I plan to transfer....but what's best for now? HELPPP

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm going to be a first-year freshmen next fall (2009-2010) as I was accepted to VCU, Virginia Tech, and JMU</p>

<p>However, I was waitlisted to Washington University St. Louis (of course..), Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Cornell CALS .... I know, it was depressing to get a handful of waitlists ):</p>

<p>My high school stats weren't as good as I wanted them to be and I knew that it would be a miracle to get into an Ivy-League</p>

<p>GPA: 3.6/3.7 (UW) and 4.4/4.5 (W)
SAT: Critical Reading 580----Math 600---Writing 570 (Total:1750...CR/M:1180)</p>

<p>Anyways, now I'm torn between going to VCU or VT because VT is obviously better in everything overall but VCU has a good medical program/opportunities since I'm majoring in Biology/Biological Sciences on a Pre-Medical track....I could probably get into the Guaranteed Medical Program/Honors there as long as I try hard enough freshmen year and if I am planning on going there all 4 years...which would mean easy acceptance into their Medical School after graduating</p>

<p>I'm leaning more toward VT however, bc I'm planning on/hoping to transfer either for Sophomore or Junior year and applying to Cornell CALS/CAS, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, or Wash U St. Louis and I'm guessing it would be better to transfer from VT which has a higher academic standing than VCU?? But then again, there's no guarantee that it'll be easier to get a 4.0 GPA freshmen year at VT than at VCU..</p>

<p>So, to finally get to the point..</p>

<p>1) Will it be easier to be accepted as transfer to any one of those colleges if I go to VCU or VT? I'm willing to work my butt off at this point to get away from any state school asap...not bc I don't like it, but bc I desperately want to go one of those schools</p>

<p>2) What year should I apply for? As you can see, my SAT scores weren't amazing (but I'm thinking about re-taking it either in June of this senior yr or as soon as I start college to boost up scores), my HS GPA wasn't great either but as stated before, I'm assuming I'll be able to maintain 3.5+ GPA freshmen year</p>

<p>Also, my HS resume was quite impressive (which I think is what got me waitlisted to all those schools).. I had 3+ years of research at 3 VCU labs, lots and lots of tutoring jobs I did both private and at Sylvan, piano playing for weddings, ceremonies, etc (as work), lots of different volunteering at hospital and other places, organizing charity events, won math contests, got lots of awards (from musical to academically outstanding etc), was an international interpreter, etc etc</p>

<p>If I go to VCU, I could probably continue research and get more experience whereas at VT, I'm not sure if it'll be easy to get into a lab since I'm a college student</p>

<p>Also, I don't really like VCU campus life..I'm kind of sick of it actually since I've been going there for 3+ yrs now...I've seen it's worsts and it's bests...but if need be, I don't really care as long as it'll be worth it....VT on the other hand, I'm kind of afraid that I'll like it so much that I won't want to leave and I'll get caught up in staying there rather than working my butt off to leave :O</p>

<p>Please help!! and thank you in advance(:</p>

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<p>bumppp</p>

<p>please help ):</p>

3

<p>1) It doesn’t matter. Go where you’ll be happier. My gut tells me that you should stick with VCU though, since you have a lot of good things going for you there.</p>

<p>2) I would apply for Junior standing, but that’s just my prerogative. If you can raise the SAT score, then great. Shoot for the 4.0 in college. Your HS GPA could hold you back for sophomore transfer.</p>

<p>All of this notwithstanding, your college admissions seasons isn’t even over yet. I would wait out those waitlists (you just might get lucky!). Come back to us in June if you have any further questions.</p>

4

<p>1) Will it be easier to be accepted as transfer to any one of those colleges if I go to VCU or VT? I’m willing to work my butt off at this point to get away from any state school asap…not bc I don’t like it, but bc I desperately want to go one of those schools</p>

<p>Stop. You DO NOT want to go into a school with the immediate intention of transferring out. There is nothing wrong with trying to transfer - HOWEVER - by assuming you are not going to stay at your school, you are denying yourself numerous experiences and opportunities for growth. Now, I could definitely relate. I got rejected by the Ivies, went to a state school and am now applying for transfer. However, I have given my school a chance and now realize that even if I don’t manage to transfer, I could grow here. Your mindset matters a lot, so if you go into it wanting to get out every single day, you will make your first year of college hell. Trust me - I know.</p>

<p>As to your question - I don’t know the two schools very well. However, most universities claim that your school name does not matter in the decision process. While this may not be ENTIRELY true, your school name/prestige is one of the last things they look at. The bottom line is, go to a school that is a better fit for you. Ultimately, it will make it easier to enjoy yourself and get better grades. That being said, you are going to need superb grades (3.7 is the unofficial cutoff) regardless of where you are. A lot of freshmen go into their first semester ‘expecting’ a 3.8-4.0. I was one of these people. Trust me, it’s not easy, no matter where you are. I worked my butt off to pull of my 3.8.</p>

<p>2) What year should I apply for? As you can see, my SAT scores weren’t amazing (but I’m thinking about re-taking it either in June of this senior yr or as soon as I start college to boost up scores), my HS GPA wasn’t great either but as stated before, I’m assuming I’ll be able to maintain 3.5+ GPA freshmen year</p>

<p>In general, the college wants to see a change from HS. If you did terrible in English (just an example), they want to see you take an English course and do well. Certainly, there’ll be less weight placed on your HS work if you apply as a sophomore, but feel free to apply as early as you’d like, if you think that you have done some honest and significant work since HS.</p>

<p>There’s little to be said for reapplying. There are people one here who will try to convince you that it’s to your disadvantage because you come off as needy and don’t get a ‘no.’ Others, such as myself, will insist that reapplying shows perseverance. At any rate, it doesn’t work to your disadvantage. If you feel like applying freshman year and are willing to put in the work, go for it! You can always reapply later.</p>

<p>Finally your SATs. While in most cases it’s not advisable to retake the SATs in college, your grade is far below the Ivy mean. You might want to think about retaking it, but make sure to study very hard - you definitely want to score above a 1900.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

5

<p>ohhh i also plan to transfer. good luck!!</p>

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<p>Violaghost - right, i don’t want to go to college where i plan to transfer out and then never end up doing it and stay miserable, so that’s why im leaning more toward vtech (ill prob enjoy college life there more)</p>

<p>but then, vcu would provide a better medical education, apparently? T_T </p>

<p>also, if i were to take the SATs again as a college student, is that possible? What would I put as my high school?? Would I even put that at all?</p>

<p>eek! only about 10 days left T_T</p>

7

<p>Schools discourage you from taking your tests again in college unless its a situation where you are like 6 years out of high school or you never took them in the first place or something like that. If a school notices that you took them again they will completely disregard the new score.</p>

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<p>^ Oh really? They don’t even consider it if you take the very fist SAT of the school year? ):</p>

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<p>I can only speak for myself on this, but I had a really low SAT score after taking it two times. I took the SAT a third time, during college, got a score in the 1800’s, and got accepted to a Top 20 school this semester for sophomore standing. I don’t go to a well-known school at all. My best advice is to work hard in school and with your applications. I believe when a college says they look at an application holistically, they mean it. There’s no exact formula, but they are looking for someone who will find “fit” at their school. Your job is to explain (well) how you think you will (fit).</p>