I need opinions about my possible transfer situation

Transfer Students
1

<p>I am a first year student at a community college, but because of Advanced Placement courses, I already have thirty credits towards graduating. At the end of this school year, I will have enough credits to transfer to my first choice school. I have the grades, the required classes, the work and volunteer experience, everything I need to get in.</p>

<p>Except for the fact that I'm a first year student, and because of their application process, I probably won't get in to the college simply because I'm in my first year of college, though I am a sophomore credit-wise.</p>

<p>My best friend, practically my sister, goes to this college, and since we were younger we have been talking about how we're going to live together, be roommates, etc. Even now we talk about the house we're going to rent when I transfer and how much fun we're going to have. She isn't the only reason I want to go there, it's a great school, but she is a big part of it.</p>

<p>But since I'm not sure that I can get in, I need some advice on what to do next. I have a few alternatives:
-Move to her college town, move in with her, go to the local community college there and take minimal classes and transfer the following year.</p>

<p>-Move in with her, take a year off school and work, and apply to my dream school the next year. Then she and I will both be at a junior level and graduate at the same time.</p>

<p>-Go to a lesser school that I can easily get in to because of a different process, about three hours away.</p>

<p>What would you do if you were in my position? I know I'm going to be admonished because it seems like I only want to go to this school for my friend, but I've honestly wanted to go there since before high school began. I'd love opinions or advice :) Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I really confused. You say they not tae you because you’re a first year student yet you can consider taking a year off? Colleges judge your grade level by number of credits.</p>

3

<p>At the end of the 11-12 school year, I will have 66 credits. 30 from AP courses, 36 from my only year of college courses. So, I’ll be considered a Junior, an upper division transfer.</p>

<p>The college won’t look at my fall grades from 2011, so I won’t have a GPA. But, if I take a year off, I can apply with my 11-12 grades and get in.</p>

4

<p>I, too, don’t quite understand the situation. Many schools take transfers after freshman year only. It seems that this target college has some sort of application process where they won’t look at this year’s grades now for 2012 fall admission? Odd. </p>

<p>If you take a year off, you’ll still have the same credit profile and year actually in a community college that you have now. Are you saying that this school behaves differently from the schools which evaluate current freshmen based on Fall GPA plus (for some) mid-term grade reports/estimates from the Spring term?</p>

<p>In terms of the options you suggest above (excluding the “go to a different college” option, which is always possible)… do you have any idea how the target college would view the year-off option vs. the go to a different community college option?</p>

<p>Finally, what do you estimate your likelihood of acceptance is at your target school? If it is not virtually a sure thing, how are you going to feel if you move to that town exercising either of your first two options and do not end up accepted at your friend’s school?</p>

5

<p>Andale, you are correct: the school won’t look at fall 2011 grades, and those are the only ones I have. They also don’t take mid-year supplementals like other schools. I’ve been told by two admissions counselors that I will not be competitive in the admissions process.</p>

<p>I’m not sure how they would view the year off yet. I do know that the CC local to the area my target school is in has a higher rate of acceptance compared to other CCs, but i’ve also heard pf other people who took several years off and applied and got in. So either way would work, I suppose. The key is that if I wait a year, and apply for the 2012-13 school year, I can use my 2011-12 grades and be accepted. I would rate my chance of acceptance as pretty high: my current fall GPA is 3.8, with plenty of opportunity to go up. Plus, I have a job that relates to the major I plan to study, as well as substantial volunteer experience.</p>

6

<p>“I’ve been told by two admissions counselors that I will not be competitive in the admissions process.”</p>

<p>Then you need to pay another visit, sit down with all of your records, and find out just exactly what you need to do to make yourself competitive. It isn’t likely that they will be able to say “Do X, Y, and Z and you will be admitted in a semester/year.”, but at the least they should be able to give you some clear guidelines.</p>

<p>You also need to draw up a plan for what you will do if you are never admitted at that particular college. What is your Plan B?</p>

