartmouth, and I'm looking for some input on a transfer out. I love this school and I would be proud if any of my (future) kids went there and graduated, but I feel that I've gotten all that I can get out of it in these two years, and I'm looking for a change in scenery, so to speak.</p>

<p>I'm not really looking for a different Ivy League school; I actually kind of want to move away from the east coast. The only east coast school I'm considering right now is Yale, which was my dream school in high school.</p>

<p>Other schools I'm strongly considering are Northwestern, U of Chicago, Duke, and Stanford. I was accepted to Northwestern and U of Chicago coming out of high school, but chose Dartmouth. I did not apply to Duke or Stanford as a high schooler.</p>

<p>I would any input on chances, but more than that, I would really appreciate some good match schools for me, taking account my interest in certain areas of study, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, guys.</p>

<p>About me:</p>

<p>Public, fairly competitive high school
GPA: 3.9 UW, and we didn't have a weighted GPA. no rank.
AP: all of the APs that my school offered, which was only 4 of them. 5's on all of them
SAT: 1560 (760v, 800m)
SAT IIs: 800, 790, 790</p>

<p>at Dartmouth:
GPA: 3.75 (definitely within top 20%, not sure/borderline top 10%)
*<em>I also have one W, which I did not know was a bad thing at all until I looked through this forum. I didn't drop it because I was failing or anything like that. I just didn't like the professor or his teaching style and I was going to take it later with another professor, but it hasn't been offered yet. I could've stayed in the course and easily pulled off at least a B+, but like I said, I didn't know a W was THAT harmful. Will this hurt my chances?
*</em>Also, I took a lot of intro classes just shopping around because I was trying to find something I was really passionate about. I hope this isn't an issue.</p>

<p>Awards/ECs: I'll be the first to admit I might be lacking in unique things in this department. I have the basic honor stuff like National Merit (Semi? don't remember)-Finalist, but nothing special. My EC's are probably going to be average within the applicant pool (a few leadership positions, but nothing that stands out).</p>

<p>My interests: Econ, focusing on international economies, maybe tied in with Asian studies and international relations. Does anyone know where would be good for this? I don't think the Dartmouth econ department is all that great, and I couldn't get into one of the econ classes for next term. The waitlists are ridiculous...</p>

<p>Again, any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks, and happy holidays.</p>

2

<p>I think you got a good shot at Yale bro. It is my understanding that many ivy league schools love to steal transfers from other ivy league places. I think Yale would like to take you from Dartmouth. 3.75 at Dartmouth looks mighty good, I must say. And 1 W really won't hurt you.</p>

3

<p>One W isn't the end of the world. You sound like you have a good shot at all the schools you listed.</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
many ivy league schools love to steal transfers from other ivy league places. I think Yale would like to take you from Dartmouth.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That is not entirely correct; if I am not mistaken, a third of Yale's admits originate from community colleges, and quite a few are admitted from Bard.</p>

5

<p>hi str8m,</p>

<p>First off, I think you have a great shot at all the schools; though as a current Chicago student I'd recommend looking at Chicago carefully before deciding to apply there/matriculate there. It's definetely a different type of school - although excellent for economics - social life leaves a lot to be desired. It does have the advantage of downtown like 30-35 minutes away by public transportation so if you're into a more urban scene that might appeal to you too, but its really hard to get out on weekdays and even weekends. During winter quarter people hardly leave because the University is on the south side and not close by the part of Chicago (downtown) that is really worth going to so its a little misleading that we're the University of Chicago.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the encouraging input, everyone.</p>

<p>I guess what I'm worrying about is how much I need to stand out. Especially for Yale and Stanford, I feel like I need a really huge hook, and I'm worried about coming off as a spoiled Ivy League brat who's just looking to move up. Do I need to make a bigger case about why I want to transfer?</p>

<p>and english08, I really appreciate your insight about Chicago. I've definitely heard some of what you said, mainly that the social life is lacking, and I think that that's one of the factors that drove me to choose Dartmouth over Chicago. I did see the urban advantage of Chicago as a huge plus, so it's good to know the realities of that as well. Thanks, and good luck with the rest of your time at Chicago.</p>