<p>so, i'm currently finishing off my first semester at a top-20 university. this univ. was not my top choice and though i've given it a chance, i'm just really unhappy here. i'm looking to transfer to either UChicago, NU, Columbia (maybe.. stretch?), UPenn, and maybe some others, but i'm worried because these are all extremely selective. my college gpa will be in the 3.7 range. my HS gpa was 3.5. my test scores are just average. so how heavily will my high school gpa be weighed in relation? and what 'safeties' or 'matches' should i apply to? i intend to major in history (possibly), though i'm still somewhat unclear.</p>
<p>(1) The ivies only accept transfer applicants based on freshmen class retention usually, so space is very limited as the retention rate at ivies is typically 97% - 99%
(2) Columbia only accepted about 5% of transfer applicants
(3) Penn accept between 12% - 14%
UChic and NU typically accept 10% - 20% depending on the year.
You HS GPA is not great, but it’s also not terrible. If you pull off a 3.7 college GPA, you should have a chance at UC or NU. The ivies typically only accept extremely qualified applicants, as the most qualified people typically apply there. (Aka those with stellar HS and college records with great test scores) </p>
<p>It would be easier to give you good match schools that accept a decent amount of transfers that you would be likely to get into if (1) knew your current school and (2) your test scores.</p>
<p>Considering you were able to make it into a top 20 with your HS record, I don’t think it should cause many problems for you. With good ECs, recommendations, a GPA around 3.7, and unique/solid essays, I think you have as fair a chance as anybody. I’m not sure exactly what type of school you’re looking for, but perhaps some others to consider are Cornell, Duke, NYU, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Wake Forest, and Dartmouth. Of course those are all selective but some are easier than others. As long as you apply to a good amount of these schools (~10), I’m sure you’ll get into a few and can choose from those. Look past the top 25 and choose a few safeties, just to be sure.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you’re interested in Columbia but not sure you’ll make it in, maybe you should look into Barnard (if you’re a female, that is). Their acceptance rate for transfers is 20%, their students seem to be pretty happy, it’s a solid academic choice, and you’ll get all of the perks of being a Columbia student.</p>