7

<p>My plan right now is to apply at both schools, the dream school and the second choice. The second choice is a backup: my GPA is a 3.83, and could possibly go up to a 4.0.</p>

<p>I know with the grades I have, as compared to their current transfer admit stats, that I could get in to the dream school. My work experience, volunteer, GPA, and completed pre-requisites put me well-above the average. I’m applying currently for the 2012-2013 school year, and they won’t look at my 2011-2012 grades in their decision ‘in the interest of fairness’. </p>

<p>If I take the year, go to the local community college in the area and take minimal credits to maintain my eligibility, then they can look at my 2011-2012 grades since those are from earlier years. I would transfer in to the dream school for the 2013-14 school year.</p>

<p>If on the slim chance that that plan doesn’t work, then I would end up two hours away at the lesser school for the 2012-2013 school year and finish out my upper-division courses. That’s my plan B, and has been from the beginning.</p>

<p>The problem is–if I don’t get in for the 2012-2013 year–do I go immediately to plan B? Or do I take the 2nd year at the community college near my dream school and transfer in after that?</p>

8

<p>How can you possibly get a 4.0?</p>

9

<p>What, exactly, happened so you weren’t admitted to Dream School last year? Di you even apply?</p>

<p>Why, exactly, if you are ready to complete your AA or AS this school year, would you think that taking more classes at a CC would be to your advantage? Even if those credits would be meaningful, why would you move from where you are and incurr additional living expenses when you could just as easily take those classes where you are now?</p>

<p>What does “Dream School” offer that makes it so attractive to you? If you were to encounter it for the first time now, would it still be a Dream School, or does it qualify for that status primarily because it has been your Dream School since you were x years old? What criteria made it your Dream School back then?</p>

<p>I’m a big fan of gap years. If you really, truly want a shot at Dream School, finish your associates at your current school, get a job, and apply to transfer next year.</p>

10

<p>Waverly: Right now I have all A’s and one B, leaving me at a 3.83. If that B goes up, I’ll have a 4.0 transfer GPA.</p>

<p>Happymomof1: I applied my senior year of high school, with a 3.7 weighted GPA, a 2100 SAT, and a 32 ACT, and didn’t get in. I was only considering taking more credits at another community college, even if they aren’t transferable and don’t count towards my total count, just to keep myself in the a school mindset. If I did that, though, the credits would be minimal, and I would get a job/internship.</p>

<p>I like the school for several aspects, not just because my friend goes there or I’ve liked it since i was young. I’ve visited it several times; it’s in a great location (near the beach, about four hours away from my parents), it’s not a huge school but not tiny either, and it’s not ridiculously expensive. Another side of all of this, and I know it sounds petty, but I am more than ready to move out of my parents house I’m the oldest child, I’ve always been exceedingly independent, and there is nothing I want more than to go live on my own for the first time. I’d like to think I’ve matured enough in the past year, I’m at that point now.</p>

11

<p>I know that you believe that you now qualify for admission, but you didn’t get in last year, and they won’t look at your grades to date, so it seems to me that you just about have to wait a year to apply. If you absolutely want to go to that school, then you need to come up with a solid gap-year plan. Since you want out of your parents’ house, you need to look for either a paying job in the college’s town where you live with your friend, or you a paying job or internship elsewhere. What about [City</a> Year: give a year. change the world.](<a href=“http://www.cityyear.org/default_ektid22283.aspx]City”>http://www.cityyear.org/default_ektid22283.aspx) ? It would certainly get you out of the house, and it could be a real resume and application builder.</p>

12

<p>Thank you so much for the advice. That was my original question, whether I should take the gap year or go to my second-choice school, so it’s good to know that I’m not being crazy when I think I should take the gap/minimal classes/internship route.</p>

<p>I really think I would be much happier with this route, in both the short term and the long term. I’ve talked about it tentatively with my parents, and my mom wants me to go to the second choice just so I can get in somewhere, but I think after we discuss it more they’ll they’ll understand where I’m coming from and what I would be happiest doing.</p>