I am a non-traditional student in my late 20s… I have a 4.0 GPA (I will be transferring in as a junior), honors program, President’s Honor Roll, etc. However, my high school grades were terrible (I never even graduated from my regular high school; I had to finish through night school), and I didn’t take the SATs. I was stupid and got into drugs for a long time before cleaning up and turning my life around. Most of the colleges, it seems, will waive test score requirements for people who have been out of school for this long. However, I was wondering how high I can go from a CC?
Like is Georgetown, UPenn, etc. out of reach? I assume the Ivies are impossible?
The only Ivy that is technically impossible is Princeton because they don’t currently accept transfer students. If you’re curious about the transfer acceptance rates look up a school’s “common data set” and in section D you’ll see their overall transfer acceptance rate. With a lot of the top-tier schools, transferring in is harder than getting freshman admission because they have high retention rates. If very few students leave the school, then very few spots open up for transfer students.
Hey there, if I were you, I would check out the programs that many Ivy leagues (Columbia comes to mind) offer to non traditional students. I know plenty of top LAC’s offer the same thing too. Check out their websites.
But I can tell you this, you have more chances than you think! They’re still low, like all of us transfers, but they certainly exist. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the responses! I think the tough thing to interpret about the Common Data Set is that they include all transfer students, and not just the programs for older students. I am hoping that my horrible high school grades won’t sink me for the good schools.
I would think your 4.0 gpa in cc would count for quite a lot! There are plenty of good colleges that you could transfer to, just do a bit of research!
I believe Cornell has (or at least had) guaranteed admission from CC into one of its programs. Google Cornell articulation agreement.
If you’re going to be transferring in as a junior then I imagine you have a lot of college units right? The more college units you have, the less important your high school record is (in general).
Even if they waive the Sat, it may be worth taking it to offer a traditional 'metric '.
It depends on your state. Some states have very good articulation agreements. Others… Not so much.
Cornell has articulation agreements with several CCs especially for the CALS programs. You would need to apply directly to one of the programs at CALS. Cornell College is also a possibility. If your school doesn’t have an articulation agreement, no worries. You can still apply. It just seems that Cornell has an open mind about CC students and their potential.
Columbia GS is a school for nontrads and you get the same education as Columbia College.
UPenn has the College of LIberal and Professional studies (LPS) which is similar to Columbia GS
Yale is tiny and takes very few transfers. They have the Eli program for nontraditional students.
Brown takes nontrads after age 26, about
Harvard takes some transfers and they offer the Extension school for nontraditional entry. Take 3 classes and score above a certain level and you’re in. You can gain entry into regular Harvard if you really work at it, apparently. Please consult with them about their requirements.
For the “little Ivies” (LACs that are Ivy level like Williams, Amherst, Barnard, Welleseley, Vassar) then you would need to ask their admissions office directly.
Vassar has a CC transfer program & has the Posse program for vets, so already has more non-trad / older students than some of the LACs. Be careful, though- most articulation agreements apply within the same state & they often have some specific course requirements