<p>Hi,
I want to transfer to a top school next year. I have been admitted to a good women's college, an honors program at a state university, and a large private university. I am hoping I can be admitted to a top ranking school next year/ ivy league. Does it matter what school I attend? Do colleges look at the school you are applying from when they consider you as a transfer applicant? Thanks!</p>
<p>Your grades and the kind of courses you have taken are far more important than a prestige of an institution.</p>
<p>For the “does it matter what school you attend”, as long as you do well, you can land yourself great after 4 years is done.</p>
<p>I have to put emphasis on “kind of courses”. Schools are really good at telling when you pad your GPA. I don’t know how they do it, but I’ve seen a lot of padded 3.8 kids getting rejected</p>
<p>This might be off tangent, but does taking a Honors class vs a non honors class in a state school matter when top schools look at you?</p>
<p>Why would a 3.8 get rejected? Unless if the kid didn’t take enough challenging courses and the schedule was packed with introductory classes and pre-seminar studies.</p>
<p>Honors looks better I’m sure, but I’d assume an A in the normal class would beat a A-/B+ in honors.</p>
<p>The schedule was packed with a lot of sociology/poetry/art/film/whatever classes. I love fun classes, but let’s be honest - an A in physics looks better than an A in art by quite a long shot.</p>
<p>When applying to transfer to a highly selective school, everything matters: gpa, coursework, honors, college attending, etc.</p>
<p>@TaggartNY</p>
<p>“Honors looks better I’m sure, but I’d assume an A in the normal class would beat a A-/B+ in honors.”</p>
<p>I don’t think I agree here. I would say that an A-/B+ in an Honors course would beat out an A in a normal class.</p>
<p>For example, say a student received an A in English Literature, non-Honors. But then a student got an A- in Honors Western Literature From the Past and Present — who do you think would win out? Look at it side-by-side like an admissions counselor would:</p>
<p>English Literature (Lecture) - A
Honors Western Literature from the Past and Present (Seminar) - A-</p>
<p>I guess it’s somewhat subjective, but I’ve read numerous times that transfer admission boards like to see that you took the hardest classes possible at your school. If you aren’t going to take the hardest courses that you can in the college that you want to so badly get out of, then why would you even think about trying decently harder at the school you’re trying for?</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that admissions to an Honors program is based off your academic profile when you apply to the school. If you’re trying to explain why the school you’re at isn’t a good fit, how are you going to sell yourself to an admissions board if you’re taking the same class 99% of the school is taking as well?</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>
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<p>Be unique in your essay. Show the adcoms that you’ve matured by now and explain to them what does their school offer that your current school does not offer. If you want to include in information such as looking forward to be indepedent at a more rigorous school or how the big/small class sizes are the benefits, then you can do so.</p>
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<p>I suppose that this idea goes along with what the person wants to study, not what the person wanted to show.</p>
<p>I agree with @GodricGryffindor. I remember asking a Adcom which looks better, a B in AP English or an A in regular old English. Of course the B in AP English. She told me same applied with honors. Anyone can breeze by picking the easy classes.</p>
<p>There are some cases, however, in which honors classes cover the same material as their non-honors counterparts and simply carry the H on the transcript. For instance English Comp 2 and English Comp 2 Honors is taught by the same teacher and both have the same assignments, the only difference being is the “honors” title.
So im guess adcoms can’t necessarily weigh an honors class HEAVILY over the non-honors if this happens.</p>
<p>My advice is to act as if ur not gonna transfer. Take ur normal courseload as if ur not gonna transfer, not more, not less. That way you wouldnt regret should you get rejected.</p>
<p>Godric,</p>
<p>Yeah I’d say an A- in honors might beat a normal A. To the person that was talking about AP, that’s pretty different. It’s meant to be a totally different level, whereas the honors chemistry exams that I saw here at Stony Brook were not harder than the normal ones at all (also they get curves that we dont…)</p>
<p>but yes there’s no dispute that honors classes look better if you’d have gotten the same grade in a normal! So I guess take honors classes if you can. Then kill for the A’s.</p>
<p>I agree with @kakarooooo. I think you should treat whichever college you go to as you aren’t going to transfer because it may surprise you. I went into my freshman year thinking I would end up transferring to another university, however I fell in love with my school and returned for my sophomore year. (I’m at an equally comparable school to the one’s i’d like to transfer to)</p>
<p>Now, in my sophomore year I decided to transfer because the school I am at does not have the major I think would benefit my “life plan” the most.</p>
<p>Go to a school that you would enjoy in case you don’t decide to transfer and live it up.</p>