<p>I have a 3.8-4.0 at George Washington University in an honors type program and I am considering applying to Harvard for sophomore year. I have never applied. I'm a potential Government-History-Philosophy major/minor.</p>
<p>In high school I had a 3.85 GPA at a top prep school that sends kids to Harvard each year.</p>
<p>SAT 790M, 760V, 620W <---such BS, I was Editor of HS Paper</p>
<p>SATII: 760 M2C, 730 USH, 720 LIT</p>
<p>Do these stats make Harvard realistic? One of my recs would be from my honors seminar professor who is a Harvard UG alum, is that worth anything? </p>
<p>Any input is appreciated, especially if you attend and have transferred, or know people who have transferred in the past. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>There are a few Harvard transfers that hang around here... and they'll definitely give you more useful feedback than I could.</p>
<p>It seems to me that successful Harvard transfer applicants (like successful Harvard undergrad applicants!) tend to have more than just good grades and test scores. Given your extra experience (compared to a HS'er), you should be able to present a solid case as to why you would benefit from attending Harvard vs. GW, and why Harvard would benefit from having you.</p>
<p>There are more than a few old threads that discuss transfer acceptance rates + all that... try searching for posts by Hannah.</p>
<p>itll depend on your first semester GPA....probably try to keep it on the higher side of 3.8 - 4.0 and make sure you get good recommendations. the fact that your seminar prof is a H alum won't matter. what will matter is how well he knows you and how personal of a recommendation he can write - this means that you should stand out in class, make extra effort to get to know him outside of class etc.... getting recommendations is very hard in your first year of college because the maximum amount of time a prof. could know any student for is only a few months, this makes a lot of recommendations generic. if you can get a prof to write a very personal and praising letter of rec this is good.</p>
<p>also you need to think about reasons for transferring, because this will probably be the most important aspect of your application, assuming you are above some (unknown) threshold in other areas. there will be many people with similar stats, so essays, and reasons for transferring will be a differentiating factor.</p>
<p>transferapp07's second paragraph is particularly noteworthy -- Harvard will want to know why you want to transfer to H, and what it has that your current institution cannot offer you. Note that transfer admissions rates have gone down recently from 75 to 40 offers out of a pool of approximately 1,100.</p>
<p>update: 3.94 GPA first semester, looking to concentrate in philosophy w/ 2ndary field in govt. i want a broader liberal education, ie, harvard's core curriculum and a stronger philosophy department. the professor who id be getting the rec from says i am "one of the top 5-8 students" he has ever encountered, so that most likely bodes well for me. my essays are pretty good too i believe, esp on the supplement. </p>
<p>Transfer admission is similar to admission right out of high school. The overwhelming majority of transfer applicants have the academic background that indicates they'd succeed at Harvard. Those few who get accepted have something exceptional to offer Harvard and contribute to creating a diverse, involved campus in all meanings of the word.</p>
<p>This means students who'll major in unusual majors that are hard to attract students to , students who've displayed the kind of talent, passion and leadership in ECs that indicate they'll be active members in some of Harvard's hundreds of student-run ECs, students who come from underrepresented parts of the world or the U.S. etc.</p>
<p>Since Harvard is in the enviable position as being one of the most sought after colleges in the world, I doubt that one's response to "why Harvard" will be much of a factor in admission. Far more important will be how your application reflects why Harvard should consider admitting you.</p>
<p>From Harvard's site:
"Though good grades, strong programs, and test scores are important in determining the academic potential of a candidate, the Committee also looks beyond these for such qualities as creativity, resiliency, tenacity, intellectual curiosity, and independent thinking. Other factors weighed in the evaluation of transfer candidates include significant non-academic talents and personal qualities such as a capacity for leadership, energy, enthusiasm, motivation, and a sense of responsibility."</p>