So i’m currently enrolled at a small, pretty selective liberal arts school (20 percent acceptance rate). I’m looking to transfer, and while I have a pretty solid high school transcript, my freshman year GPA was terrible in comparison. 2.74 cumulative, with a C to B+ range over 8 different classes. I didn’t get a single A. The problem is that I don’t want to transfer to an easier school because academics was not the real issue.
I know I am capable of more than my grades show; my school was challenging, yes, but I was dealing with a lot of depression. The problem was not the level of intensity of the classes themselves, but the environment of the school (social scene that I definitely didn’t fit into, making it difficult for me to make any friends, incredibly isolating location, pressure of being on a sports team) that made it difficult to muster up the energy to complete homework assignments or attend class regularly. I think that different environment will help me get back to my high school academic standards, and since leaving campus i’ve also been counseled and have begun medication.
Anyway, I’m worried that schools that once have accepted me with my high school transcript, will now reject me with this new GPA, and that if I do not return back to my same college and wait to hear back from my applications, that I will end up completely stuck. NYU is my top choice right now, but i’m well aware that it weighs college GPA very heavily in the transfer process, so i’m trying to find other options. I’m also looking at Boston University and the University of Washington. So my questions are
- Does anyone have any other colleges/universities that would fit into that list? (I only looked at small, division 3 liberal arts colleges my first time around so none of the schools that accepted me last year are appealing after my freshman experience)
- Does anyone have experience transferring into one of those schools (particularly NYU), and are you aware of how wholistic the application process is? My ACTs fit into their average (although i’ve heard they don’t really consider those), my GPA is 3.8 unweighted (my high school only had unweighted “honors” classes), a lot of academic competition awards, and i’d like to think I can write an above average essay. I’m also hoping to use my gap semester or year to serve with Americorps.
- Any advice on whether to transfer in the spring or wait to apply for the fall? I don’t love the idea of taking a full gap year but am worried about adjusting in the middle of the year. Also, is there usually a difference in acceptance rates between the two?
Sorry this is so long and annoying, but any advice would be very appreciated!