<p>I go to Hendrix College. It is not ranked like Middlebury or Bates or Wellesley. It is ranked more like Pitzer College (mid 70s). It is definitely underrated and the academics are solid here. When transferring to top tier schools like Cornell, Bucknell, etc. will they look at my college and assume that it is easy because the name isn't prestigious like other LACs? I know it seems dumb but I understand that my college isn't well known all over. How much will this hurt me. I have a 3.8 this semester. Yet, I can't help but feel they would take a person from i.e. Lehigh with a 3.4 just because of the prestige?</p>
<p>Yes, college name matters. However, I think a 3.8 from your college is fine. Usually, transfers from top schools have 3.5+ GPA. I think 3.8+ is more typical for lower ranked schools.</p>
<p>prestige matters most when there's dozens of students applying for only a few transfer spots ... at highly competitive schools, odds are there'll be more than one person applying with a 3.8 gpa from a much better school. Other things even, a student with a 3.6 from a school like Vanderbilt will most likely be selected over a student with a 3.6 from John Smith College. Of course, there's many factors that also play a role such as student involvement, high school record, SAT scores, teacher recs, personal statements/essays and so forth. I dont think the prestige of your school with either make or break you as much as how well you utilize the resources you have available at your current college.</p>
<p>Certain colleges have target community college areas. For example, if you go to a Cali Community college near Berkeley/UCLA and come out w/ a 4.0 GPA - you're very likely to get into both. If you go to a community college in New York and do well, you're literally guaranteed into Cornell CALS. </p>
<p>I'd say it's better to go to a good community college, do very well and after a 3 semesters transfer into elite schools.</p>
<p>Well, unless you have access to one of the best community colleges, going to a community college isn't a real great idea. They send very few students to top schools typically...</p>
<p>Put Miami-Dade Community College as one the best 2-Year Colleges in the country. In fact, it's one of the largest community college by far. They do send a few students to the top colleges. But honestly, it depends on how you use the resources that was given to you. If you started taking Honors classes from start to finish, you'll be at a good advantage, so long as your grades are in the 3.5-4.0 range. Anyone can acheive the grades. But the Honors classes will show the admissions officers that you have what it takes to succeed at the Top Schools.</p>
<p>I said "certain" community colleges . The key here is the location. When I mentioned community colleges, I said so because they're "target" transfer institutions for certain elite colleges. UCLA/Berkeley are baised - they're state schools and prefer instate residents. CALS in Cornell similarly has to accept a certain number of students from NY if they want to get the state grant funding for their school (CALS is part public and does receive a significant part of it's funding from the state of NY). In fact, CALS has hundreds of student transfer in and they would prefer to take elite cc students from NY over other places. </p>
<p>Going to a community college and doing well and applying to "specific" elite schools is a very smart idea. There are certain private colleges that like and "recognize" specific community colleges from around the area. Wesleyan univ. in connecticut is one of them. Going to a cc near middletown (or close by) and doing well will present a more "familiar" file than a transfer student coming in from......Boston. Indeed, Wesleyan quite literally favors certain cc's in CT.</p>
<p>However, there are schools that are in direct contrast to this. Duke univ. for example, like to admit transfer students from somewhat respectable institutions and HYPPSM/Chicago/ also prefer student coming in from somewhat respectable institutions.</p>
<p>It's all a matter of where you want to transfer into. Simply saying community colleges are good or bad for transferring is too generalized and infact, falsely masks the real advantages in choosing a community college.</p>