Hi there,
This is relatively long, but I sincerely thank anyone who offers advice to me.
I started my college search during the fall of my senior year, and was recruited to play at a few NESCAC schools. I applied ED2 to school 1, and regular decision to school 2. I was rejected from the school 1 and wait listed at school 2. I ended up matriculating at my home state university.
At my home state university, I earned great grades my 1st semester (18 credits, honors college, 3.89 GPA) and tried to transfer to a nescac. I applied to school 2 again, but not school 1 as I had been rejected only a few months ago and didn’t want to waste money on a application fee. I also applied to a new nescac school, school 3.
I ended up getting rejected (again) from school 2, and was accepted to school 3. So I transferred to the new nescac school, and joined their team. That is where I am now, and unfortunately I hate it here. It is the spring of my freshman year, so I’ve spent 1 semester at my home university and almost a full semester here.
I really want to try and transfer to school 1, and figure if I do that then I might as well apply to school 2 again. Both school 1 and school 2 are in my home state. The school I’m at now is 8 hours away. The reason I don’t like it here is that I haven’t been able to make many friends. I’ve only been here 3 months, but I haven’t even been able to become friends with the members of my team. This is mostly due to clashing personalities. I figured that I’d have trouble making friends at first, being a transfer and all, but I thought that at least I’d make a good friend or two on my team. Unfortunately that has not been the case.
There are also lots of other reasons I don’t like it here, mostly due to my lack of research about the school before I decided to come here. I had never visited, never met the team, and just generally wasn’t informed. I was excited to be able to go to a similar school to the ones that had rejected me, so I make the quick decision to switch.
During my senior year I visited school 1 and school 2, and LOVED everything about school 1 (hence why I applied ED2). School 2 was great as well, but I didn’t spend as much time at that school as I’d basically made up my mind about applying ED at that point.
So to get to the point: I want to transfer to school 1 or school 2. I will post the pros of my application and cons, then will ask for some advice.
Pros:
High school test scores 2100 SAT, 32 ACT
3x individual state champion in my sport
Eagle Scout
1st semester college GPA: 3.89 (honors college)
NCAA Division 1 team member
Student Government Senator
NESCAC coach’s potential tip/slot/band
Cons:
- My academic record at my current school. Most students take 4 classes per semester here (32 needed to graduate), but I transferred 5, so I decided to take just 3 classes so that I would have an easier time adjusting to the new school. In two of those classes I am doing well, I have an A in one and a B+/A- in the other. My third class, however, is micro econ theory (intermediate micro). I did not have the pre-req to take this class (needed either to have taken intro to micro or have scored 4 or 5 on AP test -- I scored a 3), but I basically begged the head of the econ dept. to let me take the class as I figured my 3 was sufficient enough and I didnt want to fall behind. For whatever reason, he gave in and let me take the class. Wellllllll now I have a solid C in the class and I'm struggling to learn the material that was taught in the intro course. Add in the distress of trying to make friends, learn the new school, etc. and I'm screwed in this class. Had I taken the INTRO course, like I should have, I'd definitely have an A or A-. To transfer again I think I'll have to explain away this grade and say why I'm struggling.
- Having transferred once already, will a school be cautious to accept me? Will it help that I've already applied to these schools, showing that I've always been interested in them? I feel like my essay will need to address this.
I think my admission will come down to being able to explain my poor grade in the econ class, the quality of my transfer essay, and the support that the coach uses on me in admissions. If I can get one of the coaches to slot or tip or band me (which I think I can) then I might have a good chance.
Do you have any advice for me going forward? I’ve been here for almost a full semester and I do not like it. I want to go back to my home state and go to either school 1 or school 2 (preferably school 1). If this feeling persists this fall, I will seriously consider applying to transfer. I want to maximize my chances of being accepted however, and I’m not sure way steps I should take to do that.
I appreciate any advice you can provide.
Thanks!